The most common scneario was folks wanting to go Marine Corps (Ground or Pilot) and not getting it. This happened to a few people in my company. I wouldn’t take their disappointment to be a sign of ungratefulness, entitlement, or regret. I’m sure for the most part they’re all still proud of what they’ll be doing post-graduation. It’s just that each different service assignment so profoundly influences every aspect of their life for the next 5-30 years, so when it doesn’t go the way they’d hoped, some disappointment is natural.
Most folks who come here have a very vague idea of what working in a ship, sub, aircraft, or in the MC would actually be like. That’s why we have summer cruises and mentors on the Yard representing each community. But yes, at the end of the day the needs of the Navy take precedence over individual desires. There are only so many slots for the Marine Corps, and very few slots for NSW and EOD. Trust me, this year there were some very qualified firsties that could have done great in those communities. However the service assignment committees have a tough job between the upper limits for the special communities and the quotas they have to meet for SWO and Subs.
I’ll compare it to something that comes up here a lot: Academy admissions. Every year there sre outstanding applicants who get denied even if they seemingly did everything right. It’s just an issue of numbers. Likewise there are some great midshipmen who have their heart set on USMC and are disappointed. It must really sting at first, and they have my sympathy so long as they dedicate themselves to excellence wherever they do end up.