First duty station?

J

jtdavis103

Army ROTC
Joined
Jan 20, 2021
Messages
13
how does getting you first duty station work if going active duty? is it assigned or do you get to pick it for the most part?
 
jtdavis103 said:
how does getting you first duty station work if going active duty? is it assigned or do you get to pick it for the most part?
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Much depends on your service assignment. If you are going aviation or submarines, you are headed for a couple of years of training at the usual locations. You won’t know until near the end of that where your first operational assignment is. For surface ships, you’ll be told what ships are available and their home ports, and you’ll have done your research on what you want and prioritized a little list. Then you hope for the best.

Overall, individuals can request, but needs of the Navy or Marine Corps drive all.

The request, in whatever form, is often called a dream sheet.
 
What Capt MJ wrote.
Also, for some branches you are limited on where you will go. Cyber in the Army? Only about 2 places right now.
The same will be true for certain airframes if you go aviation, though that changes. SEALS? Left or right coast.
 
Capt MJ said:
Much depends on your service assignment. If you are going aviation or submarines, you are headed for a couple of years of training at the usual locations. You won’t know until near the end of that where your first operational assignment is. For surface ships, you’ll be told what ships are available and their home ports, and you’ll have done your research on what you want and prioritized a little list. Then you hope for the best.

Overall, individuals can request, but needs of the Navy or Marine Corps drive all.

The request, in whatever form, is often called a dream sheet.
Click to expand...
I’m Navy background, so I defaulted to Navy and Marine Corps. But the “needs of the service” hold true for all.
 
I'm in Army ROTC so that didn't exactly answer my question fully but it is still interesting to learn and understand a little more about how the other branches function so thanks for that!
 
@jtdavis103 - if you are in Army ROTC your first source of information should be your staff and cadre.

I am sure you will continue to get support and responses here, but go to your unit's professionals for the definitive answer.
 
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