Should I pick USNA or USAFA?

USNA or USAFA

  • USNA

    Votes: 37 80.4%

  • USAFA

    Votes: 9 19.6%
  • Total voters
    46
K

krishna

New Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2021
Messages
2
About two months ago I received an offer of appointment to USAFA. About a week later I was notified that I had been waitlisted for USNA, which prompted me to accept the offer from USAFA. Today, I got a call from USNA reaching out with an offer of appointment which I must reply to by 5:00 EST tomorrow (6/2/22). Prior to being waitlisted, I had USNA as my first choice school, but I am now questioning this based on differences in career possibilities between the two services.

I am sold on USNA as school over USAFA. I believe the academics and opportunities are better, and I believe I will enjoy the culture there more. That being said, I realize that this only part of what I need to consider in making my decision, because I am also committing to X or Y service with it. I also see myself enjoying Navy culture more than Air Force culture, but I am worried that Navy lacks the potential to provide me with an occupation that aligns with my interests. I plan on majoring in physics, with a focus on astronomy. I would like to do something that utilizes this major, and after some research it seems to me that Air Force is the much better options for this. The list of AF occupations I see utilizing physics heavily are: cyberspace operations, space operations, space aggressors, nuclear and missile operations. These are all listed on the careers portion of USAFAs website. About all I could come up with looking for physics-oriented jobs in the Navy was nuclear subs.

With that background, I have a few questions, hopefully some of you wise and wonderful people are equipped to answer a few of them.

How accurate is my assessment of career possibilities for utilization of physics? Is my perceived balance wrong? I have also heard that officers rarely have hands-on technical responsibilities in the first place, so how much does it really matter that I end up doing regarding my interests?

I really like physics at the moment, but I understand that exposure to a whole new world at an academy could completely spark a new interest. How common is it for cadets/ midshipmen to totally change their interests as a result of exposure to new things?

How prominent is the pilot vs non-pilot stigma in AF? Will it matter much at all prior to the end of my 5 year obligation? (I know this is USNA's forum, but duplicate posts are not allowed and I feel like this post will receive better attention here.)

I've heard that I will build better connections at USNA to allow for success after service, could this be outweighed by USAFA filling my resume with more physics oriented items if I choose to pursue a career in physics after service?

Any general feedback is welcome as well

Thank you!
 
I cannot answer your specific question but trust that others can and will weigh in.

My advice would be to choose the path that has a career path you can be at peace with. There are no guarantees at any academy you get your service selection choice. Too many variables and unknowns.

If you have no guarantees which of the two speaks to you?

Good luck to you, a good problem to have.
 
Sounds like the Navy has always been number one in your thought process and, although I totally understand the career progression angle, the statement "I believe the academics and opportunities are better, and I believe I will enjoy the culture there more" kind of gives away your mindset. If you change your direction and head to USAFA with your heart set on USNA will you be satisfied? It's always a good plan to think about what's next but the "what's now" must also play a part. These are two vastly different cultures and if one has always appealed to you then maybe that will give you the most personal satisfaction as well as the most professional success. Either choice is a great option but ultimately being comfortable with your own choice could be the difference between an enjoyable experience at USNA versus an uncomfortable one at USAFA. Best of luck with a decision that not too many people have the opportunity to get to make.
 
I say go with your heart, otherwise you risk being miserable, especially your first year. Further, there is the option of cross commissioning if after making your choice you come to realize that the other branch is where you want to be. Best wishes to you as you make your decision.
 
Running at sea level is better and you will run a lot.
 
I thought this was an interesting method from a previous poster which I will name “Call it in the Air.” Heads is USFA, tails USNA. Have someone else do the coin flip then “call it in the air.” When it lands, are you happy with the result? Not sure what time zone you’re in, but this is something to ponder over, maybe, a McFlurry or Blizzard. Once you’ve decided, make sure you’re “all in” with the decision. No thinking, I wish I wouldah, I couldah, I shouldah. Only the best to you!
 
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DS has a friend who is going to AF. DS is going to USNA.
During cross-examining at a recent graduation party, friend says he choose AF because:
1. He wants to fly
2. Air Force is better funded
3. Campus is newer
4. Housing for officers in AF is better

I think you have to choose based on what you want to do with your service commitment. Are you set on flying or will be ok if you get swept up into Sub nuke school? Those are wildly different things and if you go AF you can avoid the sub nuke school "problem".

I also assume you have read the thread in Air Force forum from the graduate not commissioning as a pilot. There are some people there who very much enjoyed their non-pilot AF commission.
 
DS (as I am sure there are many others) had to make that choice last year. He chose USNA and when I showed him pictures of last weeks USAFA commissioning practice being snowed covered he said "I made the right choice."

Go NAVY, Beat Air Force
 
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At this juncture, forget about all of technical points. You did your analysis a long time ago.

If all of your senses were telling you that a hurricane is coming … you prepare immediately, and you run in the opposite direction.

Accept the USNA offer …. That’s where your heart is.
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krishna said:
How accurate is my assessment of career possibilities for utilization of physics?
Click to expand...
I think you’re fairly accurate. Navy nuclear power and all of the associated engineering is about as “physics” as you can get. Heck, the Naval Reactors HQ in DC has a huge office for “Chief Physicist.” However, based on your space/astronomy focus — I support your assessment. While the Navy certainly does work in that environment too, the Air Force has more concrete paths into those fields IMO.

As an aside: the Air Force space effort’s always amused me seeing as science function generally uses Naval terminology for spaceships and such. 😃
 
I've told this story before, but a famous college coach told his recruits to make a spreadsheet with all the things that they thought they should consider: climate, how they'd fit in with the team, how much they'd play, if they had a major in mind, if it was close enough to home for the parents to come to games, how you look in the school colors, anything at all. Then add a column at the end for gut feel. Then go back and fill the whole thing in for all the schools being considered and total everything up. Then throw all that away and go look at the gut feel column and pick the one you scored highest.
 
I think it is important to note that your desires may likely change as you gain more experience and see what it is actually like. I think the biggest selling point of USNA over any other academy is the range of available service assignments. For example, if you want to fly, USNA has a ton of slots between Navy and Marine Air, probably coming pretty close to USAFA in the number of aviators each year. Navy and Marine aviators also have a much broader mission set than the typical Air Force pilot. You can work in pretty much any domain or career field coming out of USNA.

I have a lot of friends who were/are physics majors at USNA and many do go subs. Several of the memorable grads I have met were physics or nuclear engineering majors + sub officers, and they were all very successful in and out of the navy. Additionally, USNA doesn't send grads to man missile silos in South Dakota. USAFA does. Naval bases are generally in pretty desirable locations, another huge selling point over any other branch. At the end of the day your minimum service commitment is only five years, so if physics/astronomy is your truly your passion it will still be there when you get out. You might enjoy doing something unique in the military outside of that field.
 
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