Military Status while attending USNA

majortheta

5-Year Member
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Are midshipmen active duty? Are they enlisted? What exactly are they listed as? Do they get military discounts?
 
They are active duty. Not enlisted, but not officers. Think of them in a weird fuzzy status, where they are technically active duty and technically hold a rank, but in reality aren't taken seriously.

And yes, they are able to should at exchanges and get military discounts (which is generally the private sector giving the military some love, so don't take it for granted, it has decreased over the past few years).

Of course, they are also students, so if a military discount isn't available, check on a student discount.
 
Their rank is an officer candidate, much like ROTC or OCS. Good question on the discounts, though, I was wondering the same. Also, are the midshipmen issued military ID's?
 
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Think of them as active duty service men and women who are assigned for preliminary training to enable their commissioning and initial assignment to a warfare community. And their "special status" allows them to walk away for 2+ years, no questions asked. I'm uncertain about the type of discharge given self-separating Mids. I know it's not "honorable."
 
They do get Military ID and discounts at certain venues (Wiliamsburg and Tampa Busch Gardens are free for them). As LITS said they are in a LIMBO situation.
 
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They do get Military ID and discounts at certain venues (Wiliamsburg and Tampa Busch Gardens are free for them). As LITS said they are in a LIMBO situation.

And if they're taken captive walking back to USNA from the local watering hole.... they have the much appreciate Geneva Conventions III rating.... so their captors will know how to treat them... :wink:
 
Affiliation: Academy
Agency/Department: Navy
Paygrade: STDT
Rank: MIDSHP

Yeah, that's not a real paygrade.

We are active duty (Space-A Category III vice Category VI), and have the distinct honor of signing correspondence with "MIDN, USN" instead of "MIDN, USNR."

Some stores in DTA gave plebes free milkshakes during PPW. That was nice. Once in a while I find myself pushed to the front of the line at a TSA checkpoint. That's pretty much it.
 
DS always uses the military discount on the super shuttle and has occasionally used it for a lower flight price on SWA. It never hurts to inquire....
 
Midshipmen...

Raise their hand on I day and swear the oath of loyalty and service to our nation. They are then subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Mids have even had their education cut short (WWII) and been sent to war.

After I day they are on military health insurance and have life insurance.

As for retirement however, the 4 years at Annapolis do not count toward being able to retire after 20 years. Their 20 years begins at Graduation.
 
20 Years

Hi
Am I correct that when they commission it is a 2nd L with 4 years of services? This makes their starting pay higher?????
Regards
John
 
Hi
Am I correct that when they commission it is a 2nd L with 4 years of services? This makes their starting pay higher?????
Regards
John

No, that is not correct. When they commission it is as a 2LT (if it's USMC) or ENS (if it's USN) with <1 year.

If you have a grad with other (is it 3 years) of enlisted time, they may have O-1E pay, which is higher. I'm not 100% sure what the cut off is for O-1E pay though (as opposed to O-1 pay).
 
To qualify for O1E-O3E pay, one must serve for four years and one day on active duty as a warrant officer (not applicable for those at an SA) or enlisted or a certain amount of reserve points (probably not applicable for those at an SA) PRIOR TO attending the SA.

The difference (O1-O3 vs. O1E-O3E) is approximately $800 a month for O1-O2/O1E-O2E and $500 for O3/O3E based on the CY 2013 pay chart.
 
Hi
Am I correct that when they commission it is a 2nd L with 4 years of services? This makes their starting pay higher?????
Regards
John

Nope and it's Ensign not 2LT unless USMC

Edit: X-post with LITS and BGO
 
To qualify for O1E-O3E pay, one must serve for four years and one day on active duty as a warrant officer (not applicable for those at an SA) or enlisted or a certain amount of reserve points (probably not applicable for those at an SA) PRIOR TO attending the SA.

The difference (O1-O3 vs. O1E-O3E) is approximately $800 a month for O1-O2/O1E-O2E and $500 for O3/O3E based on the CY 2013 pay chart.

Ah, thanks!

Also, as usnabgo08 shows, that enlisted pay bumb on your paycheck only goes to O-3E, after than it evens out with the other officers at O-4 (although you'd likely have a higher number of years in service at that pay grade because of the enlisted years).
 
Anyone know the discharge status during the first 2 years @ USNA? Does it change after signing 2-for-7? Talking voluntary separation, not being booted.
 
I'm not sure of the official answer, but based on the administrative discharges available, it seems that a MIDN would receive an honorable discharge if they were in good standing.

If the discharge was general or other-than-honorable, it would have been likely it was due to a misconduct issue or some other serious deficiency.
 
Anyone know the discharge status during the first 2 years @ USNA? Does it change after signing 2-for-7? Talking voluntary separation, not being booted.

Honorable Discharge for sure during the first two years; believe that is also true for voluntary separation in the last two years (e.g. no honor situation). (It's a separate issue whether they have to pay back.) There's a lot of negative consequences "out in the world" attached to a less than honorable discharge and my sense is they don't want people holding a commission who don't want to be there.
 
At USNA the terminology is a "voluntary resignation" if you're in good standing in all areas (academic, PE, military, honor). I don't believe they distinguish for voluntary resignations in the first two vs. the last two years (again, the issue of having to pay back the government is handled separately). If it's a voluntary resignation at any time, you get an Honorable Discharge.

It's called a "qualified resignation" if you are facing involuntary separation for honor or conduct, and depending on the circumstances you might get a General Discharge (but there's some discretion).
 
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