Interservice Commission

[Gatchman54]

As a 4/C Midshipman in the NROTC program, I was wondering if it is possible to commission into a service other than the Navy (I was looking at Coast Guard). I saw that on the USNA common career choices that a few midshipman commisioned into different branches (AF, CG, Army).

I understand that USNA is a bit different from the ROTC program, but I would like to see what kind of options are available to midshipmen. Thanks!

 

[Pima]

I have never heard of an interservice commission for ROTC grads. SAs do allow this, but it is rare. I am sure it does occur, but I don't think it is easy to accomplish. The majority of ROTC cadets that I know who transfer into service do so at their junior yr point in college.

I am just assuming here, but what you would need to occur is getting permission from the Navy to not go AD and acceptance by the CG to commission as an officer.

USCGA is the smallest of the branches, and because it is their needs are not as high. Look at it this way...CG does not offer ROTC, they can meet their officer requirements purely through SA and OTS (not sure they have OTS), the other 3 need ROTC and OTS to get their branches up to their manpower needs for officers.

The other issue would be when you are branching/career selection which occurs in the fall of your sr. yr. within days of school starting. You would need to have that wrapped up by the spring of your jr. yr. If the option is allowed you would probably have to apply by fall of your junior yr.

I would think the best way to get an answer is to post this question on the Life after the Academy thread. There you would have people like LITS and Luigi who are associated closely with the CG. You would also be able to get people like USNA and Memphis from the Navy perspective.

If p-17 does not show up on here to answer, you might want to pm them too.

Good luck

 

[trackandfield08]

Hope you don't mind PIMA but I am just going to revise a couple of your statements. We do have an OTS (actually called OCS) in the Coast Guard...they train here at the Academy jut like we do. Although we do not have an ROTC program, there are programs set up like the Direct Commissioning Program, and CSPI (College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative). CSPI is similar to ROTC is that it is a scholarship program.

I haven't really heard of transfer through ROTC but I guess it would be possible. Maybe talk with instructors at your ROTC program and research the options I posted above. Good luck!

 

[Pima]

I rotate between writing OTS, and OCS all the time, but in essence it is the exact same since they are both schools to train officers who do not come through an SA or ROTC.

One point I should clarify was when I said I don't know if they have it, is because of these fiscal times. The AF has not only cancelled IS scholarships, but also non-rated OCS boards in the past few years. So literally, one yr they didn't have OCS at all, unless you were already accepted into a flying position upon completion of OCS.

Can you clarify the CSPI program. I am a little confused, if they don't have ROTC, but they do in a way, where do they train? Or is it just a scholarship program and than upon graduation instead of going to your career field school you go to OCS 1st?

Can you take the scholarship to any school? Does your major matter when you apply? AF/NROTC both give @85% of their scholarships to tech majors, so for them it does matter when applying.

I have never heard of these programs, and I think your advice and knowledge would benefit everyone here regarding the CG. I know many that apply to all of the SA's, and many would be happy with either CG or Navy, they usually do NROTC as plan B. I have never heard of any NROTC candidate bring up the CSPI before today.