Navy Supply Corps Selection

baes

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Jul 23, 2020
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Hey all,

I am an undergrad student at Florida Atlantic University looking into the OCS process, specifically for Supply Corps Officers. I was denied from the Naval Academy and unfortunately my school does not offer NROTC. I am also not planning on transferring to a school with a NROTC unit as FAU is the best school for me financially.

I’m pursuing my Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance and I am looking into the Supply Corps, as it will be able to utilize my degree. I understand it is a Staff Corps job and I’m wondering how that will, if any, change the process when applying to OCS. Any comments about the OCS selection for Supply Corps or just about the Supply Corps in general will be greatly appreciated. I don’t see much posts about the Supply Corps here so hopefully some light will be shed on them.
 
The Navy Supply Corps are the business professionals of the Navy who take care of global sustainment in support of all Navy missions. Critical role. They are behind the “beans, bullets, and black oil” (food, fuel, ordnance) logistics management of the Navy as well as “stuff and money and food service.” They are a tight, professional community with a great network who never seem to have a problem finding a job in the business world, whether they do 5 years or 20+. They have sea duty as well as shore duty. They go to sea on subs, surface ships, carriers, as part of aviation squadrons, etc. Someone has to manage business functions. They are embedded in every aspect of Navy organizations and operations. A great career goal for you!

I am an OCS grad and my roomie went Supply Corps. She was a prior enlisted in a supply rating.

OCS is as highly competitive in its own way as USNA and NROTC. It serves as the adjustment valve for new officer output in any given year. If USNA or NROTC are running short of their goal, that will impact intake at OCS to meet overall new O-1 endstrength goals for that fiscal year. That means the Navy can cherry pick exactly who it wants.

And, you know what your service assignment is going in, unlike USNA and NROTC, where midshipmen create preference lists and find out fall of senior year. That also means there is a set number of Supply Corps slots available in any given year, and that will drive the yield goal for that community at OCS.

OCS is a crammed 12 weeks of all the Navy stuff - leadership, culture, seamanship, drill, etc. Lots of PT and inspections.

Strategy.
Academics. Kill it academically from semester 1. Perhaps take some tech courses as electives.
Fitness- Stay fit and perhaps find something like a club sport or intramural to join - same reasons as other commissioning sources, not just fitness but peer leadership, strategic thinking, time management, etc.
Leadership - Look for opportunities to join a club and take on a leadership position. Make a dufference. There may be a business professional group to join.
Medical - stay healthy - you will have to pass a physical, probably at the nearest MEPS. No recreational drugs, even a brief experiment, even if it’s legal in the state. . Don’t give anyone a reason to say “no.”

Don’t worry if you see “graduate degree preferred.” The Navy sends its top-ranked SC officers to well-known B schools.

Research your primary sources:


(Pay attention to the Supply Corps Career Preogressuin Chart)


Keep in mind the military fiscal year starts I October of the prior calendar year. So - 1 October of your senior year through 30 Sep after your graduation is the fiscal year you are shooting for.

I would speculate start of junior year is the time to do an initial reach out to an OCS recruiter to indicate interest and get on the radar. Officer recruiters are not found at the local shopping center recruiting office. Those are staffed by enlisted recruiters looking for recruits for enlisted service. Fine people but not who you need to talk to. There will be a regional Navy recruiting office for your area, the NTAG (Navy Talent Acquisition Group). The officer program recruiters work out of there. I met my OCS recruiter when he and another officer recruiter had a resource table at my university one day.

Since you are in FL, look for the NTAG in either Jacksonville or Miami. Not sure whose territory you are in. You gather your questions, and with your most professional manner, pick up the phone and call them, tell them you are a business administration major, junior, interested in the Supply Corps, who can you talk to? They are in the business of finding and signing high quality warm bodies. Be what they are looking for!


Finally, have some fun and google “Carl Liebert on LinkedIn.” Find the one who is currently an executive at American Securities. Review his work experiences. He is a USNA grad who went Supply Corps (he may have been NPQ for unrestricted line officer), did his 5 years of actuve duty, and went on to become a top business executive.
 
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Thank you so much for this Capt. MJ. I am lucky enough that FAU is only a 30 min train ride away from Miami so I’ll be definitely be reaching out my Junior year. But this has been a great help as I’m trying to figure out what to do post-graduation.
 
Thank you so much for this Capt. MJ. I am lucky enough that FAU is only a 30 min train ride away from Miami so I’ll be definitely be reaching out my Junior year. But this has been a great help as I’m trying to figure out what to do post-graduation.
One more link:

Don’t overlook federal civil service. Research the Pathways program for recent grads.
 
“The Chop.” 🤣 The community is affectionately nicknamed the “pork chops” for obvious reasons, which gets further shortened to “the chop.” And maybe because the Supply Corps collar insignia looks vaguely like a pork chop.

IMG_6187.jpeg
 
“The Chop.” 🤣 The community is affectionately nicknamed the “pork chops” for obvious reasons, which gets further shortened to “the chop.” And maybe because the Supply Corps collar insignia looks vaguely like a pork chop.

View attachment 16303
When I first heard the SUPPO referred to as the chop decades ago I thought it was because he orders the pork chops. Then the collar device reason was explained to me and I then had a choice on what to believe.
 
Clearly I and auto-complete had a battle in my first post.
“Dufference” is growing on me. “Preogressuin” is clunky. The others are blah. Oh well.
 
Clearly I and auto-complete had a battle in my first post.
“Dufference” is growing on me. “Preogressuin” is clunky. The others are blah. Oh well.
did his 5 years of actuve duty,

This is the way we pronounce active in the foothills of the Appalachians. Thank you for practicing inclusiveness.
 
Additional Naval Terminology:

When more than one Suppo is assigned to a ship, generally, the Senior is referred to as "The Chop" and "Pork Chop" while the junior is often referred to as "Lamb Chop"
 
I hope the OP is appreciating the color commentary now appearing on the thread after simply asking if anybody knows anything about the Supply Corps. Catnip, it’s catnip, I say.
 
To the OP I wish you the best in your desire to serve in our awesome Navy. I routinely derail threads so don't feel special. I mean well but have impulse control issues.
 
Additional Naval Terminology:

When more than one Suppo is assigned to a ship, generally, the Senior is referred to as "The Chop" and "Pork Chop" while the junior is often referred to as "Lamb Chop"
I'm old enough to remember when the DISBO, a supply corps officer, sat on the mess decks and paid us in cash using a crew list. He and the DK had .45s strapped around their waist.
 
I'm old enough to remember when the DISBO, a supply corps officer, sat on the mess decks and paid us in cash using a crew list. He and the DK had .45s strapped around their waist.
I remember marching to the chow hall on Mainside at Great Lakes to get paid on the 1st & 15th of each month while in EM "A" School.

"Full Payroll Signature" will stick with me until the day they place my urn in the Columbarium on Hospital Point at USNA.
 
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