Positions/Ranks as midshipmen
- Thread starter AMac
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We call them billets, and there’s literally hundreds. You don’t get to hold one until you’re an upperclass, but then most mids will have a different billet each semester. The ubiquitous one is the squad leader; As an SL your job is to ensure that the ~10 mids in your squad are meeting their various requirements, whether that’s academics, ProDev, conduct, etc. Each company also has its Platoon Commanders, XO and CC whose job is to relay information from the Company Officer and enforce the CO’s expectations. Then there’s positions relating to academics, planning events, writing watchbills, drill and ceremony, protocol, conduct, honor, maintenance, and many more.
Then of course you have the “Striper” billets like Batt Commander, who’s the Battalion Officer’s liaison to his/her midshipmen, all the way up to Brigade Commander who “leads” the Brigade, acting as a liasion between the Deputy Commandant and the rest of Midshipman leadership. Important to note that despite the names, these higher level billets are mostly symbolic. Brigade Commander leads parades/formations and introduces speakers at events, but they aren’t setting the actual policies. They exist as a sort of figurehead and also ensure that there’s smooth communication between the mids and officer leadership. Nonetheless these billets are highly competitive and are looked very favorably upon by Academy leadership and even outside assessors such as grad school admissions offices.
Then of course you have the “Striper” billets like Batt Commander, who’s the Battalion Officer’s liaison to his/her midshipmen, all the way up to Brigade Commander who “leads” the Brigade, acting as a liasion between the Deputy Commandant and the rest of Midshipman leadership. Important to note that despite the names, these higher level billets are mostly symbolic. Brigade Commander leads parades/formations and introduces speakers at events, but they aren’t setting the actual policies. They exist as a sort of figurehead and also ensure that there’s smooth communication between the mids and officer leadership. Nonetheless these billets are highly competitive and are looked very favorably upon by Academy leadership and even outside assessors such as grad school admissions offices.
Old Navy BGO
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Do grad school admissions offices know or care what Striper positions are ? Once you get 5 years + in the fleet, your leadership experience easily surpasses most of grad school peers. I don't recall even mentioning my USNA experience except Academic recognition when applying for law school (long ago), and I got into 4 of 5 I applied to (waitlisted the other !)
Wow, great explanations. Thank you for the information. I knew there were a few but I didn't know how many and the responsibilities. My DS got SL and when I asked what other positions he just said "Dad there are quite a few" and that they change people often.
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You’re right. I was just referring to the immediate graduate education programs. If you’re going to grad school well into your career, I doubt they care very much about your extracurricular leadership positions from college. I'd imagine they’d be more interested in your actual professional accomplishments. But typically the mids who are accepted to the prestigious grad school scholarships (ones who start right after graduation before even hitting the Fleet) had a high level leadership billet. Often the Rhodes and Marshall scholarship recipients coming out of the Academies were Brigade Commanders (The past two Rhodes Scholars to come out of West Point were ‘First Captain’ which is their equivalent of BC).
usna1985
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The whole concept of stripers is an interesting one. Some "mega-stripers" go on to greatness in the Fleet and beyond. Some are never heard from again.
I can't imagine any USNA grad talking about their leadership positions at USNA to anyone at any time other than MAYBE class reunions -- where they might tell sea stories about it.
I couldn't even have imagined putting my midshipman rank on my graduate education program application. Grad school admissions have no idea what a Midshipman Lieutenant or LCDR or LTGJ or MIR does nor do they care. By the time you apply to grad school, you usually have at least 4 years of actual service as an officer -- that can be very meaningful and impactful. Certainly much more so than what you did as a midshipman officer.
The one exception to the above is, of course, mids who are applying for graduate education scholarships (e.g., Rhodes, Marshall). There, of course, what you do as a mid would be relevant.
I can't imagine any USNA grad talking about their leadership positions at USNA to anyone at any time other than MAYBE class reunions -- where they might tell sea stories about it.
I couldn't even have imagined putting my midshipman rank on my graduate education program application. Grad school admissions have no idea what a Midshipman Lieutenant or LCDR or LTGJ or MIR does nor do they care. By the time you apply to grad school, you usually have at least 4 years of actual service as an officer -- that can be very meaningful and impactful. Certainly much more so than what you did as a midshipman officer.
The one exception to the above is, of course, mids who are applying for graduate education scholarships (e.g., Rhodes, Marshall). There, of course, what you do as a mid would be relevant.