I believe the Navy is identical to the AF for aviation, and it is a 10 yr commitment for pilots.
Additionally, one thing I would rec. to anyone going NROTC is to see when their time starts for the clock.
AFROTC cadets can have up to 6-9 months before they go AD (AFA goes 1st). That means their time starts when they go AD, not commissioned. So it actually is not X yrs from commissioning, but X from AD. OBTW, during that wait they are not receiving any pay until they are AD. This is always the biggest shocker.
If they attend a school like UPT the date the commitment for 10 yrs starts is not the day you report, but the day you are winged. UPT is @ 1 yr. So for them when you add 6 month wait, 1 yr in UPT, 10 yr payback...the 1st opportunity to say SEE YA is 11 yrs 6 months...almost 3 times longer than what they thought when they signed on the dotted line for the scholarship (AFROTC non-rated is 4 yrs).
Additionally what occurs during this time for rated is that they are offered bonuses which keep them until 14 yrs. Hard to pass up a 6 figure bonus at 29/30 when you know it is really only 2 1/2 more yrs. At that time under this current retirement system, most say what the heck, stay until 20 and get 50% pay for the rest of my life. (AF also offers at the 15 yr point another 25K a yr bonus to stay until 21) Which again makes it hard for them to leave at 14, knowing they have that bonus and 850 a month flight pay on top of their O4 salary.
I just took a 17 yr old to 42/43 in a few short seconds.
Finally, also talk to your child about the economy if their intention is to dive after the scholarship commitment is over. I would bet my dog that some of the officers that took the scholarship back in 02 with thought of diving right away and not making the military, or now staying because when they accepted in 02, commissioned in 06 never imagined in 11 that our economy would be in the tanks with 9% unemployment. Hence, they are now staying because of the economy.
The problem here is that as you make rank you sign another pay back, you also do when you take TA, if that commitment ends at the wrong time (i.e. want to live in CA forever, and you are stationed in ME, it is hard to interview from the other side of the country) you find yourself taking another commitment to get back where you want to be when you separate. Which means you keep getting closer to that 50% paycheck and harder to say goodbye.
Our closest friend of 15 yrs+ wanted out as soon as possible (AFA pilot), his 1st opportunity occurred in 90, but Gulf 1 got in the way for a yr. and when he returned and could leave the economy was in the tanks, airlines weren't hiring...took the bonus and planned to leave at 14, but at that time they sent him to AK and he could either 7 day opt (no job lined up) and go to Korea for a yr to finish out his commitment or got to AK and delay it until 17. He had 3 kids, and couldn't take the risk. They stayed, moved 1 more time and retired at 20 yrs on the dot!
This is also why it will be interesting to see how they change retirement pay for the AD, because that 50% check for the rest of your life is a big pull, and it allows the military to keep senior personnel. Letting them walk with a 401K would remove that, and make it harder to maintain the balance for even promotion boards or Officer to Enlisted ratios.
Sorry for diverting the thread, and I do not want to make it about retirement pay vs 401K. I was just trying to point out that when walking down this path, look at the long term from all perspectives. If 5 and dive or 4 and door is your intention, understand that many who entered had the same belief, but be it the Navy reqs or the economy or both, life got in the way.