Finally Got the E-mail

kathy baker said:
ktnatalk said:
@kathy baker, does DD have a ROTC or college as her plan b before enlisting? It all boils down to her goal, short and long terms. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific question, especially CTN or CTI. If I don't have the answer, I can point you to the right people or get it for you.
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She applied for ROTC as well but she is already in Delayed Entry
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Suggest you PM @NavyHoops to get the facts for your DD, if you haven't done so. Good luck.
 
My son received his TWE yesterday. He has several contingency plans but he is heading to Greystone Prep. I am excited for him, and believe this will be a "view from the valley" that will only make him appreciate his ascent that much more. Delayed gratification is something to learn early in life, and makes the fruit of success that much sweeter. In an odd way, I feel this is meant to be. He will learn so much and be that much better prepared for his Academy experience when he finally arrives. Good luck and Godspeed to all!
 
jonnyfrank1961 said:
My son received his TWE yesterday. He has several contingency plans but he is heading to Greystone Prep. I am excited for him, and believe this will be a "view from the valley" that will only make him appreciate his ascent that much more. Delayed gratification is something to learn early in life, and makes the fruit of success that much sweeter. In an odd way, I feel this is meant to be. He will learn so much and be that much better prepared for his Academy experience when he finally arrives. Good luck and Godspeed to all!
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Love your outlook. My DD did mature a lot this past year. She has always been mature for her age but this past year allowed her to focus and really want the life in the military. Now, a year later she is where she is meant to be and no worse, yet better for it. We now look back on the heartache of last year and understand this is the path she had to follow. She barely remembers to tears last year and this appointment is much sweeter. Good luck next year. Go Navy!
 
NavyHoops said:
1985 is spot on as usual. Do not enlist thinking it's a path to USNA. Anyone who enlists should fully expect to serve out their enlistment. It is not a guaranteed path to USNA and comes with huge risk if that is why you are enlisting. Stats are not on your side to get to USNA. If USNA is your goal go to a 4 year and reapply.

If enlisting is something you are dead set on, statistically speaking Nuke offers the best path to possibly going to USNA. Lots of the prior enlisted accepted to USNA come from the Nuke pipeline. They screen candidates there and help put applications together. If you look at the class of 2020 profile is states that 20 sailors came to USNA directly. They don't break that out on stats of where they came from in the fleet, but I am guessing the majority came from Nuke school. Again, I can't say it enough, do not count on this being a path to USNA. Be prepared to serve your entire enlistment.
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Oh she plans on serving it and then go career if that's where life takes her, but that won't stop her from trying and giving it her all! Her goal isn't just to go to the academy to have the military pay for her education! Her desire is also to serve her country!! That's not why she is enlisting and I'm rather disappointed in the negativity I'm hearing from those about kids enlisting, as if enlisting kids aren't "good enough". She may not have made the cut for USNA this time but she was good enough to get a nomination and she won't stop trying. I will have her talk to the admissions to get a better understanding of what she fell short on.
 
kathy baker said:
I'm hearing from those about kids enlisting, as if enlisting kids aren't "good enough".
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Not exactly. SAF is focused on applying to SA's plus ROTC - the paths to be a commissioned officer and the direct routes to get there. What you often hear is why enlists first and apply to SA or other routes have their difficulties and challenges, as others have posted. That is why they do not recommend if the goal is to serve as a commissioned officer.

Your DD have received so many noms. She obviously is qualified to all three institutions from the MOC/committee's perspective. It is fine if she wants to enlist. Everyone respects that.
 
Enlisting kids are good enough and more! The young men and women I had the chance to serve with were amazing and some of the best people I have ever met. I am still in touch with many of them today. Absolutely not what is being said on here.

If someone wants to be a commissioned officer, the path through enlistment can be long and there are no guarantees. The path leaves a lot of options outside someone's hands. If someone wants to be an officer, a SA, ROTC, and the various options of OCS are the path to get there. It is a more direct line that they have much more control over. Enlisting is a great option depending on each individual's goal. We caution against any kid who thinks they will enlist and get a chance to apply to a SA several times during that enlistment. It's just not true in many cases. They have to finish the training pipeline, report to their unit, build a relationship and be a rock star in their unit, then apply. For some the first chance at reapplying could be 2 + years into an enlistment. They must obtain a CO's endorsement which requires time and observation by that CO. We are just trying to give the truth to any kid looking at this path to its reality and challenges.
 
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I'm rather disappointed in the negativity I'm hearing from those about kids enlisting, as if enlisting kids aren't "good enough".
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No officer or former officer worth his/her salt thinks negatively of enlisted personnel. It is absolutely the right move for many people. Many enlisted personnel have college degrees (especially Chiefs in the USN) and some go on to become officers either through USNA or in some other manner. Other prefer to be the technical experts and leaders that our senior enlisted represent.

What we are saying is that if one's primary desire is to become an officer, there are easier and quicker ways to reach that result than enlisting. While most people recognize/understand that fact, some on this site may be confused about this.

Cross-posted with Hoops!
 
Yes to both Hoops' and ktnatalk's posts - the enlisted route is the "over the river, and through the woods" route with a lot greater potential for diversions and roadblocks and unforeseen consequences, most of it related to the needs of the Navy. Their comments related to the relative directness of a route to a commission.

Enlisting is never "lesser." It's just different. Officers cannot do their jobs without the support and technical know-how of their enlisted team, whether junior or senior, and enlisted cannot do their jobs without the leadership and direction of their officers, whether junior or senior. When it works right, and it often does, this partnership is a powerful engine of mission accomplishment. And fun to boot!

I am still in touch with many current and former enlisted with whom I served, invited as speakers at their retirements, or to commission them, or to attend their CPO ceremonies. One of the absolute best was when a Navy LT came up to me at USNA I-Day, reminded me I had coached her for her officer interview for the BOOST program that sent her to USD for her degree and commission. Her little brother was entering as a plebe.

As a junior officer, I was properly raised and quietly mentored by the chief petty officers who worked for me, and was continually impressed by the energy, initiative and creativity of the most junior sailors.
 
I am not criticizing anyone for enlisting or any other thing they decide to do. Every person has to decide on their own which path to travel. I am confused why they wouldnt automatically do ROTC. Its a different path to serve and while going to any of the academies would be an extraordinary honor, going to college and ROTC is another great way to learn and earn your LTs bars. In many ways it the best of both worlds, you get the freedom of going to a civilian school and at the same time can work to earn a commission in the armed forces. If its a choice of ROTC and the academy, I can see where you would have a big choice to make, but between ROTC and not going to college and enlisting, seems like a no brainer.
 
This is our first time through this and some of the more sobering, realistic posts were hard to argue with but; if the class is pretty well rounded-out and they're sending out twe's, and emails are super easy to send in big batches, isn't it possible that the board may be seeing something valuable that some of you have that's keeping you in CPR for a couple more days at least?
 
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