SOAS and Special Ops

A

airbornedaddy

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Mar 12, 2019
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DS has being a SEAL as a possible goal. Getting a BUDS slot is extremely difficult...is it common or possible for a Midshipman to go to SOAS and not be selected and then choose to go flight or into the Army or Marines?
 
I think so. SOAS is during the summer between second class and first class years. If you are not selected for BUD/s at SOAS, you can return to USMMA and apply for a pilot/NFO slot. Not sure of the timing on pilot/NFO app, but it is either spring second class or fall first class for Navy, Marine, Army. I think Air Force is earlier. I don't think you can go to both SOAS and Marine Leatherneck, but someone please correct me if I am wrong. There are advisors for every armed forces branch at USMMA who will guide your DS and help him with applications and deadlines for the various branches and career fields. Good luck!
 
Supersix00 said:
I was "reading" an audio book for work this morning when this chapter hit. One of last week's threads (the one that shall not be named) came to mind and all the tensions therein. Suddenly, a lightbulb came on.

Disclaimer, this is not a judgment about anyone, including parents and/or their Dx's. This is just me realizing that admissions is complicated and not something that a scoreboard can or should accurately track. This also comes from a parent whose DS was rejected by both of his Plan A's.
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Supersix00 said:
I'm not sure how the author researched the topic or if he's even right about how the SEALs do it. But it's notable that "quantitatively measured performance" is only part of the equation to the SEALs. And therefore, what if.... SA/ROTC/OTC/etc Admissions has some lesser-known, maybe even secret metric that tracks some of the softer skills that really matter?

Conclusion: Admissions knows what they are doing. And they know more about what it takes than we do. That's not easy to take, but it's not wrong.

(Book credit: Simon Sinek, The Infinite Game)

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My son was selected for SOAS last year as a 2/C MID. At 10PM the night before he was supposed to leave for his flight to Mini-Buds, the Seal command called and said due to COVID they were cancelling it. USMMA had about 5-7 Mids who were in the SOAS pipeline. One member of 2021 was given a BUD/s slot for 2022.
 
For anyone who has a goal of being a SEAL officer the path with the most slots would be to enlist on a SEAL contract and after completing SEAL training and establishing a record/reputation as a SEAL, to then apply for a commission. The question is would one rather be a SEAL officer or an officer who is a SEAL?
 
KPEngineer said:
For anyone who has a goal of being a SEAL officer the path with the most slots would be to enlist on a SEAL contract and after completing SEAL training and establishing a record/reputation as a SEAL, to then apply for a commission. The question is would one rather be a SEAL officer or an officer who is a SEAL?
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Yep...a buddy of mine who followed that path told my son the same thing. He said there's no way he'd be competitive to get a billet nowadays.
 
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