Choosing where you are stationed after Academy?

G

Guy On The Moon

5-Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2011
Messages
3
This question might be specifically for after the Naval Academy but do you get to choose (as in have a preference) where you want to be stationed after you graduate? And what areas are most often chosen as preferences by graduates and how do they choose who gets to go where if there are many selected that place

For example say I graduated from USNA and am going to pilot training. After Pensacola and flight training and I got my wings and could I be stationed in San Diego, or do many people choose places in Cali or Florida?
Sorry if I'm ignorant in this topic but I just kind of am

Thanks
 
Needs of the Navy

Since your hypothetical example was USNA. You may not get to "choose" your duty station per se but depending on the service selection you can have a lot of input into the process possibly. SWO selectees get to "choose" their first ship assignment and know where the ship's home port is. They choose from assignments available in descending order of merit. In other words if you finish at the top of the class you choose first. Other service selections may not have has much input into their first assignment. In reality you go where the Navy or Marine Corps has needs, but if you are a top performer, you can influence your destiny at times. Just don't count on it and be ready to accept the orders that are issued.
 
If you become a pilot, your choices will be made during flight school. You will choose a platform and then, I believe, during further training, you will be assigned to a particular squadron (location).

Most post-USNA programs are so long (18 months or more) that it's hard for the USN to project where you will be needed in terms of unit and location and, in other cases, the communities just wait. Thus, for most communities, you learn where you will be stationed during the course of your training.

For example, I was an Intel officer. We got our assignments about 2/3 of the way through our 6-month course. And some of those changed before we graduated.

SWOs are one exception.
 
If you get pilot, API at Pensacola Primary at Corpus or Whiting or Enid
Chose your platform based on performance
Helos- Whiting
Tailhook - Meridian or Kingsville then Corpus if E-2 or C-2
P3 Corpus.
 
Oh I see. Thank you for the answers guys, you are very helpful. I would be ready to go anywhere they sent me though if I even had the chance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top