Enlisted to USNA (2021)

For you enlisted Sailors, a Mom question....how long ago did you enlist/finish Boot Camp?
What are your rates?
My DS, 17 really wants USNa, but if he doesn't get in, he wants to enlist.
My oldest DS is an HT no college, stationed in Norfolk, but he knows his brother is so smart and wants to make sure he gets the right job to help position him for a reapplication.
Thanks for your help in advance and thanks for your service!
 
While I cannot directly answer your question, there is no way to tell in advance how much support a Sailor will receive from their Chain of Command for a USNA application. The CoC first has to realize/agree that this Sailor is an officer material based on his/her performance. Also, where they are (in school, receiving training for their job, or where they are assigned) will have impact on their ability to apply. Hence the many posts about going to enlist first and then apply is generally not recommended.

How old is your older DS? If I recall correctly from your posts, the new CMC on his ship was the last Brigade Master Chief. He may want to stop by his office and chat.
 
ktnatalk said:
While I cannot directly answer your question, there is no way to tell in advance how much support a Sailor will receive from their Chain of Command for a USNA application. The CoC first has to realize/agree that this Sailor is an officer material based on his/her performance. Also, where they are (in school, receiving training for their job, or where they are assigned) will have impact on their ability to apply. Hence the many posts about going to enlist first and then apply is generally not recommended.

How old is your older DS? If I recall correctly from your posts, the new CMC on his ship was the last Brigade Master Chief. He may want to stop by his office and chat.
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My son who is applying is 17, graduates this year. My older son is the one already enlisted, he's just very supportive of his brother and doesn't want to see his smartness wasted by a job that he'll be bored in.
 
CaliNavyMom said:
My son who is applying is 17, graduates this year. My older son is the one already enlisted, he's just very supportive of his brother and doesn't want to see his smartness wasted by a job that he'll be bored in.
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Copy that. Your older DS can ask his CMC the question you are asking. He oversaw the "priors" arrived from the fleet in Class of 2019, and above all, he is a great Master Chief and a great mentor.
 
I would say percentage wise Nuke has the most priors at USNA. They screen Sailors going through the Nuke pipeline for USNA. It makes sense as generally your Nuke Sailors have shown a strong aptitude for math and science and a willingness to study. Not all, but most, direct admits to USNA from the fleet come from Nuke school. So if he has applied previously, has strong academics and test scores, they may have him reapply from there (no guarantees). I know a young man who did this after getting the TWE. I caution anyone looking at this route... if you enlist, be prepare to serve the entire contract. So many things are not in your control. There are lots of older threads talking about the enlistment route.
 
Tried Google but came up blank.
Is there a minimum time limit after you enlist where you can apply?
My DS is a junior in HS. All of his test scores are off the charts. His grades... pretty good. He "participates" in sports. (Soccer, Alpine skiing, crew). Not a stud by any means.
In spite of our best efforts to stear him in the right direction he has had his heart set on USNA ever since he first set foot on the campus about 10 years ago. Howver, even he has realized he probably needs a year or two more after HS to mature and has seriously been considering enlisting.
He took his pre AVSAB today and, as with most of his tests, they were off the charts. The recruiters immediately mentioned Nukes to him.
I've Googled it, but can't get an idea for the length of enlisted Nuke school. He is thinking applying after a year enlisted. Is this realistic if he goes nukes?
 
NavyHoops said:
I would say percentage wise Nuke has the most priors at USNA. They screen Sailors going through the Nuke pipeline for USNA. It makes sense as generally your Nuke Sailors have shown a strong aptitude for math and science and a willingness to study. Not all, but most, direct admits to USNA from the fleet come from Nuke school. So if he has applied previously, has strong academics and test scores, they may have him reapply from there (no guarantees). I know a young man who did this after getting the TWE. I caution anyone looking at this route... if you enlist, be prepare to serve the entire contract. So many things are not in your control. There are lots of older threads talking about the enlistment route.
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I have found some of the older threads, at least as far as the Army is concerned, are either out of date or inaccurate.
 
CaliNavyMom said:
For you enlisted Sailors, a Mom question....how long ago did you enlist/finish Boot Camp?
What are your rates?
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Ma'am,
I've been in two years as a YN.
I reapplied for a third time, I finished my package last week, now I'm just waiting.
Fingers are crossed as I drive myself up a wall!

Feel free to PM if you have more questions.
 
Enlisting in Navy nuclear field incurs a 6-year obligation, partly due to the AEF/ATF (Advanced Electronic Field/Advanced Technical Field) long technical school after boot camp and the need for the Navy to get the Return on Investment from his schools.

Here is the administrative message sent to all Navy and Marines units:

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/ALNAVS/ALN2016/ALN16054.txt

UHBlackhawk said:
even he has realized he probably needs a year or two more after HS to mature and has seriously been considering enlisting.
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Not sure your reasons behind this statement (I am not asking you to post it here), but not all Plebes are "mature" either. At the same time, if your DS is not mature, he might not get the support and Commanding Officer's endorsement that is required for his application.

I recommend having your son look closely if he'd like to be in the nuclear field in the Navy before enlisting. They do have relatively faster promotion rate compared to most other ratings(MOS/AFSC in Army/AF).

Best of luck to your DS!
 
ktnatalk said:
Enlisting in Navy nuclear field incurs a 6-year obligation, partly due to the AEF/ATF (Advanced Electronic Field/Advanced Technical Field) long technical school after boot camp and the need for the Navy to get the Return on Investment from his schools.

Here is the administrative message sent to all Navy and Marines units:

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/ALNAVS/ALN2016/ALN16054.txt



Not sure your reasons behind this statement (I am not asking you to post it here), but not all Plebes are "mature" either. At the same time, if your DS is not mature, he might not get the support and Commanding Officer's endorsement that is required for his application.

I recommend having your son look closely if he'd like to be in the nuclear field in the Navy before enlisting. They do have relatively faster promotion rate compared to most other ratings(MOS/AFSC in Army/AF).

Best of luck to your DS!
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Again, I Googled. I read the message. I did not see anything in their about time service requirement before applying.
Yes, nuke has a six year obligation. However service academy trumps that obligation. Is USNA a guarantee? Of course not. He knows that.
There is normally (not always), a big difference in maturity (normally), between a 17-18 year old straight out of high school and a 19-21 year old with some service under their belt. As an example, my moment of maturation occurred at the age of 20 in a foxhole filled with six inches of muck, middle of November, with sleet and freezing rain soaking me. I said to myself, "Self, this sucks. There has to be a better way." In the words of Dean Wormer, I realized that fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life. I did not know I could apply to a service academy or I would have, but went ROTC and never looked back.
Saw it many times in the military. Some people just needed a few more years to bake.
 
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UHBlackhawk said:
Again, I Googled. I read the message. I did not see anything in their about time service requirement before applying.
Yes, nuke has a six year obligation. However service academy trumps that obligation. Is USNA a guarantee? Of course not. He knows that.
There is a big difference in maturity (normally), between a 17-18 year old straight out of high school and a 19-21 year old with some service under their belt. As an example, my moment of maturation occurred at the age of 20 in a foxhole filled with six inches of muck, middle of November, with sleet and freezing rain soaking me. I said to myself, "Self, this sucks. There has to be a better way." I did not know I could apply to a service academy or I would have, but went ROTC and never looked back.
Saw it many times in the military. Some people just needed a few more years to bake.
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I agree with you about maturity. That is also exactly what the Supe and the Dant want from the enlisted ranks.

There is no minimum time served requirement. However, he obviously couldn't apply while in boot camp. IMHO the realistic time should be after his supervisors have some time to evaluate him, be in his first assignment or in a long school like nuke training.

Edit: the proper way for it to happen could be either the enlisted Sailor expresses interest, or during a Career Development Board (required at 90 days, 18 months, etc specific intervals after checking in onboard the command) it comes up during discussion from his leadership/Chain of Command, and they screen his record and prior education and encourage him to apply.
 
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aegisFC said:
Almost 3 1/2 years :) and about half of that was a combination of 3 tech schools before hitting the fleet.
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Your fellow classmates may give you a common nickname - which is a badge of honor for your experience and maturity!
 
One of our USNA sponsor sons, with actual Fleet deployment time, not an enlisted nuke school candidate, was called "Sea Dad" by his classmates. His 23rd birthday was 3 July.
 
@Nemotoad2, I know the moderator deleted your identifiable info on the thread you started. If I may ask, are you a nuke, A-gang, or a TM? At least @CaliNavyMom and I are curious.

As for the answer to your question on enlisted acceptance rate on that thread, I don't work in admissions and I do not have the answer. I do believe not every enlisted applicant is fully qualified, and for those who can use a little help in some areas to be successful from admissions' point of view, they are likely to get accepted for NAPS first vice directly admitted.

FWIW, Admiral(Ret) Locklear, the last PACOM Commander, was enlisted, went to NAPS, then USNA. His career turned out more than okay.
 
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