Succeeding as a NASS Attendee

Usnavy2019

10-Year Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2013
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862
Hello to all future NASS attendees and also hello to those currently waiting and those who got a NASS TWE. For those currently waiting or will not attend NASS, do not sweat it. Easier said than done, but NASS is not a Plebe prep program. In other words, NASS has very little indicative value on your appointability. It is an outreach program first and foremost. Are there water walkers that get in off their stats, sure. However, most are there since so they can attend and come back, tell their friends about USNA, and then generate more applications. FWIW, I didn't get into NASS, but I eventually got into USNA and actually was on NASS Battalion Staff as a 1/C. So far, I have also accomplished everything I have wanted thus far in my short 3 year AD officer career. I am looking forward to all the other opportunities and adventures that come with being a Naval Officer. Suffice to say, getting rejected from NASS did not hold me back in any way, shape, or form.

For those who are attending, congratulations! It is a very fun program! I had a blast watching y'all see what USNA is all about and it was rewarding to see you all grow and leave with a better understanding of where you are in life and what directions it could head. Even though I only detailed once, I was able to notice trends (positive and negative) pretty easily. So if I was to go through NASS as an attendee, this what I'd keep in the back of my head (Disclaimer: This is all my own advice and this is not reflective of any guidance from USNA Admissions. This is also as of 2019, so some program elements might have changed):

1. Be a humble teammate. The attendees that stick out are those who were good at what they did, but they did not bask in their awesomeness when they were done doing whatever. They helped those who were still working and those who were struggling. Being a good dude/dudette gets you noticed a lot more than just being good at something. Remember, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some people have wanted to be in the military their whole lives, others found out about USNA a few months ago and are trying to see if the Academy and military in general is for them. There will most likely be something you struggle with and if you don't help others, you might not get the reciprocity you need. Along the same line of humility, we (the detailers) don't really care about your stats and how many Academies/ROTC scholarships you want to apply to. Leave that discussion to your friends. Also, PLEASE do not show up in another Academy's summer program shirt. SLE, USAFA SS, and AIM are all great programs, but have some situational awareness. That is like wearing a Yankees jersey in Boston. You're asking for it at that point. Go Sox, though!

2. Do research on what USNA offers (like different majors, extra-curriculars, trainings, etc.). Do research into the greater Navy and Marine Corps. Start learning about national military/international news. You should know a bit about the organization you are attempting to join. This will allow you to ask fruitful questions and learn more about the Academy and USN/USMC than what NASS shows you. Mids and officers love talking about their careers. They will tell you some cool stuff if you ask. Make sure you do broad research as well. Each community is an important piece of the puzzle to the overall force posture. Pilots and NFOs need Nuke SWOs just like Marines need Navy doctors. I saw a lot of people tune out during the Sub and SWO portions of the career info brief. Knowing how both contribute greatly to force posture and national objectives, I felt bad for the briefer. As a pilot, I can say that every community is cool. Just most of the movies are about aviation, Marines, and SEALs. It is not wrong to be interested in those at all, I just request knowing a bit about each and every community. Also, you are aspiring to join an organization that is directly affected by world events. One event will most likely not start a conflict, but every event affects geopolitical tensions. While statesmanship is not the role an officer, it is good to understand how the world works and how we arrive at armed conflict.

3. Conduct, PT, and nutrition. USNA, and specifically Bancroft, is our home. Please respect it. Is it five-star accommodations, no. However, USNA is still an active government institution and it needs to be respected as such. Nobody wants a stranger to come in and wreck their home. Accidents happen for sure, but don't destroy property that isn't yours. Many graduates have been awarded the MOH and we have rooms dedicated to them. If you get assigned one, I ask you to read their citation. They lived in Bancroft long ago and it would be disrespectful to damage the place where they were developed to serve with gallantry. Some people will also become NASS couples. Don't do anything dumb for someone you met three days ago. Chances are the teary Hallmark movie goodbye at BWI is the last time you'll see each other. Shifting gears, I encourage you to do a lot of running before showing up and a lot of calisthenics. You will do PT while you are here. You will also do the CFA. Incorporate CFA training into your NASS prep. I'd recommend doing the CFA again after NASS unless you are overjoyed with your scores. Facility constraints preclude us from meeting the letter of the law on stuff like rest periods and the like. Plus, if you get caught behind a slower runner on the track, there is limited room to pass. Again, be a good teammate here. If you ran a 5:00 mile, but people are still out there, go recover, but you should be trackside cheering soon after. On the nutrition aspect, you will be able to have some choices on what you eat. No, this won't be like a normal college where you can "eat around the world," but nobody is going to stop you if you want to eat a bowl of ice cream each meal. When I was there, people were getting soft serve like it was going out of style. People actually broke the soft serve machine and we had an ice cream ban my year. Don't get NASS 15. Fuel your bodies.

4. For the Sea Cadet, JROTC, CAP, etc. crowd, they are all great programs. However, anything military related is limited to that program. Sure, the ranks might stay the same if let's say you had to learn USN/USMC ranks. However, if you made Chief in Sea Cadets, you shouldn't expect or tell people to call you Chief. Again, that is fine to be called that in Sea Cadets, but making Chief does not entitle someone to all the customs and courtesies rendered to the actual Chiefs' Mess. If you are a Cadet Officer in CAP/JROTC, the same rules apply. The reality is that these programs project a certain picture of what the military is like, but it is actually quite heterogeneous. My current command operates differently than my last command. The same goes with USNA. Along the same lines, see #2. I had someone say that learning USMC is stupid since this is the Naval Academy. Maybe they missed the boat that 25% of each class goes USMC, Marines make up a sizable part of the military staff, and that the USMC is part of the DoN. Refer to #1 as well. If you wear a JROTC t-shirt, fine, but don't wear a uniform to check in. Again, this is not to belittle participation at all. I want to re-iterate that I have tons of respect for the programs. I just have seen those who can't flip the switch/accept a new way of doing things struggle initially.

5. Take Sea Trials seriously. Sea Trials is the ultimate team-building event for NASS. Being good teammates is how you do well. That is why the events are like that. They are hard and will force you to use teamwork in difficult circumstances. Tasks become near-impossible when the squad is a group of individuals rather than a cohesive team. When you get back to Bancroft, it is tough to flip the switch to getting yelled out for however long. However, people who just smiled/laughed/had an expression of arrogance/disdain were noticed. It is just a taste of what things will be like come PS. Play the game.

6. Know that the Mids are learning too. Especially with Squad Leaders, this is their first time being in charge of people. We are training and we will mess up. Just bear with us. We won't know the answer to everything, but we can probably find the answer somewhere. Also, please respect the line too. Sure, Squad Leaders are there to make sure you have a good time and are safe, but they aren't your BFF. They will be mentors. That said, stay in contact with them and your squadmates after. You never know who you will run into and when. It is a small military.

7. Evaluations. We do evaluate you at the end, but do not worry about it. We are not there deliberating if Candidate Timmy is going to be a good MIDN. We aren't qualified to say yes/no and our opinion doesn't really mean much anyway. NASS evaluations are mainly a contingency. If you have two equal records, but one had a great NASS write-up, then that record might get the nod. However, a write-up will not make/break a record. So how do you get a good eval? See the above. Mids are not looking to give out bad evals, but if you cast a negative light on yourself, then it is easier for us to rank your peers ahead of you.

8. Take some time to reflect on your experience after NASS. Some receive confirmation this where they want to be, some get inspired to apply, and some come to realize USNA isn't for them and they want to pursue other commissioning options or civilian paths. That is all fine. That is partially why the program exists. Just like an internship, you aren't required to take a follow-on job if you end up not liking that place or industry. Also, realize that USNA will end and you will be in the no kidding Navy or USMC going down range. Make your choices based off serving rather than what your college years will look like. Also, realize you have seen a slice of USNA. USNA does not look like that 24/7/365. Being an actual MIDN has a lot of things that are worse than NASS associated with it, but also a lot of things that are cooler. I might have been able to only chop one way around a passageway, but the Navy sent me to the Bahamas for "training." Both are not a part of the NASS experience.

9. If you cheer for Army at the Army-Navy Game, just take your bad eval now 😂

Good luck and happy to answer follow-up questions. Everyone is there to make you succeed. Feel free to approach with any issues and we will do our best to take care of you. Work hard, help others, be humble, and the rest will take care of itself!
 
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Hello to all future NASS attendees and also hello to those currently waiting and those who got a NASS TWE. For those currently waiting or will not attend NASS, do not sweat it. Easier said than done, but NASS is not a Plebe prep program. In other words, NASS has very little indicative value on your appointability. It is an outreach program first and foremost. Are there water walkers that get in off their stats, sure. However, most are there since so they can attend and come back, tell their friends about USNA, and then generate more applications. FWIW, I didn't get into NASS, but I eventually got into USNA and actually was on NASS Battalion Staff as 1/C. So far, I have also accomplished everything I have wanted thus far in my short 3 year AD officer career. I am looking forward to all the other opportunities and adventures that comes with being a Naval Officer. Suffice to say, getting rejected from NASS did not hold me back in any way, shape, or form.

For those who are attending, congratulations! It is a very fun program! I had a blast watching y'all see what USNA is all about and it was rewarding to see you all grow and leave with a better understanding of where you are in life and what directions it could head. Even though I only detailed once, I was able to notice trends (positive and negative) pretty easily. So if I was to go through NASS as an attendee, this what I'd keep in the back of my head (Disclaimer: This is all my own advice and this is not reflective of any guidance from USNA Admissions. This is also as of 2019, so some program elements might have changed):

1. Be a humble teammate. The attendees that stick out are those who were good at what they did, but they did not bask in their awesomeness when they were done doing whatever. They helped those who were still working and those who were struggling. Being a good dude/dudette gets you noticed a lot more than just being good at something. Remember, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some people have wanted to be in the military their whole lives, others found out about USNA a few months ago and are trying to see if the Academy and military in general is for them. There will most likely be something you struggle with and if you don't help others, you might not get the reciprocity you need. Along the same line of humility, we (the detailers) don't really care about your stats and how many Academies/ROTC scholarships you want to apply to. Leave that discussion to your friends. Also. PLEASE do not show up in another Academy's summer program shirt. SLE, USAFA SS, and AIM are all great programs, but have some situational awareness. That is like wearing a Yankees jersey in Boston. You're asking for it at that point. Go Sox, though!

2. Do research on what USNA offers (like different majors, extra-curriculars, trainings, etc.). Do research into the greater Navy and Marine Corps. Start learning about national military/international news. You should know a bit about the organization you are attempting to join. This will allow you to ask fruitful questions and learn more about the Academy and USN/USMC than what NASS shows you. Mids and officers love talking about their careers. They will tell you some cool stuff if you ask. Make sure you do broad research as well. Each community is an important piece of the puzzle to the overall force posture. Pilots and NFOs need Nuke SWOs just like Marines need Navy doctors. I saw a lot of people tune out during the Sub and SWO portions of the career info brief. Knowing how both contribute greatly to force posture and national objectives, I felt bad for the briefer. As a pilot, I can say that every community is cool. Just most of the movies are about aviation, Marines, and SEALs. It is not wrong to be interested in those at all, I just request knowing a bit about each and every community. Also, you are aspiring to join an organization that is directly affected by world events. One event will most likely not start a conflict, but every event affects geopolitical tensions. While statesmanship is not the role an officer, it is good to understand how the world works and how we arrive at armed conflict.

3. Conduct, PT, and nutrition. USNA and specifically Bancroft is our home. Please respect it. Is it five-star accommodations, no. However, USNA is still an active government institution and it needs to be respected as such. Nobody wants a stranger to come in and wreck their home. Accidents happen for sure, but don't destroy property that isn't yours. Many graduates have been awarded the MOH and we have rooms dedicated to them. If you get assigned one, I ask you to read their citation. They lived in Bancroft long ago and it would be disrespectful to damage the place where they were developed to serve with gallantry. Some people will also become NASS couples. Don't do anything dumb for someone you met three days ago. Chances are the teary Hallmark movie goodbye at BWI is the last time you'll see each other. Shifting gears, I encourage you to do a lot of running before showing up and a lot of calisthenics. You will do PT while you are here. You will also do the CFA. Incorporate CFA training into your NASS prep. I'd recommend doing the CFA again after NASS unless you are overjoyed with your scores. Facility constraints preclude us from meeting the letter of the law on stuff like rest periods and the like. Plus, if you get caught behind a slower runner on the track, there is limited room to pass. Again, be a good teammate here. If you ran a 5:00 mile, but people are still out there, go recover, but you should be trackside cheering soon after. On the nutrition aspect, you will be able to have some choices on what you eat. No, this won't be like a normal college where you can "eat around the world," but nobody is going to stop you if you want to eat a bowl of ice cream each meal. When I was there, people were getting soft serve like it was going out of style. People actually broke the soft serve machine and we had an ice cream ban my year. Don't get NASS 15. Fuel your bodies.

4. For the Sea Cadet, JROTC, CAP, etc. crowd, they are all great programs. However, anything military related is limited to that program. Sure, the ranks might stay the same if let's say you had to learn USN/USMC ranks. However, if you made Chief in Sea Cadets, you shouldn't expect or tell people to call you Chief. Again, that is fine to be called that in Sea Cadets, but making Chief does not entitle someone to all the customs and courtesies rendered to the actual Chiefs' Mess. If you are a Cadet Officer in CAP/JROTC, the same rules apply. The reality is that these programs project a certain picture of what the military is like, but it is actually quite homogenous. My current command operates differently than my last command. The same goes with USNA. Along the same lines, see #2. I had someone say that learning USMC is stupid since this is the Naval Academy. Maybe they missed the boat that 25% of each class goes USMC, Marines make up a sizable part of the military staff, and that the USMC is part of the DoN. Refer to #1 as well. If you wear a JROTC t-shirt, fine, but don't wear a uniform to check in. Again, this is not to belittle participation at all. I want to re-iterate that I have tons of respect for the programs. I just have seen those who can't flip the switch/accept a new way of doing things struggle initially.

5. Take Sea Trials seriously. Sea Trials is the ultimate team-building event for NASS. Being good teammates is how you do well. That is why the events are like that. They are hard and will force you to use teamwork in difficult circumstances. Tasks become near-impossible when the squad is a group of individuals rather than a cohesive team. When you get back to Bancroft, it is tough to flip the switch to getting yelled out for however long. However, people who just smiled/laughed/had an expression of arrogance/disdain were noticed. It is just a taste of what things will be like come PS. Play the game.

6. Know that the Mids are learning too. Especially with Squad Leaders, this is their first time being in charge of people. We are training and we will mess up. Just bear with us. We won't know the answer to everything, but we can probably find the answer somewhere. Also, please respect the line too. Sure, Squad Leaders are there to make sure you have a good time and are safe, but they aren't your BFF. They will be mentors. That said, stay in contact with them and your squadmates after. You never know who you will run into and when. It is a small military.

7. Evaluations. We do evaluate you at the end, but do not worry about it. We are not there deliberating if Candidate Timmy is going to be a good MIDN. We aren't qualified to say yes/no and our opinion doesn't really mean much anyway. NASS evaluations are mainly a contingency. If you have two equal records, but one had a great NASS write-up, then that record might get the nod. However, a write-up will not make/break a record. So how do you get a good eval? See the above. Mids are not looking to give out bad evals, but if you cast a negative light on yourself, then it is easier for us to rank your peers ahead of you.

8. Take some time to reflect on your experience after NASS. Some receive confirmation this where they want to be, some get inspired to apply, and some come to realize USNA isn't for them and they want to pursue other commissioning options or civilian paths. That is all fine. That is partially why the program exists. Just like an internship, you aren't required to take a follow-on job if you end up not liking that place or industry. Also, realize that USNA will end and you will be in the no kidding Navy or USMC going down range. Make your choices based off serving rather than what your college years will look like. Also, realize you have seen a slice of USNA. USNA does not look like that 24/7/365. Being an actual MIDN has a lot of things that are worse than NASS associated with it, but also a lot of things that are cooler. I might have been able to only chop one way around a passageway, but the Navy sent me to the Bahamas for "training." Both are not a part of the NASS experience.

9. If you cheer for Army at the Army-Navy Game, just take your bad eval now 😂

Good luck and happy to answer follow-up questions. Everyone there is there to make you succeed. Feel free to approach with any issues and we will do our best to take care of you. Work hard, help others, be humble, and the rest will take care of itself!
Bookmark-worthy! Deckplate advice. BZ!
 
NASS is more for the candidate to evaluate USNA than vice versa. However, squad leaders do write evaluations of their candidates which can (but not always) be turned into bullet points on their application file.
 
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