Applying to Multiple Service Academies

[brewmeist]

USMA requires you to video certain parts of the CFA, so you may need to do that separately. My son was able to do his CFA once to cover USNA and USAFA, but USMA would not accept it because it was not recorded. Also, if you are submitting SAT, USMA requires SAT w/ essay.

 

[23Lt]

ACT/SAT are undoubtably extremely important when applying to service academies/rotc/any college for that matter.

All academies look at section scores and put little regard into the actual composite. All academies highly stress math.

USNA policies: They only use ACT Math/English, and use both scores out of 800 for SAT. They super-score across tests also (ie. if you have 800 Math, 600 EBRW for SAT and 36 English, 20 Math for ACT, USNA would use 800 Math and 36 English). Also, my admissions counselor said that they stress the math score significantly more than english. Not sure that they use the writing section.

USAFA policies: They use all sections of both tests. They DO NOT super-score across tests. They recommend the writing section.

USMA policies: They use all sections of both tests and REQUIRE the writing/essay portion. I don't know (I doubt it thought) if they super-score across tests. Also, the instructions are a little confusing, but you only have to submit one test with writing, and after you may retest without the writing.

 

[usna1985]

To the OP, consider whether you really want to apply to all of the SAs. Not saying that you shouldn't, but each of them has a very different mission. Huge difference between life in the USAF and life in the USCG. How to compare life in the Merchant Marine with life as an Army officer? Most people have certain interests that naturally lead them to one or more of the SAs and tend to focus their efforts on those.

If you simply want to serve in the military and would be happy anywhere, that's one thing. But a vague notion of "wanting to serve" won't be as persuasive as, "I'm really interested in USNA and the USN/USMC because . . ."

Don't apply to all because: (1) you think you need to in order to show interest/dedication; (2) you just hope you get in somewhere but don't have much idea exactly what you're getting into; (3) you will go anywhere that's "free."

MOC committees will likely ask you what interests you about each of the SAs -- be prepared to answer. As noted, you may be asked to rank your SAs (and may only get 3 choices) or even to choose 1 of them. So start giving that some thought now.

 

[MMShape]

Practice the CFA in the order and time allotted. DS practiced a lot but not in the order of the test and was surprised at how when you add the ultimate timing in it made a difference. If you can complete that in the summer you'll be ahead of the game.

Also I think USAFA does superscore but a quick check online will tell you for certain.

 

[23Lt]

They DO NOT super-score across tests.

Sorry for the vagueness. All the academies super-score within tests, but as far as I know, USNA is the only one that super-scores between the SAT and ACT.

 

[Susan707]

I strongly, strongly encourage you to read the nominations FAQ thread. Of particular note, make sure you understand which method your MOCs use in nominations. Do they use the principal or slate method. This makes a huge difference in how SA appointments are decided.

 

[UFDMD]

I posted this in another thread last week. It echoes many of the previous suggestions with a few more specifics.

I would encourage you to be extremely organized once you begin the application and nomination process. This goes for all your backup plans such as ROTC and civilian college applications as well. Utilize a cloud service like Dropbox or OneDrive, that you can easily access from all your devices, to set up various folders for each Academy, nomination source, ROTC and college. Within each file you will create or download files/documents with dates for all ACT/SAT score reports sends, user names, passwords, teacher recommendation/evaluations requests, applications, essays, DoDMERB, emails, official letters, etc.. EVERYTHING. Use a scanner app like TurboScan to create pdf files of all hard copy documents sent and received. The ability to quickly reference these items and dates will invaluable as you navigate through the process.

 

[mara]

Something that is really important to have before applying to college is a resume! If you have all of your leadership, ECAs, sports, and volunteering all laid out in one place it is significantly easier to fill out applications. I finished my USNA application early Sept and submitted my nomination applications then too. I didn’t keep a binder or spreadsheet; I knew the deadlines by heart and made it my priority to complete all the parts early and accurately. If you really want to attend an SA, your drive to serve will propel you through the process. It seems intimidating at first, but because I did so much research on here and on USNA.edu before I applied, I never felt overwhelmed about the process.

Are MOC letters of recommendation supposed to be filled out digitally, or will I need hard copies to send in? I'm pretty sure that the SA's require teachers to fill out a form online, but I don't know about the MOC's.

Each of our MOC process was different and only one was virtual. Very different requests, essays and DUE DATES . It is important to visit each MOC's website to make yourself aware of their very specific requests.

 

[brewmeist]

Each of our MOC process was different and only one was virtual. Very different requests, essays and DUE DATES . It is important to visit each MOC's website to make yourself aware of their very specific requests.

Excellent point! This MOC wanted at least 2500 words. That MOC wanted no more than 2500 words. This one wanted staples. That one wanted paper clips. Different due dates... My son was triple checking each envelope before mailing to be sure everything was right. At first I was annoyed and thought it should be more standardized, but then I appreciated that he was nervous for the first time in his life and paid great attention to every single detail. I thought it was a great learning opportunity. Welcome to real life!

 

[jaglvr]

Excellent point! This MOC wanted at least 2500 words. That MOC wanted no more than 2500 words. This one wanted staples. That one wanted paper clips. Different due dates... My son was triple checking each envelope before mailing to be sure everything was right. At first I was annoyed and thought it should be more standardized, but then I appreciated that he was nervous for the first time in his life and paid great attention to every single detail. I thought it was a great learning opportunity. Welcome to real life!

Yup! One had to be less than 500 words and another more than 500... Thankfully all 3 of ours had same due date of Oct 5 so that helped!

 

[CrewDad]

Hello, I am a Junior and high school and I am planning on applying to the Naval Academy, West Point, and the Air Force Academy. My first choice would be USNA, followed by USAFA and USMA. For example, does the process of applying to three academies differ from applying to just one? If I were to apply to these three academies, how many letters of rec. would I need in total? Can some of them be used for both the regular applications and the moc nomination packet? Also, would I need to complete only one DODMERB exam for all three academies? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

The process can be daunting at first and it can be if you over think it. If you can maintain a good process and organization, it can be quite exciting. Because you will see progress and tangible results. You will hear good news and bad news and move on to next plan of action as needed. Here's how my DS and I partnered during college Apps.

DS Applied to all SAs and select Ivies and few safeties and had a doom's day plan just in case nothing worked. He's currently a Plebe at the Naval Academy, made the Dant's Honor Roll in the Fall, and very happy! Of course, he complains about few things, but that's all nothing and immaterial.

Parents: Offer guidance, mentorship, and sometimes serve as an alarm clock to remind DS/DD on important dates.

Candidate: Own the process, author all personal statements - you can be slightly under or over character/word limits, review 3-5x before submitting, communications, practice/prepare ahead, interviews, dress business casual or in your full class-A scout uniform (they love that!), key dates, review milestones, and finish applications to all. And don't forget to enjoy and evaluate your choices.

Timing: Start early. If you are doing the Summer Seminar, you already got the process started. If not, then July is a good start date. However, highly recommend asking for recommendations from mid April in your Junior year. This way, you are done with recommendations which normally is the bottleneck.

DODMERB: you can't start this process until you are allowed by one of the SAs you are applying to. Normally once you have turned in your Apps, Test Scores, some schools after CFA

CFA: you have 2 chances. You can take it during summer seminar, but most prefer to submit a better score with more practice. Goal is to achieve above average in all events.

Recommendations: For all schools just get ready English, Math, Physics/Chem, PE if required, core activity sponsor or someone who knows you well

Academic - Tests: ACT/SAT, rule of thumb score above average in your district or 30+ all sections with 8+ Writing in ACT, 700+ in all sections in SAT. SAs have understood that high test scores amount to best chance of success academically at SAs and for many colleges. This may be the way SAs tests Cadets/Mids, for many classes your tests are run like the SAT/ACT. You should be computer tech savvy. All your class assignments are done on blackboard system.

Academic - Rank: if you school ranks, <10% is solid or if school doesn't rank, SAs will take your rank from the Test rank

GPA: not as important as ACT/SAT and Rank, but SAs and colleges like to see that you have mostly As and some Bs. Anything 3.67+ or 93+/100 unweighted GPA is solid with 5-10 Honors and APs in core classes. Nice to have AP Scholar National, Distinction, Honors, but just bragging rights only after you enroll, it is short lived.

APs: Great to have because you can place out of the Plebe year classes such as: Chem, Cal, English, Gov, Hist, and later year Psych, Econ, Physics C, Lang for non STEM majors.

Nominations: depending on your district, Noms are easy to get or impossible to get. Highly competitive districts, you will only get ONE (from 1 District Rep, 2 Senators) if you are deemed the best in class. Senators and Congressman coordinate so you should really choose 1 SA that you want to enroll the most. Forget about VP Nom, usually given to Americans living abroad.

If you have done all these things between Aug-Nov, and SAs deem you to be the highest quality and highly competitive, then maybe they might offer you an LOA which is nice to have. LOA - conditional offer of appointment is offered to incent and recruit you away from other SAs and colleges. You will need full appointment to enroll.

Visit SAs and colleges so you can get a better sense of fit. It is culturally different at each SAs and colleges. Visit ROTC BNs to see if you have a good fit there. Apply for all scholarships - ROTC. And don;t forget to thank your parents, mentors, teachers, counselors, coaches, scoutmasters, and friends who are supporting! And enjoy your senior year, and stay out of trouble.

Many veterans on this forum can give you further details of Do's and Don'ts. I hope this was helpful!

 

[ders_dad]

One thing that you can do in the next month - look into Boys/Girls State. My DS wound up choosing between NASS and Boys State (because of scheduling of other important things). I was counseled on this forum to encourage him to choose Boys State over NASS. He loved NASS. But the fact of the matter is, this application is, in part, about checking the boxes and even participating in Boys State (but not getting a high position) is important - it goes directly to your WCS (or equivalent). If I had one piece of advice for you it would be "do Boys/Girls State".

 

[wp_classof2023]

Hello, I am a Junior and high school and I am planning on applying to the Naval Academy, West Point, and the Air Force Academy. My first choice would be USNA, followed by USAFA and USMA. For example, does the process of applying to three academies differ from applying to just one? If I were to apply to these three academies, how many letters of rec. would I need in total? Can some of them be used for both the regular applications and the moc nomination packet? Also, would I need to complete only one DODMERB exam for all three academies? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

Hi! I just finished applying to USMA, USNA, and USAFA.

I received an LOA to USMA, got into USNA prep and am still waiting to hear back from USAFA.

Medical
You complete one medical test and all the information from that DoDMERB test will be sent to the three service academies. I recommend you start applying as soon as each of the application portals open so that you can complete your medical exams early on. If you have any medical issues, you can at least get them sorted out early on. It also makes you more competitive because the application timelines are slightly different for each academy.

CFA
Again take it early. You'll need to digitally record(take a video) your curl-ups and push-ups for USMA. Each academy has a slightly different testing process, so make sure whoever is conducting the CFA for you is aware of these differences. I personally tried to knock out two academies at once. It worked fairly well. Practice is really the only advice I can give. Take the CFA two or three times in advance. Get used to doing each of the individual events. You can look on each SAs website to figure out what these events are. By the way, my gym teacher proctored the CFA for me

Nominations
You'll need a nomination to each of the academies. For MOCs some will have you order the academies that you're applying to based in preference for which one should receive the nomination. Apply to as many nomination sources as possible. I received a nom from my MOC to all three academies and then a separate nomination from my senator to Air Force(so in total I have two noms to AF). Also, if you don't get one nomination, you still have the chance to get a nomination another nomination from another source. If you only get one nomination to USAFA for example, you still need to get 2 nominations to apply to the other schools. Or one nomination source to give you two nominations to the remaining academies

Online Portals
Each academy has a different online portal. So make sure to go to each academies website to figure out how to set up your individual account. The academies do not use the Common App or anything like it. They have their own portals.

Recommendations (each academy will specify who you should get these recs and eval from on their individual websites)
USAFA - 2 LOC, 1 LOE
USMA - 4 Evals
USNA - 2 Recs

Statements
Some of the statement topics overlap and you can pull from one statement to help fuel the other but again you'll learn more once you start your application

hope this helps. I apologize in advance if there are any errors. I was typing really fast. Good luck!

 

[ALaz99]

Hi! I just finished applying to USMA, USNA, and USAFA.

I received an LOA to USMA, got into USNA prep and am still waiting to hear back from USAFA.

Medical
You complete one medical test and all the information from that DoDMERB test will be sent to the three service academies. I recommend you start applying as soon as each of the application portals open so that you can complete your medical exams early on. If you have any medical issues, you can at least get them sorted out early on. It also makes you more competitive because the application timelines are slightly different for each academy.

CFA
Again take it early. You'll need to digitally record(take a video) your curl-ups and push-ups for USMA. Each academy has a slightly different testing process, so make sure whoever is conducting the CFA for you is aware of these differences. I personally tried to knock out two academies at once. It worked fairly well. Practice is really the only advice I can give. Take the CFA two or three times in advance. Get used to doing each of the individual events. You can look on each SAs website to figure out what these events are. By the way, my gym teacher proctored the CFA for me

Nominations
You'll need a nomination to each of the academies. For MOCs some will have you order the academies that you're applying to based in preference for which one should receive the nomination. Apply to as many nomination sources as possible. I received a nom from my MOC to all three academies and then a separate nomination from my senator to Air Force(so in total I have two noms to AF). Also, if you don't get one nomination, you still have the chance to get a nomination another nomination from another source. If you only get one nomination to USAFA for example, you still need to get 2 nominations to apply to the other schools. Or one nomination source to give you two nominations to the remaining academies

Online Portals
Each academy has a different online portal. So make sure to go to each academies website to figure out how to set up your individual account. The academies do not use the Common App or anything like it. They have their own portals.

Recommendations (each academy will specify who you should get these recs and eval from on their individual websites)
USAFA - 2 LOC, 1 LOE
USMA - 4 Evals
USNA - 2 Recs

Statements
Some of the statement topics overlap and you can pull from one statement to help fuel the other but again you'll learn more once you start your application

hope this helps. I apologize in advance if there are any errors. I was typing really fast. Good luck!

Thanks, this has definitely helped me get a better idea of the process of applying to three SA’s instead of just one!

 

[wp_classof2023]

By the way! Visit the academies. Go to their summer programs. If you get into all three or even two, it can be hard to choose between them if you're not familiar with the branch, their career opportunities, or the environment at the academy

 

[candide72]

Each of our MOC process was different and only one was virtual. Very different requests, essays and DUE DATES . It is important to visit each MOC's website to make yourself aware of their very specific requests.

Excellent point! This MOC wanted at least 2500 words. That MOC wanted no more than 2500 words. This one wanted staples. That one wanted paper clips. Different due dates... My son was triple checking each envelope before mailing to be sure everything was right. At first I was annoyed and thought it should be more standardized, but then I appreciated that he was nervous for the first time in his life and paid great attention to every single detail. I thought it was a great learning opportunity. Welcome to real life!

Oh my gosh and then when they have online AND paper applications and their website says something different from the email they sent you so you have to call to see which is correct....

 

[justdoit19]

The process can be daunting at first and it can be if you over think it. If you can maintain a good process and organization, it can be quite exciting. Because you will see progress and tangible results. You will hear good news and bad news and move on to next plan of action as needed. Here's how my DS and I partnered during college Apps.

DS Applied to all SAs and select Ivies and few safeties and had a doom's day plan just in case nothing worked. He's currently a Plebe at the Naval Academy, made the Dant's Honor Roll in the Fall, and very happy! Of course, he complains about few things, but that's all nothing and immaterial.

Parents: Offer guidance, mentorship, and sometimes serve as an alarm clock to remind DS/DD on important dates.

Candidate: Own the process, author all personal statements - you can be slightly under or over character/word limits, review 3-5x before submitting, communications, practice/prepare ahead, interviews, dress business casual or in your full class-A scout uniform (they love that!), key dates, review milestones, and finish applications to all. And don't forget to enjoy and evaluate your choices.

Timing: Start early. If you are doing the Summer Seminar, you already got the process started. If not, then July is a good start date. However, highly recommend asking for recommendations from mid April in your Junior year. This way, you are done with recommendations which normally is the bottleneck.

DODMERB: you can't start this process until you are allowed by one of the SAs you are applying to. Normally once you have turned in your Apps, Test Scores, some schools after CFA

CFA: you have 2 chances. You can take it during summer seminar, but most prefer to submit a better score with more practice. Goal is to achieve above average in all events.

Recommendations: For all schools just get ready English, Math, Physics/Chem, PE if required, core activity sponsor or someone who knows you well

Academic - Tests: ACT/SAT, rule of thumb score above average in your district or 30+ all sections with 8+ Writing in ACT, 700+ in all sections in SAT. SAs have understood that high test scores amount to best chance of success academically at SAs and for many colleges. This may be the way SAs tests Cadets/Mids, for many classes your tests are run like the SAT/ACT. You should be computer tech savvy. All your class assignments are done on blackboard system.

Academic - Rank: if you school ranks, <10% is solid or if school doesn't rank, SAs will take your rank from the Test rank

GPA: not as important as ACT/SAT and Rank, but SAs and colleges like to see that you have mostly As and some Bs. Anything 3.67+ or 93+/100 unweighted GPA is solid with 5-10 Honors and APs in core classes. Nice to have AP Scholar National, Distinction, Honors, but just bragging rights only after you enroll, it is short lived.

APs: Great to have because you can place out of the Plebe year classes such as: Chem, Cal, English, Gov, Hist, and later year Psych, Econ, Physics C, Lang for non STEM majors.

Nominations: depending on your district, Noms are easy to get or impossible to get. Highly competitive districts, you will only get ONE (from 1 District Rep, 2 Senators) if you are deemed the best in class. Senators and Congressman coordinate so you should really choose 1 SA that you want to enroll the most. Forget about VP Nom, usually given to Americans living abroad.

If you have done all these things between Aug-Nov, and SAs deem you to be the highest quality and highly competitive, then maybe they might offer you an LOA which is nice to have. LOA - conditional offer of appointment is offered to incent and recruit you away from other SAs and colleges. You will need full appointment to enroll.

Visit SAs and colleges so you can get a better sense of fit. It is culturally different at each SAs and colleges. Visit ROTC BNs to see if you have a good fit there. Apply for all scholarships - ROTC. And don;t forget to thank your parents, mentors, teachers, counselors, coaches, scoutmasters, and friends who are supporting! And enjoy your senior year, and stay out of trouble.

Many veterans on this forum can give you further details of Do's and Don'ts. I hope this was helpful!

Great synopsis! Wonderful advice. I would offer different advice/outlook in a couple areas.

RE essays: I would advise to stay within your word count as instructed in your instructions. Maybe being over matters, maybe it doesn’t. But those are the instructions. Following them to a T will be an important life skill.

RE CFA: do the BEST you can! Shoot for maxing out! Don’t aim for average. Do your best, and then a little more.

RE test scores: USNA superscores. In fact, they superscore even between ACT/SAT. And don’t not apply if you don’t have all 30’s. You can look at the class profile and see there are averages, meaning some lower. The SA’s look at the whole person. For readers here, don’t not apply because you don’t have all 30’s +. Academics are only part (albeit big) of the whole person that SA’s look at.

RE noms’: apply for all that you possibly can. Including VP. It gives an SA the most opportunities to find a place for you. Regardless of whether you “think you will get it or not”, apply if you are eligible, and let them decide. The VP process is online and super simple. Maybe 5 minutes.

There is not one formula, or one type of candidate that is perfect. Or the magic formula. Be the absolute best candidate that YOU can be and then let the SA’s decide if you are the right fit for them. DS is also a happy Plebe ‘22 on the Dants list, varsity athlete. I would NEVER have thought that would be him! Ever. But USNA knew what they were doing when they picked him.

Good luck soon to the class of ‘24! DS#4 will be starting to process, too, with all the Junior readers here!!

 

[Count]

I was impressed with the "technical" answers to a young man's question as to whether he should choose the Naval Academy or Air Force Academy. As a graduate of Columbia University and not having attended a service academy, I am intimately familiar with and served with both in operational, technical and programmatic activities. My, that is, my, short answer to your question is that you would be well served considering the cultural perspective of each service. No matter how qualitatively or quantitatively superior or inferior the other factors may be in your view, your success will be, in large part, based on the cultural compatibility between YOU and the service you choose. Ultimately, you will leave the Academy and become enveloped in the military service it supports so it would be wise to consider the long view rather than the four-year view. Still, it is understandable that at your age, that four years of college life is important and perhaps you may lean toward evaluating the entire service experience by those four Academy years. That would be unfortunate for you, the service, and for one of your contemporaries who really have their heart set on one of the academies you are competing for or have been accepted to.
The Air Force is a great institution with fine aircraft, training, basing amenities and educational programs. It is more like a civil service in its expectations for its people and its culture. It focuses on aircraft and their capabilities and air dominance. Recently it is acquiring responsibility for Space assets but this is nothing new and the other services have their own traditional warfare foci and don't want to pay for Space services. Still, it is only a matter of time before those Space responsibilities rise to a completely separate service staffed by Space professionals from industry, academia and other services. Air Force has lots of land based facilities allowing for very little time away from your family.
The Navy is a tactical service and fights at sea, under sea, air, and land and uses Space and other assets to ensure its projection of power. It uses its aircraft carriers and the carrier battle group that includes all of its various platforms to represent the USA globally. Flying from a carrier is challenging to say the least and if you consider the mission you are flying, it is doubly challenging.
The Navy gives you the training you need to be lethal or carry out its diplomacy mission. Living quarters afloat and ashore are fine but not designed to compete with a posh hotel. You won't be spending much time there anyway as the social life can be consuming. You will find yourself in a flight suit or working uniform during the day or operational hours and your dress white uniform in the evenings for diplomatic events where the food and social mix will be great. There will be plenty of delightful international male and female company although I'm sure you are not interested in that aspect of Navy life. The aircraft, ships and submarines you will operate are built for arduous environments. Aircraft must be Carrier stressed and your are sure to earn the ire of the maintenance chief if you bang one on the deck while landing. Still, all is forgiven given the circumstances. The Navy has great, the greatest, enlisted men and women and chiefs from 17 to 50 years of age. They learned through training and experience. These are hard-barked people but in classic Naval tradition, you won't find a more respectful and committed group including in academia, industry or other military services. You'll be working with Marines as the Navy has since its inception over 240 years ago. These are great folks and dedicated fighters and defenders of the Fleet and nation. We ask a lot from them and they demand a lot from themselves. You'll be proud to serve with them. Make them your friends. The CULTURE of the Fleet, the Navy, is one forged by the sea and based on Honor, Courage, and Commitment. "Not for self, but country" may sound familiar to you if you listened to President John F. Kennedy's speeches about his Navy service. This may not be fashionable today in this time of precarious peace but in every historical culture, there comes a time where the need for patriotism stands between you and survival of all you hold important. Men and women who join the service for those reasons do well in or out of the service. The Navy is steeped in traditions; traditions that have served YOU well. Even in these socially confusing times for our young people, the Navy has stood for and protected a way of life that "filters and illuminates our time". Yes, people do serve a tour of duty and leave for the civilian sector but for the most part, they turn out to be the foundation of our communities and nation. It's an experience you will be proud of and never forget because you will characterize what America is. Your comrades will know you by your service and greet you with deference and respect regardless of whatever other identity you claim. Naval Academy or Air Force Academy? As one writer on this post quoted, "If you have to ask, enjoy Colorado Springs". But whichever you choose, thank you in advance for your service. You're in a very special club. Be safe.

 

[Count]

I was impressed with the "technical" answers to a young man's question as to whether he should choose the Naval Academy or Air Force Academy. As a graduate of Columbia University and not having attended a service academy, I am intimately familiar with and served with both in operational, technical and programmatic activities. My, that is, my, short answer to your question is that you would be well served considering the cultural perspective of each service. No matter how qualitatively or quantitatively superior or inferior the other factors may be in your view, your success will be, in large part, based on the cultural compatibility between YOU and the service you choose. Ultimately, you will leave the Academy and become enveloped in the military service it supports so it would be wise to consider the long view rather than the four-year view. Still, it is understandable that at your age, that four years of college life is important and perhaps you may lean toward evaluating the entire service experience by those four Academy years. That would be unfortunate for you, the service, and for one of your contemporaries who really have their heart set on one of the academies you are competing for or have been accepted to. The Air Force is a great institution with fine aircraft, training, basing amenities and educational programs. It is more like a civil service in its expectations for its people and its culture. It focuses on aircraft and their capabilities and air dominance. Recently it is acquiring responsibility for Space assets but this is nothing new since the other services have their traditional warfare foci. Still, it is only a matter of time before those Space responsibilities rise to a completely separate service staffed by Space professionals from industry, academia and other services. Air Force has lots of land based facilities allowing for very little time away from your family. The Navy is a tactical service and fights at sea, under sea, air, and land and uses Space and other assets to ensure its projection of power. It uses its aircraft carriers and the carrier battle group that includes all of its various platforms to represent the USA globally. Flying from a carrier is challenging to say the least and if you consider the mission you are flying, it is doubly challenging. The Navy gives you the training you need to be lethal or carry out its diplomacy mission. Living quarters afloat and ashore are fine but not designed to compete with a posh hotel. You won't be spending much time there anyway as the social life can be consuming. You will find yourself in a flight suit or working uniform during the day or operational hours and your dress white uniform in the evenings for diplomatic events where the food and social mix will be great. There will be plenty of delightful international male and female company although I'm sure you are not interested in that aspect of Navy life. The aircraft, ships and submarines you will operate are built for arduous environments. Aircraft must be Carrier stressed and your are sure to earn the ire of the maintenance chief if you bang one on the deck while landing. Still, all is forgiven given the circumstances. The Navy has great, the greatest, enlisted men and women and chiefs from 17 to 50 years of age. They learned through training and mostly experience. These are hard barked people but in classic Naval tradition, you won't find a more respectful and committed group including in academia, industry or other military services. You'll be working with Marines as the Navy has since its inception over 240 years ago. These are great folks and dedicated fighters and defenders of the Fleet. We ask a lot from them and they demand a lot from themselves. You'll be proud to serve with them. Make them your friends. The CULTURE of the Fleet, the Navy, is one forged by the sea and based on Honor, Courage, Commitment. "Not for self, but country" may sound familiar to you if you listened to President John F. Kennedy's speeches about his Navy service. This may not be fashionable today in this time of precarious peace but in every historical culture, there comes a time where the need for patriotism stands between you and survival of all you hold important. Men and women who join the service for those reasons do well in or out of the service. The Navy is steeped in traditions, traditions that have served YOU well. Even in these socially confusing times for our young people, the Navy has stood for and protected a way of life that "filters and illuminates our time". Yes, people do serve a tour of duty and leave for the civilian sector but for the most part, they turn out to be the foundation of our communities and nation. It's an experience you will be proud of and never forget because you will characterize what America is. You will be greeted by your comrades with deference and respect whichever other identity you claim. Naval Academy or Air Force Academy? As one writer on this post quoted, "If you have to ask, enjoy Colorado Springs". But whichever you choose, thank you in advance for your service. Be safe.