Service Selection

ck15

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Dec 11, 2015
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Does anyone know the approximate number of mids that want USMC vs the number that actually get it? What do the mids usually get if they go to Leatherneck for their 1/C cruise and are not selected for USMC?
 
271 to USMC
805 Navy
Don't know how many, if any, requested USMC and didn't get it.
 
My info's a little out of date since I graduate a couple years ago now, but...

My class about ~320 mids or so attended Leatherneck. Another 50 or so attended MAGTF, where they were assigned to active USMC units around the fleet for a couple weeks (historically MAGTF is considered less competitive for Marine Corps, but that may have changed).

At the end of the day my class commissioned 270 Marines. That sounds terrible! BUT:
Not that many of that ~100 or so who attended a USMC summer training and subsequently didn't go Marine Corps had Marine Corps first. Lots of people attend Leatherneck to keep their options open, or go and find out (or are told, in some cases) that the Marine Corps is not for them.

Those who don't get Marine Corps are normally spread out among the Navy options. A decent number of people have Marine Air then Navy Air, so if they don't get Marine Corps it's Fly Navy. Others end up SWO or subs, though subs isn't super common since they have their own selection process.
 
I'd assume the answer to this is no... but is it possible for a mid to service select EOD but if not selected go USMC?
 
I'd assume the answer to this is no... but is it possible for a mid to service select EOD but if not selected go USMC?

It depends. For better or for worse (I'd argue for worse, but that's me), the Marine Corps wants to be your first choice and so doesn't often take people who have USMC second, even after SEALs or EOD. Yeah, I get it, being a Marine is about being a Marine and not your MOS and SEALs/EOD is very different from being an infantry officer, etc, but it seems dumb that the Marine Corps turns its nose up at guys who unsuccessfully shot for the stars and would probably still be very competent Marines. Instead USNA graduates some very fit, very angry SWOs every year.

Normally guys going SEALs or EOD know about where they stand after the screener 2/C year. In a given plebe class about 400 guys will say they want SEALs/EOD but by the time the screener rolls around there's probably about 100 (maybe a little more) serious competitors for ~50-75 spots total. If someone's not selected for SEAL or EOD summer training after the screener, it's not too late (usually) to put in for Leatherneck.
 
I'm in NROTC now and I have seen some very fit, very angry SWOs. I hope to not join those ranks, but you can never know. If I'm accepted to USNA I'll see where I stand after the screener. I'd much rather be a Marine and try for combat engineer than a SWO. Thanks for your help.
 
Might you be better off trying to switch to Marine Option where you are at? I know it happens but do not know if it's easy or not, nor do I know your circumstances. Just sayin...
 
My heart is in trying for NSW. I may never switch. If I get SWO I'll try and lat transfer. I really want to go to the academy so I can make a more informed decision
 
For what it's worth, DS (3/C at USNA) tells me that for SEAL officers the Navy has stopped/severely limited lat transfers from the fleet. I also understand that the increase in USNA slots for SEAL selection to 38 for class of 2016 from 30 the last few years was at the expense of OCS & NROTC slots due to lower attrition rate for USNA grads at BUD/S (vs my guess of expanding numbers overall).

On another topic, he did also say that a few women will be taking the SEAL screener in spring 2016 for the first time (class of 2017). That just confirms what SUP said after the announcement by SECDEF a few weeks ago.
 
That is one of the benefits of USNA... not forced to decide Navy vs. Marine Corps 1/C year. If you want SEALs or EOD you realistically would have to list them 1. I did have some buddies who put SEALs first and USMC second. They got USMC. Now I graduated before Hurricane did and our numbers for USMC and SEALs were much lower. We had 180 Marine spots and 16 (or 18, can't remember) SEAL spots. I did have a few buddies go SWO then lat transfer to SEALs. Remember the needs of the service always win. So a trend right now of limiting lat transfers might be totally different 5+ years from now when you hit the fleet. I know screeners are different now, but there is usually a screener 2/C year for training billets and then during 1/C year a PT test for score. In the past that was all done at once for SEALs and EOD types, not sure how its done now. Heck the class ahead me had a woman finish first on that test out of everyone there. She was top rate swimmer and was an athletic beast. Never would of guessed it either.
 
Just as a bit of historical perspective, my class's Service Selection Night was in February (this was at the height of the Vietnam War) and Smoke Hall had a bunch of tables set up for each of the branches: SWO, Subs, Aviation, Marines (no separate SEALS at that time). Each had a paper display board behind the table with items particular to that branch such as ship, coast, school starting dates, Marine Air, etc. Going by class rank, the top 20 guys were called in and walked to the table they wanted, expressed their desires, signed something, and went back to their room pretty happy. Then at a set time, the next 20 went down to Smoke Hall and the whole process repeated again and again until the whole class had been assigned their new Ensign duty station. Naturally, the guys at the bottom of the class (how do I know this?) walked in and a table or two had already been shut down as their quotas had been filled. When my roomate and I walked in, there were two: SWO and Marines still in operation. He strode confidently to the USMC table and was met by smiling faces. I hesitated as he and I had discussed the Marines quite a bit but since I really was not wild about wading through mud and rice paddies with an M-16 at high port, I slunk over to the SWO table. Twenty months later I was wading through mud and rice paddies with an M-16 at high port with the riverine forces wondering how the hell did this happen.

Take note, innocent young SWOs.
 
Marine Ground was dangerously close to not meeting their goal this year.

They turned up Leatherneck significantly this year, and that dissuaded more 1/C than they expected.

It depends.
 
Interesting nuensis. I think our class was at 16 2/3% authorized to go Marine Corps which gave 180 ground spots. Do you know what the % is now? I am curious to see with the Marine Corps downsizing if this number drops for future classes. I think our class had 350 do Leatherneck and they definitely turned up the pressure and training there to have some natural selection. We ended up with around 210 or so request USMC. It seems to go in waves of those requesting USMC, some years they have tons ask for it and others, they barely meet quota.
 
The numbers have been at 270 Ground+Air for the last couple of years. Not sure what the exact numbers were, I deleted that email a while back, but I do remember being surprised that USMC was under quota in August. Numbers were adjusted after some boards and SEAL/EOD cuts. Some that got less than stellar evals at Leatherneck were given another chance.
 
So is it possible to attend an EOD cruise and Leatherneck? I feel this would be the only way I could potentially list EOD first and USMC second. Of course, this is all pending I get an appointment haha.
 
Just as a bit of historical perspective, my class's Service Selection Night was in February (this was at the height of the Vietnam War) and Smoke Hall had a bunch of tables set up for each of the branches: SWO, Subs, Aviation, Marines (no separate SEALS at that time). Each had a paper display board behind the table with items particular to that branch such as ship, coast, school starting dates, Marine Air, etc. Going by class rank, the top 20 guys were called in and walked to the table they wanted, expressed their desires, signed something, and went back to their room pretty happy. Then at a set time, the next 20 went down to Smoke Hall and the whole process repeated again and again until the whole class had been assigned their new Ensign duty station. Naturally, the guys at the bottom of the class (how do I know this?) walked in and a table or two had already been shut down as their quotas had been filled. When my roomate and I walked in, there were two: SWO and Marines still in operation. He strode confidently to the USMC table and was met by smiling faces. I hesitated as he and I had discussed the Marines quite a bit but since I really was not wild about wading through mud and rice paddies with an M-16 at high port, I slunk over to the SWO table. Twenty months later I was wading through mud and rice paddies with an M-16 at high port with the riverine forces wondering how the hell did this happen.

Take note, innocent young SWOs.
Well God bless you Spud and thank God you made it home in one piece. Merry Christmas.
 
Just as a bit of historical perspective, my class's Service Selection Night was in February (this was at the height of the Vietnam War) and Smoke Hall had a bunch of tables set up for each of the branches: SWO, Subs, Aviation, Marines (no separate SEALS at that time). Each had a paper display board behind the table with items particular to that branch such as ship, coast, school starting dates, Marine Air, etc. Going by class rank, the top 20 guys were called in and walked to the table they wanted, expressed their desires, signed something, and went back to their room pretty happy. Then at a set time, the next 20 went down to Smoke Hall and the whole process repeated again and again until the whole class had been assigned their new Ensign duty station. Naturally, the guys at the bottom of the class (how do I know this?) walked in and a table or two had already been shut down as their quotas had been filled. When my roomate and I walked in, there were two: SWO and Marines still in operation. He strode confidently to the USMC table and was met by smiling faces. I hesitated as he and I had discussed the Marines quite a bit but since I really was not wild about wading through mud and rice paddies with an M-16 at high port, I slunk over to the SWO table. Twenty months later I was wading through mud and rice paddies with an M-16 at high port with the riverine forces wondering how the hell did this happen.

Take note, innocent young SWOs.

Spud's experience is one of the best told branching lessons EVER!
 
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