I wasn't sub drafted, but my current shore duty was the result of 'needs of the navy' (my 20th choice out of 43 even though I was near the top for performance in my squadron). Additionally, I had several friends who were sub drafted when I was a mid. Some had to suck it up and accept the sub draft, others reached out to people from their desired service selections for advice, and I even heard of purposely tanking the exam (not that I know how those outcomes were nor do I recommend it). Regardless of the outcome, I'd go into it with a positive mindset. Also, I have a lot of reservists that come to my current command, a majority of which are submariners, and they've all said that sub life can be pretty grueling. Boat life isn't bad, but it's usually the 'selfish, CYA mentality from the boat's leadership' that deters them from wanting to continue to serve in the sub community from the active standpoint
Whenever one is forced to list a certain number of selections (I believe USNA midshipmen are required to make a minimum of six), it's difficult not to include submarines somewhere on that list. After all, there are only a limited number of choices with all kinds of restrictions. Some have to be listed 1st to be considered. Some require the completion of certain screening programs.
https://www.usna.edu/AdminSupport/Inst/1000-1999/USNAINST 1301.5J Midshipmen Service Assignment.pdf
As I've stated before, the submarine community is very proud of being an all-volunteer force. Do you really think they want people working around a nuclear reactor - with the responsibility of monitoring and operating it - who don't want to be there?
A midshipman can stomp and rage and say, "I hate submarines! I don't want to work on one. I'll get out of the Navy as soon as I can if I'm stuck in a metal tube. I'll hate it!" He will probably avoid submarines by making a spectacle of himself, but then he's likely to get a choice even
lower than submarines - just for being so disrespectful. Oh yes, they can sometimes be vindictive to disrespectful midshipmen. This is why I say not to go that route. Be firm but
respectful.
So, when submarines is your 3rd choice and you are assigned submarines - you have to remember that you
did have it as one of your choices. So, it's hard to make the argument that you were forced into something you didn't choose. You simply got your third choice.
Having said that, the submarine community is still loath to do something as drastic as assigning a midshipman to his third choice when he is otherwise qualified for his top two choices.
Let's consider a hypothetical midshipman. Let's say this midshipman scored relatively well on the ASTB (Aviation Selection Test Battery) and attended Leatherneck (required for any Marine Corps selection) and also did well. This midshipman is a Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.2 GPA. He has no conduct or aptitude issues. By most standards, he's an above average midshipman. You can see how the submarine community might like him. Yet, they are six short on their quota. They need 139 submarine assignments but, currently, they only have 133. They are six short. They are interviewing (forcing) twenty midshipmen to interview who do not have submarines as their 1st choice.
Here are is this hypothetical midshipman's preferences:
1. Navy pilot
2. Marine pilot
3. Submarines
4. Nuke SWO
5. SWO
6. Navy NFO
Clearly, he wants to be a pilot. His preference card indicates that he may have some interest in the nuclear Navy as nuke options are #3 and #4 on his list.
He goes through the interview process and makes all the classic interviewing mistakes that I mentioned before. He speaks ambivalently about flying or being in a submarine. The interviewing committee will lump his two pilot choices together as if they were "one" choice and discuss submarines in the context of it being his "second" choice.
He gets assigned to submarines.
He is somewhat stunned. He calls his family and tells them that he got submarines. They are surprised because all he's ever talked about is flying. He is also a bit embarrassed because, deep down, he realizes that he didn't make it as clear as he should have during that sub interview. So, he characterizes it like this, "They forced me!" Now he's bitter about it. His parents take to social media (probably some USNA parents network) and rail about how their midshipman got forced into submarines. He is not very straightforward with those who ask, "What happened?" Deep down, he knows he screwed up during the sub interview but he won't admit it. It's easier to play victim than to play the fool.
Of the twenty they interviewed, he was one of the "slowest running antelopes".
* * *
Sure, there are always stories about those who got "stuck" with submarines and ended up loving it. That's mostly rationalization, I would argue. Who dreams about zipping around the clouds at super sonic speeds in an F/A-18 Super Hornet and is perfectly satisfied with lumbering around beneath the ocean surface in a metal tube?