Current Firstie (senior) at USNA, AMA

[OldRetSWO]

Happy to hear about someone navigating this path successfully!

1. Did you enlist hoping to follow this path? (fleet to USNA)
2. How did you find out about this path?
3. With whom generally did you speak to get the ball rolling? Your div officer, XO, etc.?
4. Did you do some prep while in the fleet?
5. Do you think most fleet to USNA people go to NAPS?
6. Do NAPS students also take the SAT or does NAPS kind of envelop that?
7. As enlisted, did you become emancipated (establish a new "home address" in the state your ship was home ported)? Do students completing NAPS need to get congressional nominations or is that not needed?

Thanks, continued good luck to you, and Gooo Navy!

5. The vast majority of Enlisted to USNA is via NAPS.

7. NAPsters do need to apply for Congressional Noms and I've interviewed a number of them but they will get a SECNAV nom if the MOC nom does not come through.

 

[ET3toMid]

Happy to hear about someone navigating this path successfully!

1. Did you enlist hoping to follow this path? (fleet to USNA)
2. How did you find out about this path?
3. With whom generally did you speak to get the ball rolling? Your div officer, XO, etc.?
4. Did you do some prep while in the fleet?
5. Do you think most fleet to USNA people go to NAPS?
6. Do NAPS students also take the SAT or does NAPS kind of envelop that?
7. As enlisted, did you become emancipated (establish a new "home address" in the state your ship was home ported)? Do students completing NAPS need to get congressional nominations or is that not needed?

Thanks, continued good luck to you, and Gooo Navy!

Hey, will answer some of these all in one: I almost joined the army lol. I was so clueless about military stuff I didn't even know what the difference between officer and enlisted was. Luckily, when I got a 98 on the ASVAB the army recruiter informed me... other jobs were possible. Call the navy recruiter and say I WANT to be a nuke, usually they have to talk people into that. Fast forward to Nuke school, they ask who wants to be an officer. I raise my hand along with half the class, but then by the time all the paperwork and applications were done, only a few had actually completed the process. I talked to one officer who told me USNA was like "a normal college but with uniforms"... I feel like he owes me an apology haha. I also was in charge of the morning workouts for my little class of nukes, but here I barely pass the 10:30 1.5 mile time.

So I am sorry to disappoint but can't answer a lot about "the fleet". My understanding is they want more enlisted to apply, but it turns out mostly Nukes are able to get the SAT/ACT scores they also want. Bundle that in with being on a ship being hectic and I can see why a lot of enlisted don't bother (if they even know it is an option). My parents basically had nothing to do with the process.

I got a SecNav nomination. I don't come from any type of connections with politicians... seems like a little archaic of a system to me ... especially when athletes kind of can get the nod of approval other ways. But what do I know.

 

[kchamp27]

USNA was like "a normal college but with uniforms"... I feel like he owes me an apology haha.

Thanks for making me bust out laughing!

 

[usna1985]

I don't come from any type of connections with politicians... seems like a little archaic of a system to me ...

First, for candidates / parents, there is no need to know your MOC or have any political connections to obtain an MOC nom. Read the nominations sticky in the nominations forum for details.

I totally agree the nomination system is archaic!! In the old days, it was a political patronage system. While it's not such today, MOCs obviously love the current system. They (Congress) are the only ones who can change it. Not likely to happen.

 

[OldRetSWO]

First, for candidates / parents, there is no need to know your MOC or have any political connections to obtain an MOC nom. Read the nominations sticky in the nominations forum for details.

I totally agree the nomination system is archaic!! In the old days, it was a political patronage system. While it's not such today, MOCs obviously love the current system. They (Congress) are the only ones who can change it. Not likely to happen.

Eh. . . I dislike it and like it at the same time.
Diversity - not of color but of geography and background is also important in my eyes. I think that we do not want to have the vast majority from just a few small areas even though I live in one of those areas.

 

[helmsdown]

Eh. . . I dislike it and like it at the same time.
Diversity - not of color but of geography and background is also important in my eyes. I think that we do not want to have the vast majority from just a few small areas even though I live in one of those areas.

I’m ok with the MOC submitting a slate as long as they let the SA make the pick. Not a fan of the ranked slate.

 

[ET3toMid]

First, for candidates / parents, there is no need to know your MOC or have any political connections to obtain an MOC nom. Read the nominations sticky in the nominations forum for details.

I totally agree the nomination system is archaic!! In the old days, it was a political patronage system. While it's not such today, MOCs obviously love the current system. They (Congress) are the only ones who can change it. Not likely to happen.

No disrespect intended. There just seems to be a skew towards a certain social class... and I sort of snuck in the back door so to say.

 

[ArmySon-NavyFan]

First, for candidates / parents, there is no need to know your MOC or have any political connections to obtain an MOC nom. Read the nominations sticky in the nominations forum for details.

I totally agree the nomination system is archaic!! In the old days, it was a political patronage system. While it's not such today, MOCs obviously love the current system. They (Congress) are the only ones who can change it. Not likely to happen.

Ranks right up there with term limits.... but I digress...

 

[usna1985]

There just seems to be a skew towards a certain social class... and I sort of snuck in the back door so to say.

That could certainly have been the case in your MOC area at the time you were going through the process. I would not necessarily attribute your experience to 535+ MOCs over all time. Some MOCs cover only inner cities or very rural areas. Some have more great candidates than they know what to do with. Others struggle to find one or two marginally qualified candidates. The selection process often changes with changes to MOCs and SA committee membership. It's really not one size fits all.

I personally would be fine with abandoning the MOC system. Some would probably counter that it actually gives a more diverse section of the USA an opportunity for an appointment. In the end, the system / process is 100% controlled by Congress, not the SAs, and I have no expectation they will change it any time soon.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

I totally agree the nomination system is archaic!! In the old days, it was a political patronage system. While it's not such today, MOCs obviously love the current system. They (Congress) are the only ones who can change it. Not likely to happen.

Diversity - not of color but of geography and background is also important in my eyes. I think that we do not want to have the vast majority from just a few small areas even though I live in one of those areas.

I'm with OldRetSWO on this one.. The historic rationale included some element of avoiding have a large number of officers from a certain state or religion. There is already a large enough contingent from NORVA, New Jersey and Southern California.

There was certainly a degree of political patronage way back then, but I really don't see it here in my Midwestern state now. Sure, I've had candidates whose parents were big supporters of the MOC , but the vast majority have not political connections as well.

There just seems to be a skew towards a certain social class... and I sort of snuck in the back door so to say.

I don't think the Nomination process is the reason. I suspect the "skew towards a certain social class..." is driven by home environment and family expectations about going to top tier schools. USNA has a clear objective of making attendance at USNA more inclusive, including several outreach programs.