NROTC Future Career Paths

C

CAlvarezzz

5-Year Member
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Apr 11, 2012
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I am curious about the commission rules through NROTC especially since NROTC also has the Marine option. I received the NROTC Navy Option and plan to fly after my 4 years at CU Boulder. I hope to fly jets for the Navy but am also interested in flying combat helicopters or other jets through the Marines but didn't know if you could cross commission after the 4 years of schooling or if Navy and Marines wouldn't be considered cross commissioning. More details and information would greatly help me. Thank You
 
Interesting question. At Annapolis, the firsties can list Marine Air, or Navy Pilot, in their Service Appointment priority list card thing. .. or at least have to think about which to put down. I can't remember if a firstie is allowed to list both. My nephew thought about it, and put Navy Pilot, and got it. But he did give a lot of thought to Marine Air also. In 2011 at Annapolis, the Navy Pilot filled 227 billets, while the Marine Air filled 78. That seems to be a pretty consistent ratio of one to the other over the past 2-3 years. NROTC had the same approx. ratio in 2011, but since more are commissioned out of NROTC, there were 273 Navy Pilot billets filled out of NROTC, and 111 Marine Air filled out of NROTC-Marine Option.... however I don't know if any non Marine-Option were allowed to billet into Marine Air.

One of the advantages of the Naval Academy vs. NROTC/NROTC-Marine Option is that the firstie at Annapolis has three years to decide whether he/she prefers Marines or Navy. The summer training exposes them to all the Communities (Surface, Subs, Marines). Not the case with ROTC where Navy or Marines is decided in Sr. year of High School via the application process.
 
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May seem like a silly question, but have you investigated both Navy and Marines regarding PT? I was under the impression the Navy standards are not even close to the Marines. Just asking since you are NROTC, not MO.
 
Yeah I was wondering if the NROTC process was similar to the academy where you have 3 years to make a decision. I'll probably find out more specifics when school starts. Thank you for the info though.
 
You do service selection at begining of 4th year, keep your grades up and do well on ASTB. Enjoy Boulder- my daughter starts Law there next month, DS is avation hopeful starting 3rd year UVA.
 
I might be a little out of my depth here as a non-NROTCer, but there's some considerations you should be thinking about:

1: Marine options must take (and get a 1st class, 225+) PFT, consisting of pull-ups/crunches/3 mile run. While only a 225 is required to commission, I would venture to guess that very few NROTC Marine Options actually run something that low.

2: Marine options attend OCS (Bulldog Program) for 6 weeks between 2/C and 1/C year. Presumably, if you wanted to switch to Marine, you would need to do so long enough in advance to prepare for and get a slot at Bulldog. I would doubt very highly (hey, maybe I'm wrong) that the Marine staff would look kindly on a Navy option who switched at the last second and dodged the pain that everyone else does and not let you.

3: Marine options can apply for air contracts before their 1/C year (per a friend's brother, a c/o 2014 MO NROTC MIDN). Theoretically I guess you could switch from Marine to Navy if you didn't get an air contract and try with Navy, but that seems to me a very turdly thing to do and I wouldn't be sure that Navy Air would want you if Marine Air turned you down.

Try thinking about it from a non-flying perspective. What's your #2 choice of job? Would you rather be going SWO/subs/whatever, or Marine ground? The services themselves have a number of differences.
Spend some time asking questions around your unit and see the differences between the Navy and Marine types, both mids and instructors. Don't let the decision just be about where you're more likely to fly.
 
Also, Academic requirements for Navy vs Marine are very different. Switching from Marine to Navy is much harder, academically, than the reverse.
 
This may vary by the unit. I know at my son's school, it is possible to switch to MO even if you started with a Navy scholarship, but, as Hurricane said, it HAS to be done before firstie summer since you would need to attend Marine Corps OCS then. And realistically it would need to be a consideration a lot earlier as the Marines do a lot of extra PT training and events that you'd want/need to be a part of in the years prior. So unlike Annapolis, no, you really can't decide to go Marines during your senior year.
 
My son is currently a NROTC scholarship entering his senior yr at VMI. His freshman(RAT) yr his navy unit had told him that he could pursue switching from Navy to Marine, that by being a Navy scholarship cadet the academics would be ok. I know that the Navy scholarship receiptants must take calculus and chem - and maybe physics.
However, as previously mentioned above, the PT part has higher numbers on Marine side. ALL the 4 yr scholarship guys take the same military classes both semesters of their freshman yr, and do the first summer of active duty, 3rd class (after freshman academic yr). They are exposed to 1wk in each community - navy air, navy subs, navy surface and then 1 week in marines
Its called something like CORAMID - takes place in Norfolk or San Deigo - we were told you are assigned to location based upon your home of record, not location of school.
After that summer, the military classes and their subsequent summer active duty time are VERY different. I know 1 NROTC guy who changed to marine option at the end of sophmore academic yr.
I know that this current summer, 1st class summer, entering senior academic yr next month - the marine scholarship guys all went to a certain school at quantico and the navy guys got sent to their 1st choice service selection -

For the navy scholarship cadets, this spring, ending their junior yr they filled out their service selection dream sheet. While USNA has a selection night - believe its Dec 1st or close to that date, VMI cadets are beiing told they will find out their service selection late november.
If you are interested in switching, or even have a thought you might be, you should talk to your unit once you are at school this fall. Certainly needs of service and climate of needed force readiness plays into numbers.
larrys mom
 
To be complete, feel I should also add - the scholarship programs for Navy and Mavy Marine option are seperate and different. I assume that is still the case - an individual can only apply to one or the other. At least that was the case when my son applied suring his senior yr.
Good luck in your pursuit - the best source for you will be your specific unit at your college. larrys mom
 
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