Active Duty Question

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If a USMMA grad chooses to go AD in either the Navy or AF is he likely to get one of his top choices of assignments or is it likely to be a "needs of the AF" type of deal? I am referring to non-flying assignments.
Thanks
 
I know for the Navy you would select which branch of the service you would like to go, if you don't get selected for that then you can just take the normal reserve commission.

I would assume the AF branching works very much the same; however, if this question is coming about due to the thread about reductions at the AFA then similar things could happen. The difference would be that instead of like at AFA you could simply choose to not go on active duty upon graduation and do something else.
 
Thanks KP2001. This is not about the reducions at USAFA and the AF in general. All branches are likely to see some of that anyway and who knows what the picture will look like in 2016 when son would be graduating. We are just wondering how the system works. KP is appealing largely because of the options. So if one does not like their billet that is assigned they can decline?
 
So if one does not like their billet that is assigned they can decline?

Not so much the billet because that would be decided after they had accepted their branch.

Example: Midshipmen applies for Surface Warfare. They are selected and accept. Then the billet would be assigned, so at that point they wouldn't be able to say no just because they got a ship in Norfolk and wanted one in San Diego.

Take that same midshipman and they applied aviation and were not accepted. They then would not have to take a surface billet or some other job in the active navy, they simply wouldn't be able to go aviation and would likely go with the "normal" reserve obligation.
 
All the branches are cutting back on their accessions at least for the graduating class of 2011.

Pretty much the AF works the same way, you apply and if chosen you then pick your billet. But, the operative word here is "chosen." If you are an engineering student with top grades you are pretty much guaranteed a choice and an offer. I believe the logistic majors are finding a harder road for job placement in this economy, but I'm sure that's across the board, not just, govt./military sector......and hopefully this will change!
 
In a recent meeting with the Naval personelle on campus I was informed that the Navy views KP grads the same as ROTC grads. This seems like an unfair comparison considering the rigors of the KP regimental life and the accelerated class schedule. It should be a top priority of the current KP administration to overcome this point of view. As tough as KP is, our mids should not be viewed in a more favorable light than a ROTC grad.
 
Who cares? Once you're in the fleet no one cares where you went to school or what your GPA was, it is all about being able to do the job well. With an education from KP, you'll lead the way.

The Naval Academy doesn't, hasn't and won't produce expert mariners, they produce expert naval officers. KP produces expert mariners and your skills will allow you to stand out.

In my pops' second Divo tour, only one person stayed to make Admiral. A KP grad, now, the commander of MSC, Mark Buzby.

What I'm trying to say is that KP will give you the skills, and you'll be able to prove everything that you've learned by your deeds on the ship or your leadership abilities ashore. Acta non verba much?
 
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A division is the lowest level organisational unit unit on a ship.

Division->
Department->
Executive Officer->
Commanding Officer

Divo= Division Officer
DH=Department Head
XO= Executive officer
CO=Commanding officer


The typical surface warfare officer progression goes 2 Divo tours at sea, 2 ashore, Grad School, 2 DH tours, then beginning to screen for command (it all takes around 20 years)
 
Who cares? Once you're in the fleet no one cares where you went to school or what your GPA was, it is all about being able to do the job well.

The concern is not about once you are in the fleet, it's about getting accepted into the fleet in the first place. Being accepted to active duty and branch assignment are competitive based on GPA. KP students competing against ROTC students are at a disadvantage. The Navy has a minimum GPA for KP students to go active duty. DD thought she might want to go active duty Navy at one point, but discovered there is no way she will make the GPA. She has since decided that she wants to sail as a mariner and serve her commission in the Navy Reserve.
 
The concern is not about once you are in the fleet, it's about getting accepted into the fleet in the first place. Being accepted to active duty and branch assignment are competitive based on GPA. KP students competing against ROTC students are at a disadvantage. .........
In a recent meeting with the Naval personnel on campus I was informed that the Navy views KP grads the same as ROTC grads......................

You've got to be sh.......ting me! KP2001, can you please comment. (don't mean to keep calling on you, but you probably have some info here that will calm me down!)

I guess, this could be a good thing for the true sailors and not "soldiers"......but good grief, there is no comparison between what the average ROTC goes through and what a KP mid goes through.

he Navy has a minimum GPA for KP students to go active duty. .......[/QUOTE]
 
Minimum GPA for active duty? I would like to hear more about this. What is that minimum?
 
That's a little scary in some way because I always thought that you'd be virtually gauranteed into some form of active duty. Id be a little sad if I planned to do my service as active duty and my senior year find out I couldn't. Obviously nothing is guaranteed for anything but I'm getting the feeling that it is kind of a gamble to go expecting to be active duty officer in the navy/airforce etc...
 
Minimum GPA for active duty? I would like to hear more about this. What is that minimum?

All I've got for information is second hand via DD. Please remember that! I don't remember the exact number she said. I just remember that our engine cadet was not going meet it. That said, she may have misunderstood. It may have been a minimum to get choice of branch or something else. If I'm spreading misinformation, I apologize and beg someone to please correct me.
 
I'm not 100% on this, but it is my understanding that the above posts regarding our "status" is correct. We are on par with a ROTC group. I believe this is also the case for those at senior military colleges (VMI, Citadel, etc, etc).

Personally I don't see a problem with that at all since we aren't funded by the DoD and most of our graduates do not go onto active duty. There really isn't any other "status" they could put us in. You're either active duty (USNA) or not. The reason USNA grads likely get a "priority" in that regards is that they have to go active duty.

As to requiring a GPA to go active duty. Can't really comment here, but I know the Army and Air Force at times have required a certain GPA for an active duty commission upon graduation. At times of drawdowns is when this usually comes into play. I would guess though that if someone wanted to go SWO, they'd probably take them.

If someone is truly interested in going active duty there is always the option of a lateral transfer once you have graduated. I know the latest lateral transfer board was looking for MMR officers to go SWO and a few other positions. All it takes is talking to an officer recruiter. At that point GPA would probably be less of an issue.
 
I was pretty sure that certain communities (aviation, Nuke) had GPA requirements but there really wasn't a minimum GPA generally. I also thought KP had it's own quotas. That may have been true when I was a mid but AD accessions policies change yearly and sometimes more often.
 
I also thought KP had it's own quotas.

My understanding of the quotas is purely anecdotal so do not take this as gospel.

My understanding is that KP is in the same quota group as ROTC groups; however, KP gets a slight advantage in that it can have some of the "leftover" slots that haven't been taken by others. So say Univ of State has 4 pilot slots, but only 2 are used that year KP could potentially get those other 2 slots. (not sure if that's really a great description or not, and again, this is purely anecdotal and not grounded in anything I've ever seen on paper)

I wish I had a contact at Naval Science that could clear this for us, if anyone does I would ask them. I'm sure they know the in's and out's of the way the system works.
 
All I can say is from my observation and talking with Mids, last year's graduating class and this years' class are finding very tough competition getting active military slots AND GPA does matter. I don't know about minimum GPAs, but, just like getting into the Academy, to get into a sweet job offer either active or civilian, you must be competitive.
 
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