I share your sentiments.Well, it IS the Merchant Marine Academy. . . .
I share your sentiments.Well, it IS the Merchant Marine Academy. . . .
What is a kid who wants to go into the AF doing at KP? There's a much better school for that purpose located in Colorado Springs, CO.
MISSION
To educate and graduate leaders of exemplary character who are inspired to serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States as licensed Merchant Marine Officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces.
Taking an Air Force commission while allowed, feels extremely selfish to me. Like sure, I'll take that free education, but go to work in the maritime industry or even one of the sea services, F that. Please don't come at me with, they spread word of the Academy to the Air Force. It's just not an effective use of DOT dollars or USMMA slots imo.
Mark Kelly served in the Navy, a sea service.Why don't you share these comments with KP grad Mark Kelly who is an astronaut. You need to think big here. Maritime requires strong navigation skills and capabilities to pilot a big piece of machinery like a ship..... both are great skills for aviators. Also at this time there is a shortage of aviators so I'd argue the greater need for the country is pilots.
Taking an Air Force commission while allowed, feels extremely selfish to me. Like sure, I'll take that free education, but go to work in the maritime industry or even one of the sea services, F that. Please don't come at me with, they spread word of the Academy to the Air Force. It's just not an effective use of DOT dollars or USMMA slots imo.
If the Navy wanted to could it block a USMMA graduate from accepting a commission in another service? Put another way, do USMMA midshipmen technically require a release from the USNR before they accept a commission in another service?
The actual mission of the school includes 'national security'
You need to think big here. Maritime requires strong navigation skills and capabilities to pilot a big piece of machinery like a ship..... both are great skills for aviators.
For my education, I'd like to know where you found your numbers. The reason I say this...let's look at the numbers. Yes, on the AFROTC website is says @4000 scholarship awards per year out of @25k applicants. The 1,800 commissioned per year...the reason I'd like to know where that comes from is that there are just over 1,100 colleges/universities with AFROTC. That would mean just over one graduate per year. That 'sounds' too small but, I don't know, hence my question. The last time I commissioned an ROTC cadet, there were 15 commissioning into the AF from that detachment alone. FYI...I've heard a number "similar to that" in the past but have never been able to get an answer, even querying AFROTC HQ!As I am not an alum (DD is) I will not give an opinion on whether going active duty rather than sailing is moral, right or wrong. Though the powers that be have made AD an option, I can understand the feelings of those who disagree. I only wish I was this passionate about my alma mater, one of the multitudes of money grabbing, predatory institutions. I am, however, as an outsider, arrogant enough to believe I have a worthwhile observation: per Google the AF awards 4000 scholarships and commissions 1800 2Lts a year through AFROTC. Add to this,of course, are the USAFA and OCS 2Lts. The Marines no longer send KPers to OCS but bring them in with the same status as USNA grads. On SAF, a USNA grad commented on the competence and discipline of the KPers at Leatherneck. Only a very small percent of Americans have even heard of KP. A very, very small per cent of this group know anything about KP. But the questioned is begged: why do those who really know have such an interest in the relatively small number who enter their services each year from KP. They must like what they're getting.
The reason I asked..."we've" been told that there were @5k new officers commissioned last year: @1k from USAFA, @1k from OTS, the rest from AFROTC.@flieger83 According to the AF website, AFROTC commissioned 1,800 Lt's in 2018, so I assume the numbers are similar in regards to this past year.
.Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps
Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps is the largest and oldest source of commissioned officers for the Air Force. AFROTC is designed to recruit, educate and commission officer candidates throughwww.af.mil
Honestly the 1,100 schools offering AFROTC seems to be some selective marketing. I would imagine that there are essentially 1,100 schools where it is possible to participate in AFROTC, but many of those schools probably don't commission a Lt each year. Keep in mind there's also only about 150 actual detachments, which would make the 1,800 figure much more reasonable.
As I noted, my numbers come from a very quick Google question. I have no idea about their accuracy. But please focus on my main point: the services seem to be extremely interested in a very few KPers when so many come from other sources. Why the effort?
The guy at the Manhattan College AFROTC unit has been increasingly involved at KP over the past few years. Its getting more and more seamless to go in the AF, and it needs to stop.