Should I go to USAFA or USNA or USMA?

Hey guys, I want to be a journalist or screenwriter. Would you recommend going to USAFA? Becoming an officer is a personal goal of mine, but I ultimately want a writing career.

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."

Carl Jung

I suppose you could always go into public relations in the AF, write press releases, etc.
Ultimately, however, you go to USAFA because you want to be an officer in the Air Force. You didn't really say that, so I think you answered your own question.

Yes, go. BCT will give you plenty of inspiration for your writing.

Considering that you've copied and pasted the same exact post in the big three academy forums (there are two others by the way USMMA and USCGA) I don't know to take you serious or not. And also considering you posted about USNA Liberal Arts/Humanities post you created I would say go USNA since you posted about the LA degree there first. Usually your first instinct is the right one. Good luck with those threads and wait for Scout to see the USMA post and see how he responds

Boozebin said:

Good luck with those threads and wait for Scout to see the USMA post and see how he responds

Click to expand...

So long as OP isn't gunning for Med School, Scout will probably be cool with it.

cb7893 said:

So long as OP isn't gunning for Med School, Scout will probably be cool with it.

Click to expand...

Ok lesson learned don't go into one of these type of threads while drinking something. The keyboard and monitor will appreciated. I have to be honest I did spill my coffee a little when I read this.

Pos(t)er posted this same questio on USNA site. Suspect he's a troll.

Not trolling. Im still very far away from the application process but interested in all three schools. I expected good feedback and different points of view because I'm aware that these schools are all different. I guess that's too much to ask for.

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
Awake from your slumber there, there, Carl.

Carl Jung said:

Not trolling. Im still very far away from the application process but interested in all three schools. I expected good feedback and different points of view because I'm aware that these schools are all different. I guess that's too much to ask for.

Click to expand...

Carl, I think the problem isn't that people aren't willing to answer your questions. Most are incredibly helpful on this site.
The problem is, YOU are the only one that can answer your question. Now one knows your heart better than you.

Now, if you have specific questions regarding military training, culture, curriculum, application process, jobs after graduation,etc. - those people would be able to answer. I suspect those answers will help you decide if this is the best path for you.

Gangplank said:

Not trolling. Im still very far away from the application process but interested in all three schools. I expected good feedback and different points of view because I'm aware that these schools are all different. I guess that's too much to ask for.

Click to expand...

Not too much to ask for but when you post the same question on multiple forums using two usernames, makes one wonder. The schools are all different, none of which is set up to make you a screenwriter or journalist. IF that is your passion, go to one of the schools with excellent reputations for same such as the two I previously posted for you. Get your degree in one of those disciplines, and then commission through OCS if you want to be an officer in whatever branch of the service you want to serve in. Finish your service or even become a public affairs officer like Admiral Kirby...it can be done.

Gangplank said:

Hey guys, I want to be a journalist or screenwriter. Would you recommend going to USAFA? Becoming an officer is a personal goal of mine, but I ultimately want a writing career.

Click to expand...

OK then . . . How 'bout we start with "NO" and you then explain why you want to attend a Service Academy.

Ah, but he could write as an officer, and that could lead to a writing career….

Gangplank said:

Not trolling. Im still very far away from the application process but interested in all three schools. I expected good feedback and different points of view because I'm aware that these schools are all different. I guess that's too much to ask for.

Click to expand...

There are five service academies.

I want to be a composer. Should I go to MIT or CalTech? I want to be an engineer as a personal goal, but composing professionally is my life's goal. Do you see how that could be taken rather oddly by the engineering or music industry?

I'm not going to say you are wrong or that professional writing and military careers are mutually exclusive (they most certainly are not!) However, when people we don't know very well pose these kinds of questions, it raises some red flags. Service academies exist to cultivate military leaders. They aren't meant to make scientists or writers--it can and does happen, but it's not their purpose. So, when candidates ask questions about service academies and their main goal is not "be a good military officer," we start to probe a bit (or make jokes, in some cases).

You might be able to have a successful military career and move on to a successful media career...or you might not. Every choice you make has consequences. Some opportunities will appear, and others will disappear. You need to decide at some point whether you would rather be an officer or a journalist/screenwriter. The opportunity to be both may or may not be available, and choosing one lessens the odds of achieving a position as the other. You might be able to do both, but if you can't, which would you choose?

If your answer is "military officer," pick a service academy or school with a strong ROTC program.
If you answer is "journalist/screenwriter" pick a school with a great journalism/media program and look into ROTC or OTS.

If you want our advice, we'll be here.

I have a few classmates who are now journalists, writers and even a screenwriter. They served their time, some are even still on active duty, and pursued their passion for writing in whatever form after. Bottom line, is go to a SA because you want to be an officer. Is it the best path to make you a writer or journalist... no. But, if you want to be an officer, lead young men and women and serve the this great nation, then go for it. The SAs provide an excellent education. Also remember that the SAs are heavy STEM based educations. So even as an English major you will spend a great deal of time in Calculus, engineer, Chemistry, etc.

Carl - Yes. You should attend all three.

Ok, since you have answered back to the threads I feel that you're genuine in your request you just didn't word it well or I read too much into it.

Now that I'm past that the best advice I can give you is pick the lifestyle you want not based on the Academy but in the larger military. Each branch has specific roles and responsibilities which in turn has a unique lifestyle that supports those missions. I would research the following topics both on this forum and the internet using google:

Air Force lifestyle
Navy lifestyle
Marine lifestyle
Army lifestyle
Coast Guard lifestyle
Merchant Marine lifestyle

Go to each branch's web site and look at all the careers available to officers and enlisted. I've added in enlisted because some jobs aren't available to the other and being an officer is not for everyone. I've added all of them because most people discount some of them without even looking at what they offer and their Academies are just as good as any of them.

Once you narrow down lifestyle and job it'll help you make your choice to what Academy you would like to go to.

Also last piece of advice. We are very protective of each other and this forum so when we see such a general question being posted over and over again we tend to get defensive. I think it comes from being in the military and feeling the need to protect our brothers and sisters don't take it personally.

Please try to focus your questions to specific topic as much as possible and put it in the appropriate forum on this site and some of the smarter ones will be able to help you out. You're still young and you have time to figure things out if you put the work in.

I can only speak from the Coast Guard point of view, but realize the other services have similar positions.

If you want to write in the Coast Guard and have contact with the media, you'll want to be a public affairs officer. PAOs do a number of things, so it's not a simple, straight forward "you will write…" You may draft news releases, speak on camera, or write speeches.

There are three general "branches" of public affairs; media relations, community relations and internal communications.

Larger services, such as the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force will have public affairs offices or public affairs officers for units. The Coast Guard, being much smaller, has collateral duty public affairs officers (meaning they have other duties, and being a PAO is just one of them) and public affairs detachments for larger units, such as a sector, and public affairs offices for districts and areas.

If you want a career in journalism after your service, being a PAO will certainly afford you with ample opportunities to interact with the media. There are even units from each service that work with Hollywood. For the Coast Guard, the Motion Picture Office (MOPIC) falls under the service's Office of Public Affairs, at Coast Guard HQ in Washington, D.C. MOPIC, however, is located in Los Angeles.

To become a fully qualified military public affairs officer, you would attend the Public Affairs Qualification Course (PAQC) at the Defense Information School (DINFOS) at Fort George G. Meade, Md. During the two month course, you will have classes in journalism too.

Of course, to be a public affairs officer, it helps to have some training. The Coast Guard very often sends its junior officers to journalism/communications/public relations graduate schools, so the district or area PAOs have master's degrees in this area.

It's a pretty small, tight community. I'm biased, but I think the public affairs mission is often undervalued, until the #$%@ hits the fan. It's an opportunity to tell the tax payer at home what a good investment the military is.

Now being a public affairs officer may not be exactly what you're looking for, but it is a good start in the direction you hope to go.