Post-USNA Service Selection for Specialized Prior Enlisted

Zaphod

10-Year Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
2,925
Does anyone know if prior-enlisted personnel with a special qualification or designator (SEAL, Seabee, etc.) are automatically commissioned for service in THAT specialized service, or else given special consideration in that regard?

I regret that back in my day, it was very rare to see such folks, so I have no experience to base an answer on.

Thanks.
 
Based on my experience doing the commissioning exams at USNA, the prior enlisted with a special qualification or designator would be automatically considered if they wanted to go back into that field. It was not mandatory, but most of the mids with a special warfare background (SEALS, dive/EOD) would go back into that line of work. I did see a few submariners (non-nukes) who chose to go surface and a couple who decided aviation was the way to go. I only knew of a few enlisted sub nukes (ones who had sea time under their belt) and they all went back nuke.
 
In my day, and the catalog reflects such, only NPQs for unrestricted line can pursue CEC. Unless there is special considerations, which I have never heard of, for ex-Seabees, they are out of luck.
 
i have a friend here at naps that was a submariner nuke and he wants to go med (first choice) or aviation.

he told me he wasn't going back nuke.
 
FWIW, nuke doesn't count in the specialties I was considering. Heck, I'm not sure Seabees count. SEAL obviously would.

If I could have gone aviation, I know I would have.
 
Once you figure out the question, the answer is probably still "no".
 
So let's narrow it down, then.

Fully-qualified prior-enlisted SEAL arrives at Service Selection and all the SEAL slots are gone.

Is he screwed out of returning to the Teams?
 
I would think that in a case like that, a slot would be found.

EDIT: Let me expand on that a bit. For the SEAL wanna-be's, they have to actively participate with the SEAL training program, attend the SEAL summer cruise, and prove to the SEAL's at the academy that they have what it takes to become a team member to even have a chance of selecting SEAL on service selection night. For an active duty enlisted SEAL who goes to the academy, as long he participates in the training, I have no doubt that one SEAL slot would be saved specifically for him.
 
Last edited:
With the new pre-selection night screeniong boards, hasn't selection night become something of a formality?

Would the board not have already screened all the candidates and the decision be made about the ex-enlisted SEAL at this time?

What I would like to know, would he have to go thru BUDS again?
 
Back
Top