Lateral Transferring

Dragomir

Dragomir

USNA '27
Joined
Mar 7, 2022
Messages
142
Hi, I'm curious about how the lateral transferring process works in the Navy. I'm considering potentially lateral transferring into a career as a Foreign Area Officer after some time in one of the main communities. How does lateral transferring change depending on which community you are in? Specifically SEAL and Aviation. Thank you!
 
See my post:
Post in thread 'Civil Engineer Corps from NROTC'
https://www.serviceacademyforums.co...l-engineer-corps-from-nrotc.89695/post-938422

Everything “needs of the Navy” applies. If you are needed as endstrength in your current community, you are likely not going anywhere. But - it can happen, otherwise the community wouldn’t be populated!

Some good reading on the community and process here:


Transfer/Redesignation

www.mynavyhr.navy.mil

Strategically, your first step is performing well as a midshipman, then going to a warfare community and delivering consistently stellar performance. That is the only way you will have leverage to beat out others trying to transfer into the community. You also want to be open to the journey along the way. You might be having so much fun in your warfare community you can’t imagine leaving. Take the long view. It’s good to have OTH (over the horizon) plans, but build in flexibility. You also have another 60+ years on the planet. If you decide to stay for 20 or get out between 5-8 or whenever years, you can apply to work at DoS, if that field of interest still applies. You will learn all about opportunities once you’re launched into the Fleet.
 
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Capt MJ said:
See my post:
Post in thread 'Civil Engineer Corps from NROTC'
https://www.serviceacademyforums.co...l-engineer-corps-from-nrotc.89695/post-938422

Everything “needs of the Navy” applies. If you are needed as endstrength in your current community, you are likely not going anywhere. But - it can happen, otherwise the community wouldn’t be populated!

Some good reading on the community and process here:


Transfer/Redesignation

www.mynavyhr.navy.mil

Strategically, your first step is performing well as a midshipman, then going to a warfare community and delivering consistently stellar performance. That is the only way you will have leverage to beat out others trying to transfer into the community. You also want to be open to the journey along the way. You might be having so much fun in your warfare community you can’t imagine leaving. Take the long view. It’s good to have OTH (over the horizon) plans, but build in flexibility. You also have another 60+ years on the planet. If you decide to stay for 20 or get out between 5-8 or whenever years, you can apply to work at DoS, if that field of interest still applies. You will learn all about opportunities once you’re launched into the Fleet.
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Thank you! I'll definitely do some reading.
Skipper07 said:
check your email for info on the FAO brief coming up
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Is this something that's being sent out to candidates? As I'm not yet at the Academy.
 
Capt MJ said:
See my post:
Post in thread 'Civil Engineer Corps from NROTC'
https://www.serviceacademyforums.co...l-engineer-corps-from-nrotc.89695/post-938422

Everything “needs of the Navy” applies. If you are needed as endstrength in your current community, you are likely not going anywhere. But - it can happen, otherwise the community wouldn’t be populated!

Some good reading on the community and process here:


Transfer/Redesignation

www.mynavyhr.navy.mil

Strategically, your first step is performing well as a midshipman, then going to a warfare community and delivering consistently stellar performance. That is the only way you will have leverage to beat out others trying to transfer into the community. You also want to be open to the journey along the way. You might be having so much fun in your warfare community you can’t imagine leaving. Take the long view. It’s good to have OTH (over the horizon) plans, but build in flexibility. You also have another 60+ years on the planet. If you decide to stay for 20 or get out between 5-8 or whenever years, you can apply to work at DoS, if that field of interest still applies. You will learn all about opportunities once you’re launched into the Fleet.
Click to expand...
And yes, I'll make sure to stay flexible. A few years ago, I was gung ho about doing only one thing my entire life but now I'm considering a plethora of things and can envision myself anywhere. The world has a lot of amazing opportunities and I understand the importance of keeping myself open-minded about what I want to do in my life. And the State Department has been an interest for me recently. Thanks again!
 
Just to set expectations - lateral transfers usually happen after service obligations are met. Take a look at the board results on the link that Capt MJ posted and pay attention to the community and year group from the losing community. The two pilots selected to FAO were both about 10 years of service. Think of a lateral transfer as a “2nd career” within the Navy after finishing the payback for your initial education and training.
 
NeverSayNever said:
Just to set expectations - lateral transfers usually happen after service obligations are met. Take a look at the board results on the link that Capt MJ posted and pay attention to the community and year group from the losing community. The two pilots selected to FAO were both about 10 years of service. Think of a lateral transfer as a “2nd career” within the Navy after finishing the payback for your initial education and training.
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Great way to put it, as the “second career.”

We have a USNA sponsor family alumni who was a Marine helo pilot, did the squadron department head tour, then applied for FAO as a major. They were a top performer throughout their pilot years. USMC sent them to Naval Postgraduate School for an appropriate Master’s, then over to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, then an immersion year in country. Their career has now rotated between OCONUS attaché tours and DoD/DoN “country desk” staff tours. Currently working in an interesting role in an interesting location briefing interesting people at the top of various chains of command and organizations. Has made colonel. Following retirement, they will have no problem going to DoS, think tanks, DoD consultants or contractors.
 
Also understand that when you apply for FAO you are applying for FAO ANYWHERE. You may be sent to language school… you might not.
 
Capt MJ said:
Strategically, your first step is performing well as a midshipman, then going to a warfare community and delivering consistently stellar performance.
Click to expand...
^ This cannot be overemphasized, Be the person Big Navy feels the need to retain. Junior Officers are a dime a dozen, but soon or later the best stand out and will usually be the ones who get the best billets or accepted for a lateral transfer. A good foundation in whatever warfare specialty you get assigned to is important. Don't be the person who checks into his/her first command with the attitude that you are just marking time until the next opportunity arises, or the next opportunity will never arise !
 
Old Navy BGO said:
^ This cannot be overemphasized, Be the person Big Navy feels the need to retain. Junior Officers are a dime a dozen, but soon or later the best stand out and will usually be the ones who get the best billets or accepted for a lateral transfer. A good foundation in whatever warfare specialty you get assigned to is important. Don't be the person who checks into his/her first command with the attitude that you are just marking time until the next opportunity arises, or the next opportunity will never arise !
Click to expand...
There are LOTS of Officers applying to lateral transfer often in an attempt to salvage a career that is "off track" in their original community. This typically doesn't play out to well on the selection boards as no community wants to deal with the trash that another community is trying to get rid of. Successful lateral transfer candidates likely would have been successful and competitive in their original track and are choosing a new path at risk of jeopardizing their career if not selected. AKA - Fictional example - your commanding officer is a duck and his job is to groom ducklings to become ducks. If you tell your boss that you are no longer interested in being a duck but rather be a swan...there is a chance that they will not recommend you for a promotion etc as he wants to take care of people that WANT to be ducks and could care less about Officers that want to be swans. Is life in the Navy this trivial?...sometimes...
 
You won't be eligible to apply for lateral transfer until after at least 5 years of commissioned service in another community. All communities (Line and Staff) are eligible to apply provided they can obtain release from their source community (i.e. depending on policies at the time of your application, you may or may not have to complete you initial service commitment in your source community).

AFAOs are a subset of FAO that may make you a bit more competitive than other URL/RL candidates if you are transferring from 1310 (Pilot) specifically.

https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Caree...ive-OCM/Restricted-Line/Foreign-Area-Officer/

FAO is a small, competitive community. Aside from just the basic requirements to transfer, look at the requirements for FAO qualification, and consider those as discriminators in a lateral transfer package:

1. Regionally-focused POL/MIL masters' degree
2. Tri-modality DLPT with 2 in at least 2 categories
3. Theater experience

As a Fleet JO preparing for transfer, you might do the following as examples to hit those wickets:

1. Complete a Regional Security Studies certificate program from NPS, or if given the opportunity, a Regional/Security Studies degree from NPS or NWC.
2. Take a DLPT to document language proficiency. The DLAB is required, but a current DLPT score demonstrates real language proficiency, not just projected aptitude.
3. Assignment to PEP or overseas duty, especially in billets involving foreign engagement. Qualification in the IPAC program (https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Language-Culture/IPAC/).

If you want to do something at USNA, consider taking a language major or minor, taking LREC or Study Abroad, and reaching out to the FAOs (there's usually at least one) on the Yard to talk about it.
 
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