USNA and beyond

[Tear_gas]

Hi. I have been recently thinking about going to the naval academy; however, I want to be a regular enlisted navy seal so that I can do combat. I was wondering if I go through the academy do I have to become an officer seal?

 

[Kierkegaard]

I have been recently thinking about going to the naval academy; however, I want to be a regular enlisted navy seal so that I can do combat.

 

[MidCakePa]

USNA exists to produce unrestricted line officers — those who’ll lead enlisted sailors and Marines on ships and subs, as aviators and as Marines. Some — a very limited number — become special operations officers.

If you want to be a door kicker, enlist. If you want to lead door kickers — with relatively little combat — become an officer. However, join the Navy first and foremost. As you know, precious few pass the BUD/S crucible. If you don’t, will you be satisfied filling other equally important roles on the Navy team?

Do your primary research. Go online and read up on USNA, SEALs, etc. Known what you’re getting into.

 

[Kierkegaard]

To answer your question yes, the Naval Academy only commissions officers! That is its mission. The only SEAL candidates who come out of USNA are officers. While they are plenty tactical especially as a JO, you are also correct that the enlisted SEALs are doing more of those specialized combat skills. The officers make sure their team is trained and equipped, mission debriefs are written, and evals are done.

The good news for you is going enlisted is a much faster and feasible route to get to BUD/S too. USNA is a 4-year program, and commissions a very small number of SEAL candidates, turning down some highly qualified midshipmen every year. If you enlist with a SEAL contract, you will go to BUD/S after bootcamp.

 

[Capt MJ]

Hi. I have been recently thinking about going to the naval academy; however, I want to be a regular enlisted navy seal so that I can do combat. I was wondering if I go through the academy do I have to become an officer seal?

Welcome new member!

Keep on researching primary sources to learn about different communities in the Navy.

Enlisted personnel and officers play different but complementary and mutually respectful roles. Officers are the leaders who strategize, prioritize and make decisions, working closely with enlisted leaders to optimize use of the deep technical knowledge and hands-on skills of the enlisted team members.

To go the enlisted route out of high school, you talk to a local enlisted recruiter who might visit your school or work in an Armed Forces Recruiting Office in your town. Do your research on enlisted specialties.

The Naval Academy produces commissioned officers who earn their B.S. in a variety of majors. It is a complex and highly competitive process to apply to USNA or any service academy. College NROTC also produces officers. Dive into the USNA and NROTC websites, read every page, link and drop-down menu item.
For USNA in particular, take a look at:

General Advice for Grades 9-12

General Advice for Grades 9-12 page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Fri Apr 12 05:31:35 EDT 2024.

www.usna.edu

Class Portrait

Class Portrait page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Sun Apr 21 04:34:10 EDT 2024.

www.usna.edu

https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/_files/documents/MedicalAppendix1.pdf

NAVAL ACADEMY CLASS OF 2024 OBTAIN CAREER ASSIGNMENTS

NAVAL ACADEMY CLASS OF 2024 OBTAIN CAREER ASSIGNMENTS page for USNA News Center at USNA.edu. Updated Sun Dec 10 10:24:02 EST 2023.

www.usna.edu

Nomination Sources

Nomination Sources page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Tue Mar 26 06:54:04 EDT 2024.

www.usna.edu

And, go to each of your Senators’ and Representative’s websites and look at their service academy nomination pages.


Navy SEALs, whether officer or enlisted, are book-smart and common sense-smart and innovative, problem-solving, agile-thinking smart. They are extraordinarily fit, resilient and possess physical and mental grit in abundance. They also tend to swim like fish.

There are also no guarantees. The SEAL officer and enlisted communities are relatively small compared to the rest of the Navy. Just to get accepted for training in the community is arguably one of the most competitive paths, and the attrition rate out of the initial training is very high. This is not said to discourage you. Do your research, create a plan with milestones and actions, and go for it. Don’t forget to explore other paths of service.

 

[Usnavy2019]

Hi. I have been recently thinking about going to the naval academy; however, I want to be a regular enlisted navy seal so that I can do combat. I was wondering if I go through the academy do I have to become an officer seal?

You should also look into MARSOC. The Naval Academy also commissions officers into the Marine Corps. The Marines have their own special operations units and capabilities. There is more than one way to become a ground pounder out of USNA.

 

[Tear_gas]

Thank you all for your responses! I guess I just do not want to always be stuck behind a desk. If I lead my team I would rather be on the battle field leading them there.

 

[Alchemist]

Thank you all for your responses! I guess I just do not want to always be stuck behind a desk. If I lead my team I would rather be on the battle field leading them there.

While only a select few USNA graduates become SEAL officers, those who do embark on this path will be further and further from the direct action operations they initially sought. As they progress through the ranks, they transition from being close to the "door kickers" to assuming more administrative and strategic roles, eventually finding themselves behind a desk.

If you aspire to be the one in the thick of the action, enlisting and working your way up to Navy Chief in the SEALs offers a direct route to the frontlines. However, this path demands unwavering physical and mental fortitude. BUD/S training is notoriously grueling, and the psychological stress of SEAL operations is immense. Prepare yourself for BUDS by incorporating cold showers, sand running in boots, and other challenging activities into your daily routine, along with pullups and sit-ups.

Understand that injuries are an occupational hazard for SEALs, much like in professional football. The median service time for enlisted SEALs is 6 years, and only 28% make it past 10 years due to the physical and mental toll of the job.

 

[Tear_gas]

Thank you all for your responses!

While only a select few USNA graduates become SEAL officers, those who do embark on this path will be further and further from the direct action operations they initially sought. As they progress through the ranks, they transition from being close to the "door kickers" to assuming more administrative and strategic roles, eventually finding themselves behind a desk.

If you aspire to be the one in the thick of the action, enlisting and working your way up to Navy Chief in the SEALs offers a direct route to the frontlines. However, this path demands unwavering physical and mental fortitude. BUD/S training is notoriously grueling, and the psychological stress of SEAL operations is immense. Prepare yourself for BUDS by incorporating cold showers, sand running in boots, and other challenging activities into your daily routine, along with pullups and sit-ups.

Understand that injuries are an occupational hazard for SEALs, much like in professional football. The median service time for enlisted SEALs is 6 years, and only 28% make it past 10 years due to the physical and mental toll of the job.

Okay, that makes sense last question from now. What would my level be would I be a O-1,2,3,4 if I go through USNA because I know based of the level is how you determine how much actually combat you will see.

 

[Capt MJ]

Okay, that makes sense last question from now. What would my level be would I be a O-1,2,3,4 if I go through USNA because I know based of the level is how you determine how much actually combat you will see.

O-1 is the paygrade for both Ensign, U.S. Navy, or 2nd Lieutenant, USMC, the most junior officer ranks which you will commission into upon graduation from USNA. About 2 years later, promotion to O-2 paygrade, Lieutenant (junior grad) or 1st Lieutenant. Some years after that, 0-3, Lieutenant or Captain. And some years after that, O-4, Lieutenant Commander or Major. The paygrade is often used informally to indicate rank.

 

[Tear_gas]

O-1 is the paygrade for both Ensign, U.S. Navy, or 2nd Lieutenant, USMC, the most junior officer ranks which you will commission into upon graduation from USNA. About 2 years later, promotion to O-2 paygrade, Lieutenant (junior grad) or 1st Lieutenant. Some years after that, 0-3, Lieutenant or Captain. And some years after that, O-4, Lieutenant Commander or Major. The paygrade is often used informally to indicate rank.

So do I have to move up a rank because I know junior officers still get to see a fair amount of action.

 

[Capt MJ]

I apologize, I am busy this evening and do not have the time right now to walk you through how this part of the military works. USNA Navy graduates are junior officers while in pay grades O-1 - O-4 (though O-4 is the technical limit, you are far from junior in experience at that point).

I do not understand “do I have to move up a rank.”

 

[A1Janitor]

Are you asking if you can remain an 0-1 for your whole career?!?

 

[Usnavy2019]

So do I have to move up a rank because I know junior officers still get to see a fair amount of action.

You will more or less (unless you commit a crime or exhibit a gross departure from the personal and professional standards of an officer) promote automatically to O-2 after two years of commissioned service and O-3 after four years of commissioned service. You are up for O-4 at ~10 years of commissioned service. Officers across all the service operate in an "up or out" system as mandated by the Department of Defense Personnel Management Act of 1980. In simple terms, if you fail to promote, you will get discharged or you will retire. For non-priors, you need to make it to O-4 to retire. Prior enlisted officers with enough time as an enlisted Sailor can retire as O-3s. Anyway, promotion to O-3 is more or less automatic. You can turn down O-4, but you will be out of the military soon after. If you choose O-4, then you will most likely transition more into a middle management role where you are doing more administrative work and less operating (but you will still do stuff on occasion). The tilt towards administrative work only increases as you climb the rank ladder.

Here is the rationale behind this:

O-1s through O-3s do the most operating because they need to build foundational operational experience. This foundational experience will be capitalized upon when you go higher in rank. In theory, your operational experience will inform your managerial decisions as an O-4 and above. Once you hit O-4, you will do stuff to keep a baseline level of experience and currency, but you will not be the most up to speed on the nitty gritty details like the JOs are.

Navy SEALs, SWOs, Pilots, etc. are all Naval Officers first. That means you do the stuff you don't see in video games/movies like approving leave, doing evaluations, getting a task not in your job description because you were in a senior officer's field of vision, etc. If they wanted to make an accurate CoD game, they'd have you hit the gym at some point, go into work, have your email not work for three hours because the internet is out, go get lunch at the base Subway, come back for a meeting, work on a Power Point, do an online training that doesn't work the first time, and then go home driving your pickup. Dropping bombs, shooting missiles, and kicking in doors of bad guys is a part of the military, and everyone will do their fair share of operating, but it is not the day-to-day.

 

[nuensis]

Thank you all for your responses! I guess I just do not want to always be stuck behind a desk. If I lead my team I would rather be on the battle field leading them there.

Got some bad news for you. Officers end up behind desks. Check out the community brief for SEAL, it's on the MyNavyHR site.

Sounds like a commission is not what you want. And that is fine. If you change your mind later there is aways in-service procurement and warrant officer.

 

[Georgia Hokie]

If they wanted to make an accurate CoD game, they'd have you hit the gym at some point, go into work, have your email not work for three hours because the internet is out, go get lunch at the base Subway, come back for a meeting, work on a Power Point, do an online training that doesn't work the first time, and then go home driving your pickup.

Pure Gold!

 

[Capt MJ]

You will more or less (unless you commit a crime or exhibit a gross departure from the personal and professional standards of an officer) promote automatically to O-2 after two years of commissioned service and O-3 after four years of commissioned service. You are up for O-4 at ~10 years of commissioned service. Officers across all the service operate in an "up or out" system as mandated by the Department of Defense Personnel Management Act of 1980. In simple terms, if you fail to promote, you will get discharged or you will retire. For non-priors, you need to make it to O-4 to retire. Prior enlisted officers with enough time as an enlisted Sailor can retire as O-3s. Anyway, promotion to O-3 is more or less automatic. You can turn down O-4, but you will be out of the military soon after. If you choose O-4, then you will most likely transition more into a middle management role where you are doing more administrative work and less operating (but you will still do stuff on occasion). The tilt towards administrative work only increases as you climb the rank ladder.

Here is the rationale behind this:

O-1s through O-3s do the most operating because they need to build foundational operational experience. This foundational experience will be capitalized upon when you go higher in rank. In theory, your operational experience will inform your managerial decisions as an O-4 and above. Once you hit O-4, you will do stuff to keep a baseline level of experience and currency, but you will not be the most up to speed on the nitty gritty details like the JOs are.

Navy SEALs, SWOs, Pilots, etc. are all Naval Officers first. That means you do the stuff you don't see in video games/movies like approving leave, doing evaluations, getting a task not in your job description because you were in a senior officer's field of vision, etc. If they wanted to make an accurate CoD game, they'd have you hit the gym at some point, go into work, have your email not work for three hours because the internet is out, go get lunch at the base Subway, come back for a meeting, work on a Power Point, do an online training that doesn't work the first time, and then go home driving your pickup. Dropping bombs, shooting missiles, and kicking in doors of bad guys is a part of the military, and everyone will do their fair share of operating, but it is not the day-to-day.

Let’s not forget fun collateral duties and periodic assignments - command urinalysis coordinator, dental readiness, Senior Watch Officer, Wardroom Mess Treasurer, change of command coordinator, annual Navy & Marine Corps Relief Fund Drive Coordinator... At least in this community, command fitness coordinator wouldn’t be too bad, probably not running a lot of early AM remedial PTs or documenting serial PRT failures.

For the OP - suggest you do a lot more reading at primary sources, ignore movies and other fictionalized descriptions of military life. Yes, sometimes there are periods, sometimes prolonged, of high operational activity in the danger zone, but that is punctuated by periods of routine training and administrative tasks.

If you decide to go the enlisted route, there are plenty of opportunities to get your college degree through various Navy programs. Each command has a career counselor who can help with that.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

A lot of good advice above, but two questions-

1) Why do you want to attend USNA ? If your goal in life is to "do combat", there are a whole lot of other avenues, including but not limited to enlisting and going SEAL. Keep in mind, even then, most of your time is going to be in training and preparing for combat.

2) Why do you want to "do combat" ? I'm presuming you are young, and view war as some glorious objective. The reality is far from what you see in Hollywood movies or Call of Duty. People , including friends, are maimed and die. Nobody should want to "do combat." All the resources we put into the military, including equipment and manpower, are intended to avoid combat--- the best way to avoid war is to be prepared to fight and destroy those that stand in the way or national interests.

One final thought despite the comments about USNA graduates and officers being the leaders and administrators. I just got back from visiting the Yard the other day. I always spend a few moments in Memorial Hall when I visit USNA, and seeing the names of friends and classmates on the wall is a pretty good reminder there are plenty of opportunities to fight and die in the line of duty as an officer in the Navy and Marine Corps.

 

[Capt MJ]

A lot of good advice above, but two questions-

1) Why do you want to attend USNA ? If your goal in life is to "do combat", there are a whole lot of other avenues, including but not limited to enlisting and going SEAL. Keep in mind, even then, most of your time is going to be in training and preparing for combat.

2) Why do you want to "do combat" ? I'm presuming you are young, and view war as some glorious objective. The reality is far from what you see in Hollywood movies or Call of Duty. People , including friends, are maimed and die. Nobody should want to "do combat." All the resources we put into the military, including equipment and manpower, are intended to avoid combat--- the best way to avoid war is to be prepared to fight and destroy those that stand in the way or national interests.

One final thought despite the comments about USNA graduates and officers being the leaders and administrators. I just got back from visiting the Yard the other day. I always spend a few moments in Memorial Hall when I visit USNA, and seeing the names of friends and classmates on the wall is a pretty good reminder there are plenty of opportunities to fight and die in the line of duty as an officer in the Navy and Marine Corps.

Resonates with truth and validity in every line.

People in the military desire nothing more than peace, but they know a professional military force is both a deterrent and a protective bulwark, so they choose to serve, knowing that all the ugliness, horror, and unfathomable examples of man’s inhumanity to man, could be something they experience, or watch their friends, shipmates and those they lead, pay the ultimate price for. It is in no way glamorous or cool. And let’s not forget “routine training accidents.” There is nothing routine about working in industrial environments, far from advanced medical care or out of sight of land or in a foreign country or even your own training base. It is a hard life, and not some glorious quest.

But in the words of Travis Manion:
“If not me, then who…”

Travis Manion Foundation - "If Not Me, Then Who..."

Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) empowers veterans and the families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. In 2007, 1st Lt Travis Manion.

www.travismanion.org

 

[Tear_gas]

A lot of good advice above, but two questions-

1) Why do you want to attend USNA ? If your goal in life is to "do combat", there are a whole lot of other avenues, including but not limited to enlisting and going SEAL. Keep in mind, even then, most of your time is going to be in training and preparing for combat.

2) Why do you want to "do combat" ? I'm presuming you are young, and view war as some glorious objective. The reality is far from what you see in Hollywood movies or Call of Duty. People , including friends, are maimed and die. Nobody should want to "do combat." All the resources we put into the military, including equipment and manpower, are intended to avoid combat--- the best way to avoid war is to be prepared to fight and destroy those that stand in the way or national interests.

One final thought despite the comments about USNA graduates and officers being the leaders and administrators. I just got back from visiting the Yard the other day. I always spend a few moments in Memorial Hall when I visit USNA, and seeing the names of friends and classmates on the wall is a pretty good reminder there are plenty of opportunities to fight and die in the line of duty as an officer in the Navy and Marine Corps.

1) I want to join the Navy to serve my country and do something bigger than myself. I could just go be a engineer or doctor and create life saving cures or prosthetic or something, but I really am interested in the navy, its goals, and benefits. I want to attend USNA because I want to be set up in a position that gives me the best chances of doing so. I want to be a officer because yes I do want to lead and keep people out of danger; however, if my men are going into danger I would want to go into the danger with them. Not only do I plan to be a seal but I plan to be seal team 6 if God blesses me to do so. I want to know I am doing the utmost I can for my country and my people. I know it means a whole lot more challenges but I will take it on as best as I can.

2) While yes I do enjoy a action movie and a good game of CoD the reason I want to do combat is because if my men are going in I would want to too. I do not want my whole life filled with violence, but I want the reassurance that no matter what I will be able to lead my men through the danger not hiding behind a desk but on the field. If I have to kill or die to do that then so be it all for the safety of my men and country.