Third try is a charm!

Thank you all for the encouragement he revived the SEC NAV nomination on Feb 2. The CO and the 2 recommendations from the Chiefs are excellent. 100% support. The SEC NAV nomination came 2 days after paper submitted. High school and all test scores are good. He is the only person on his ship eligible and been in the Navy just over a year. So it is possible to get LOA before DODMERB?? I am cautiously optimistic.
 
NavyFleetMom said:
Thank you all for the encouragement he revived the SEC NAV nomination on Feb 2. The CO and the 2 recommendations from the Chiefs are excellent. 100% support. The SEC NAV nomination came 2 days after paper submitted. High school and all test scores are good. He is the only person on his ship eligible and been in the Navy just over a year. So it is possible to get LOA before DODMERB?? I am cautiously optimistic.
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DD got a USNA LOA before she received a waiver, so yes.
 
Navyhopeful is PRESENTLY a civilian and wanted to know if enlisting is a wise path to take to the Academy and my answer is "no" to that situation---- not to a sailor already in. Here's why. First there is a time clock ticking as there is an age limit upon entering that is always in the background. When a person enlists in the Navy they are put in a pipeline of boot camp to technical schools to a ship. While they can apply at any time, they need their commanding officer's endorsement and, in the vast majority of cases, that will NOT come during boot camp or their schooling. I know, there are exceptions (and it sounds like cas's son was one of them) but the vast majority need to get to their final command before a CO is in a position to judge leadership, military adaptability, technical competency, ability to get along with shipmates, and work ethic. And he can't do that until his subordinates in the chain of command have seen him as a crewman for about 6 months. Our young stud has to impress not only his shipmates (everybody on a ship develops a reputation--good or bad), but also the Petty Officer 1/C he works for and the Chief in charge of the Division. Next comes the Division Officer, usually an Ensign or JG, and so on up the line. All it takes is one to give a "no recommendation" and it it kills the chit even though it will make it all the way to the Commanding Officer and he will see it.

When I was a JG, I had a new sailor report on board and make a beeline to me to put in a request for the Naval Academy. Being an Academy grad, he thought I was a shoo-in. I heard him out, took his chit and told him I would forward it with my "Not Recommend at this time". He was shocked so I said "Look, we are short 3 men in this division, we have been waiting for you for 9 months while you were in school, I have had to send guys a lot more senior than you to Mess Deck duty for weeks because we are so short, you are as green as grass as to the work we need done and there is going to be a lot of OJT for you as well as weekend duty, I have 2 more men leaving---one for major surgery, and one is getting out of the Nav. We are leaving on cruise for 6 months in 30 days and I have the main air search radar down (he had come into the electronics division) and we are working nights to get it up on time. You may be a great candidate for the Academy but first you have to impress PO Campbell with what you can do, along with Chief Burns. You need their recommendations first before I will consider you and consider it a 6 month sea trial. Nice to have you aboard."

Of course, he missed that admissions cycle while he was at sea. When he submitted his chit again, we knew him and his character. Had he pissed off the Chief or proven himself to be no-load or even an average sailor and the Chief had turned thumbs down, I would have backed the Chief's decision to the hilt. I would be a fool not to as the Chief was more than my right hand man we were to be work partners for the next 3 years. Even if I thought the kid was OK, I would back my most important subordinate as there were a LOT of bigger problems coming for the two of us. So why would anybody, knowing all this, not stay a civilian and apply via the "regular" route and eliminate all that wasted time, personalities and pitfalls? My advice still stands: if you are a civilian, stay a civilian for all your application attempts. If you have already enlisted---go for it.
 
Hi Spud - Please accept my apology I miss understood your response. I agree 100% go the civilian route, it is not an easy process if you are already enlisted. I thought you meant if enlisted, and I was curious to find out your thought on the subject :)...
 
No sweat and congratulations on your son's accomplishment as he beat the odds. He obviously is a sharp young Marine and people recognized that.
 
Spud said:
No sweat and congratulations on your son's accomplishment as he beat the odds. He obviously is a sharp young Marine and people recognized that.
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Spud - Thank you and I appreciate the responses you all give to our questions. This is a learning process:)... my son is very humble but determined.
 
Spud this is my son's third application. Fleet was only option left. Believe me I begged him to stay in college to become officer. However his life and his plan. He went to the ship last June and worked over and above all expectations thus 100 percent support from all. So with those recs and SEC NAV what do you think his chances are??
 
Probably pretty good if his grades and tests are also what the Navy wants. There are some advantages to the hassles and time factor of an enlisted trooper applying. The first is the Navy has no written limit to how many enlisted (I may be wrong on this) they send to NAPS and the Academy. There are nominations to be found when they need them. Compare this to the nominating food fight in a very competitive area like California or Virginia where hundreds of candidates are fighting for 30 nominations and only 3 appointments. Very good kids never make that first cut even though they are great candidates. The other is no written essay, exam, BGO interview, or MOC interview will ever have the depth of knowledge of a young man or woman's character, work ethic, military adaptability, honesty, and attitude under stress and discomfort than the First Class Petty Officer or Chief who watches a sailor work for 6 months in the Navy environment. A youngster's leadership and followership is on display every day to their detriment or benefit. The Chief knows that his recommendation may well bring that young sailor back as his very boss in 5 short years and he is very, very careful with his blessing. The Navy realizes the importance of this recommendation from the Fleet and as a result will give a promising sailor the shot he could not have gotten from his Congressman.

It all keys around how good the young person is and it sounds like your son did everything right. The fact that he has applied 3 times including having experienced the Navy operational life says a lot for his desire. Good luck to him---I applied 3 times too. (My Plebe Summer detailer considered it an incredible miscarriage of justice that I slipped through the cracks on the 3rd try and got into not only USNA but his platoon.)
 
Thank you for your insight. We are cautiously optimist but know the character of our son and he will be a leader whatever path is there. The day he took the oath the top Navy officer took me and his father aside and told us that our son was exactly what the navy needs and he predicted a stellar career
 
NavyFleetMom said:
Thank you for your insight. We are cautiously optimist but know the character of our son and he will be a leader whatever path is there. The day he took the oath the top Navy officer took me and his father aside and told us that our son was exactly what the navy needs and he predicted a stellar career
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NavyFleetMom - Wishing your DS the best of luck - I have a good feeling :)
 
NavyFleetMom said:
Thank you all for the encouragement he revived the SEC NAV nomination on Feb 2. The CO and the 2 recommendations from the Chiefs are excellent. 100% support. The SEC NAV nomination came 2 days after paper submitted. High school and all test scores are good. He is the only person on his ship eligible and been in the Navy just over a year. So it is possible to get LOA before DODMERB?? I am cautiously optimistic.
Click to expand...

I may be a little late to this thread. I also applied to the Academy 3 times and just received my LOA. From my understanding, LOAs are only sent if USNA finds an applicant qualified but has not received all parts of the application. I'm waiting for a DODMERB waiver, so yes, it is possible to get an LOA before. Best of luck.
 
This one goes out to all us priors ha. It is a rough route but it does have its perks. Which i believe everyone hit some good points in this thread. I look forward to meeting everyone. Im going to NAPS here this july. Class of 2020. I look forward to meeting everyone. Goodluck!
 
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