Enlisted After NROTC?

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Spencer Hopkins

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Jan 8, 2024
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This is really just a food for thought kind of question me and some of my buddies had. Could a NROTC Mid decline a commission if they didn't get the assignment they wanted? Has anybody ever done something similar? (like they really wanted to avoid subs for example lol). The consensus we had was they'd probably opt to enlist instead of pay back the money so would they enlist and a get a rate of their choice or would the Navy the bring the hammer down on them? Has anybody done this and ended somewhat successful? (Commissioned through OCS for example) Excited to hear some interesting personal anecdotes.
 
Others with direct experience and knowledge will jump in soon. Meanwhile, food for thought:

Would you rather be an officer in your second- or third-choice community, or enlisted in your first-choice community? Think deeply about this, because the life of an officer is very different from that of enlisted personnel. Consider duties, accountabilities, advancement, lifestyle, compensation, non-military career prospects, etc.

If you’re not willing to serve in a variety of jobs, then you should reconsider whether the military is right for you. Because it won’t be just about you. The needs of the military will always win out, so you should be open to different roles and not just one.

If you’re dead set on one job and one job only, then OCS is probably your best path. That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into (assuming that role is available and that you’re qualified for it).

A lot to think about here. Saying that after completing NROTC, you’d rather enlist in your preferred MOS than serve as an officer in a less-desirable MOS seems like an unnecessary game of chicken. And who knows: You may not get the option to choose enlistment. Then what?
 
You can always decline a commission, but you are subject to the consequences of that decision. Doing it for the sole reason of not getting one's first choice is short sighted. Also, you won't be able to have the rating of your choice. You will be given a list of ratings that have openings or you will enter one of the undesignated programs. Part of the disenrollment process includes a recommendation for future commissioning programs if you wanted to go to OCS later on. I would not assume that recommendation to be positive if the sole reason for declining a commission was not liking your assignment. Getting jobs you don't like is also just a part of the military. You might not get the base you want, you might get stuck with a bad collateral, etc. There will always be something you don't like, but good officers make do and find the bright spots.

Regardless of how you play the Navy game (playing it by the Navy's rules or trying to outsmart the game), the Navy will always win. Trying to game the Navy almost never works out. Those that typically find good deals are those who work within the system.
 
If you are dead set on a specific designator (like aviation), then you should pursue OCS as you can choose to only apply to that designator.

Service assignment happens midway through fall semester of SENIOR year usually, sometimes closer to the end of that semester. Choosing to not commission through NROTC because you got a job you didn't want and then applying to OCS for the one you do want will probably be looked down upon as @Usnavy2019 said.

I know of several success stories for people eventually ending up in their desired community after initial disappointment from NROTC service selection. Pretty much all of them started out in their assigned community, gave it their honest best effort, and then when the time came to re-designate because of one thing or another, there happen to be a spot open for them in the community they wanted
 
To make this brief.....
YES.... you can decline your commission. You would likely go before a Professional Review Board.

The PRB can recommend either paying the money back or enlisting. You can state a preference but it isn't your call. You might be told to pay it back.

You can ask for a certain rating, but you would be assigned based on "Needs of the Navy".

Depending on what your PNS has to say on your final paperwork, you could be sent to a job which isn't very appealing to you.....and in a location that is undesirable.

You would likely start at the pay grade of E4. Google E4 versus O1. But the choice is yours.
 
Spencer Hopkins said:
This is really just a food for thought kind of question me and some of my buddies had. Could a NROTC Mid decline a commission if they didn't get the assignment they wanted? Has anybody ever done something similar? (like they really wanted to avoid subs for example lol). The consensus we had was they'd probably opt to enlist instead of pay back the money so would they enlist and a get a rate of their choice or would the Navy the bring the hammer down on them? Has anybody done this and ended somewhat successful? (Commissioned through OCS for example) Excited to hear some interesting personal anecdotes.
Click to expand...
Welcome, new member of just over a day.

If you are using your real name here, I suggest changing it. This is not personal social media where you have some control, but an anonymous internet chat forum. Hang onto your private information.

You’ve gotten some great insights above. In particular, the needs of the service will always come first. The Navy and Marine Corps would have invested time, effort and money into developing a new junior officer in the NROTC program to meet the annual production goal of X new ensigns and Y new second lieutenants out of commissioning sources in a fiscal year to feed officer endstrength. It’s a two-way deal - the Navy gets a new officer to meet its needs, the new officer gets professional job training, a job, salary, medical benefits, etc., for which he or she trades years of life.

IF the Navy decides to not offer enlistment, there will be payback of some kind. By the time the service assignment path is selected senior year, I believe the midshipman would have signed a contract. It’s all there in black and white.

Anyone voluntarily or involuntarily leaving an officer commissioning program gets the form below filled out. “Wasn’t feeling subs,” to put it colloquially - that person won’t get the walk-on-water send-off enroute to applying for OCS.

And to emphasize points made by other posters, the Navy will take a look at its shopping list of ratings and you’ll be offered a choice of whatever the Navy needs at that moment - if it’s culinary specialist (mess cook), that’s your path or other specialties not on your dream sheet,

Here’s that form:

And just for fun, here are the 2024 pay tables. You want to compare O-1 under 2 years of service with E-4 under 2 years. Extra credit if you compare the BAH rates (housing allowance).

 
the pay, day to day life, and upside potential for officer v enlisted are just 2 very different paths. If you truly have a call to serve then your response of "no thanks" on where the Navy / armed service selects you to serve might really irk the people who spent 4 years training/ developing you, and as others noted that could put you on the hook potentially for a large recoupment AND might yield you are coded out in a way that you won't be able to enlist/serve at all, or you would be anathema (untouchable/ think of it as cursed) with paperwork that says hard pass/ no thanks on you, to OCS or anyone else in the military or government who wants to see your discharge papers. also on an enlisted salary, and inflation, who would want to repay 4 years of college? No worries on an honest question, but it does raise a caution flag in my mind that those discussing enlisting vs officer don't have the full picture yet formed on how this works. imo too big a risk here to pout over what you want vs where the navy needs you. Sorry I'm not going to research the correct DD-214 form details/ coding and verbiage as the Hermanator is busy in meetings this morning - just making a general point.
 
I went to Army OCS with a E-7 who was just great and he passed on getting commissioned on graduation day! Dude told nobody till he did and just wanted to see if he could finish it. He was a great soldier and just an excellent weapons handler.
 
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