What to do after USMA?

gdog23

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I recently received an LOA to USMA and I am now seriously considering it. However, I have been trying to research for the past few weeks the path I want to take after USMA. I want to be "kicking down doors" and leading a team and being by their side in action, not just planning a mission and having them do it. What would be the best route for me after USMA to do something like that?
 
If this were a USNA question I’d say USMC Infantry and Recon. I have no idea how hard it is for a new officer to tryout for MARSOC.

or the SEALs

For US ARMY I’d say infantry and Ranger Bn.

My time in recon was decades ago but our officers went out on missions just not as many months of that as the enlisted did. We also lost more than a few officers.

And of course you cant be more tip of the spear than infantry.

We do have former Army Operators , and younger than I, who post here so you may get much better advice when they see this.
 
I recommend not using “just” as a descriptor for mission planning, especially in any essays or discussions. Strategic and tactical planning, decisive oversight, etc., are equally as important as individual member operational field actions. They go hand in hand. Bad mission planning > dead soldiers. If done seamlessly with good two-way communications, a well-trained team led by a sound decision-maker skilled in risk analysis in the moment and the Big Strategic Picture in mind, it’s a force multiplier.

I am sure the experienced Army folks here will advise you.
 
Slow down ....your focus now should be on doing whatever is necessary to getting appointed...then once you get in, focus on doing the best that you can so that you are in a position to select your service assignment. (I don't know anything about how Service Assignment works at USMA, but doing well in whatever you face has never hurt anyone). You will have plenty of opportunities at West Point to learn all about the different branches and opportunties that await upon graduation.

Sure, its great to forward and set a goal, but nobody jumps from LOA to Tier 1 Special Operator in one step. There are a lot of things , including Needs of the Army, that can come in the way. Being too fixated on one objective can lead to disappointment. I encourage my USNA Candidates to go in with an open mind, excel and have the ability to make an better informed decision when its time to submit your preference sheet,
 
I recommend not using “just” as a descriptor for mission planning, especially in any essays or discussions. Strategic and tactical planning, decisive oversight, etc., are equally as important as individual member operational field actions. They go hand in hand. Bad mission planning > dead soldiers. If done seamlessly with good two-way communications, a well-trained team led by a sound decision-maker skilled in risk analysis in the moment and the Big Strategic Picture in mind, it’s a force multiplier.

I am sure the experienced Army folks here will advise you.
I 100 percent agree and thank you for the advice.
 
Slow down ....your focus now should be on doing whatever is necessary to getting appointed...then once you get in, focus on doing the best that you can so that you are in a position to select your service assignment. (I don't know anything about how Service Assignment works at USMA, but doing well in whatever you face has never hurt anyone). You will have plenty of opportunities at West Point to learn all about the different branches and opportunties that await upon graduation.

Sure, its great to forward and set a goal, but nobody jumps from LOA to Tier 1 Special Operator in one step. There are a lot of things , including Needs of the Army, that can come in the way. Being too fixated on one objective can lead to disappointment. I encourage my USNA Candidates to go in with an open mind, excel and have the ability to make an better informed decision when its time to submit your preference sheet,
I concur. My decision between the different academies is now coming down to what opportunities are available afterward. From what I understand USNA has a bit more defined route to going into SEALS after graduation than it seems USMA has for going into Rangers or Green Berets. I am trying to figure out if this is the case or not.
 
I 100 percent agree and thank you for the advice.
The most important Marine in history IMO was General OP Smith. And when he was being the most important Marine in USMC history in 1950 I do not think he was ever under fire.

But IMO no one should be overseeing Ranger or Recon operations if they have not been an operator themselves.

And in my day 2nd Lt s were either running missions or doing staff work.

No one would have ever considered them to actually plan a mission.

And at times that junior green Lt might be the senior rank on a mission but the patrol being run by the senior e-4 or e-6 ——who could be trusted to actually be in charge of a patrol in combat :)

1st Lts who were company commanders would plan a mission as far as——this is where you are going and this is what we want you to do

Then it was up to the new officer or NCO to do the true planning with the team.

Those that want to be shooters do not dream about being staff

Stay Lucky
 
My decision between the different academies is now coming down to what opportunities are available afterward.
You've changed the question when you bring in the prospect of what to do after other Service Academies, especially USNA. If you are considering other Service Academies, then post Academy opportunities is certainly relevant (assuming of course you have the opportunity to attend either).

One of the things my BGO told me, and I tell my Candidates to this day ,,,is to consider the various opportunities USNA has. The Navy has ships, submarines, aviation , SEALS, and USMC (among a handful of other more limited selections ). I would expect that USMC alone has essentially the same MOS opportunities as West Point, and between SEAL and USMC there are plenty of opportunities to be a door kicker.

Regardless of which path you take., the key to getting what you want is performance ...while USNA doesn't go strictly by class rank anymore , it has never hurt !
 
This is interesting. I looked at this recently for someone. I may have even started a thread asking the question ?

It looked to me like the USMC was a crap shoot .You can’t actually declare for USMC infantry as I understand it as an officer. And if end up in something else unrelated I am not sure how likely it is to get to try for a team.

If you are really confident then USNA and SEALs is certainly a good and very direct option.

but overall it looked to me like the Army and the USMA had the most opportunities if you consider, infantry, airborne units, Ranger bn, etc etc,

” looked to me”
 
This is interesting. I looked at this recently for someone. I may have even started a thread asking the question ?

It looked to me like the USMC was a crap shoot .You can’t actually declare for USMC infantry as I understand it as an officer. And if end up in something else unrelated I am not sure how likely it is to get to try for a team.

If you are really confident then USNA and SEALs is certainly a good and very direct option.

but overall it looked to me like the Army and the USMA had the most opportunities if you consider, infantry, airborne units, Ranger bn, etc etc,
This is going to be another thing to consider when I make my decision, thank you. Thank you guys for all your awesome responses.
 
You can’t actually declare for USMC infantry as I understand it as an officer.
Father of a USNA grad turned Marine. If you’re selected for USMC ground, you’ll first attend The Basic School in Quantico, alongside new 2LTs from all accession sources. Midway through TBS, you’ll get to list your MOS preferences. You’ll know where you’re headed by the end of TBS.

Many mids enter USNA with SEAL aspirations. Many drop that idea after the SEAL screener. Others run into obstacles that aren’t necessarily their doing, e.g. injuries, illness. Then there’s overall standing and the needs of the Navy. In other words, and as said above, it’s a very long way from LOA to MOS. Focus on educating yourself about the different options and maximizing your place in the class ranking.
 
Father of a USNA grad turned Marine. If you’re selected for USMC ground, you’ll first attend The Basic School in Quantico, alongside new 2LTs from all accession sources. Midway through TBS, you’ll get to list your MOS preferences. You’ll know where you’re headed by the end of TBS.

Many mids enter USNA with SEAL aspirations. Many drop that idea after the SEAL screener. Others run into obstacles that aren’t necessarily their doing, e.g. injuries, illness. Then there’s overall standing and the needs of the Navy. In other words, and as said above, it’s a very long way from LOA to MOS. Focus on educating yourself about the different options and maximizing your place in the class ranking.
What I meant was that you can’t declare for USMC infantry in the same way a USMA grad can declare for infantry .

You will get what the USMC chooses for you that falls under Marine ground.

And prospective students come to these forums with lots of future dreams , they want to go cyber, they want to end up flying for delta, they want to be doctors , and some want to be infantry or on teams.

Thinking more about the original question

If I was real confident and wanted to go spec ops I’d strongly consider USNA and SEALs. Looks like the best most direct route.

The USNA will prepare you well.


If I wanted more options like infantry or ranger , airborne , I’d strongly consider the USMA

Do I think this OP will change their mind and opt for logistics or intel while at a SA——-only if they get hurt.
 
I have seen several people say similar things before that have since graduated from my Army ROTC program and gone on to selections (RASP, SFAS). One is now in 3rd Ranger Batt and the other did not make it through SFAS due to an injury and is now an infantry officer in the 82nd. Not a bad landing place. On the other hand, I watched a good friend who was enamored with the idea of being a SEAL drop BUDs and end up on a destroyer. He is miserable as he would much rather be doing something infantry adjacent. It is great to have the goal of joining one of these selective units, but you have to consider what your options will look like if you are unable to complete the selections and training. No matter how prepared or determined you are sometimes things don't work out. Consider your worst-case scenario and put yourself in a situation where you can still have the type of career you would like even if things don't work out.
 
I have seen several people say similar things before that have since graduated from my Army ROTC program and gone on to selections (RASP, SFAS). One is now in 3rd Ranger Batt and the other did not make it through SFAS due to an injury and is now an infantry officer in the 82nd. Not a bad landing place. On the other hand, I watched a good friend who was enamored with the idea of being a SEAL drop BUDs and end up on a destroyer. He is miserable as he would much rather be doing something infantry adjacent. It is great to have the goal of joining one of these selective units, but you have to consider what your options will look like if you are unable to complete the selections and training. No matter how prepared or determined you are sometimes things don't work out. Consider your worst-case scenario and put yourself in a situation where you can still have the type of career you would like even if things don't work out.
I bet your buds drop out friend serving on that destroyer did not set fire to his ship and destroy it.

The young enlisted sailor who “allegedly” set fire to his Navy ship because he was allegedly so unhappy was a deck crew member and a drop out from buds,

He had enlisted to be a SEAL
 
I bet your buds drop out friend serving on that destroyer did not set fire to his ship and destroy it.

The young enlisted sailor who “allegedly” set fire to his Navy ship because he was allegedly so unhappy was a deck crew member and a drop out from buds,

He had enlisted to be a SEAL
Haha fortunately that is not him. He is trying to get another shot at BUDs and biding his time on the destroyer.
 
I have seen several people say similar things before that have since graduated from my Army ROTC program and gone on to selections (RASP, SFAS). One is now in 3rd Ranger Batt and the other did not make it through SFAS due to an injury and is now an infantry officer in the 82nd. Not a bad landing place. On the other hand, I watched a good friend who was enamored with the idea of being a SEAL drop BUDs and end up on a destroyer. He is miserable as he would much rather be doing something infantry adjacent. It is great to have the goal of joining one of these selective units, but you have to consider what your options will look like if you are unable to complete the selections and training. No matter how prepared or determined you are sometimes things don't work out. Consider your worst-case scenario and put yourself in a situation where you can still have the type of career you would like even if things don't work out.
Many excellent posts, but this one really hits the mark.

It never hurts to have a thousand yard goal, but you'll never get there without paying attention to the next 3 steps in front you.

My first recommendation would be to research the actual mission sets and pipelines of the various SOF, along with their attrition rates. There is crossover, but there are very clear distinctions. There is plenty of open source material. I would avoid the "So there I was..." books. Seek out those who've been there done that and can share their experiences without the jingoistic embellishments. You may discover that enlistment is a better route to door kicking and shooting bad guys in the face or that mission planning with the door kickers and selling it to the O-5/6 is just as cool.

I have a number of opinions to offer based on following my son's path. Over time, you will figure out what is best for you.
 
Each SOF community has a specific niche they are good at. Like @cb7893 said, do your research to see what you’d like to do and what may already nest with strengths you bring to the table. The Army provides quite a few doors to different SOF units, and one of the cool parts is they take folks from all kinds of backgrounds to make those kind of units work.

For what you are specifically stating you’re interested in doing, I would research SF and the 75th Ranger Regiment. They both have different roles on the battlefield but both do direct action work (one much more traditionally than the other as it’s base function). Most usual paths into either of these communities is serving in combat arms (particularly infantry) as a standout LT and assessing as a 1LT. Like I said above though, both of those communities also take folks from a variety of other base branches. If you don’t get infantry out of the Academy, you can still make it into either community by being a standout performer and assessing well to demonstrate what you bring to the team that makes you unique.
 
I recently received an LOA to USMA and I am now seriously considering it. However, I have been trying to research for the past few weeks the path I want to take after USMA. I want to be "kicking down doors" and leading a team and being by their side in action, not just planning a mission and having them do it. What would be the best route for me after USMA to do something like that?
The officer role in SOF is changing. It used to be a bit of a dead end or career killer, but not anymore. as their ranks grow, so does the need for officers. I have no idea about the contrast with USNA vs USMA, but I will share what I've learned about USMA. It's fairly easy to branch combat arms, specifically infantry, even as a lower ranking cadet. That doesn't mean you will be accepted into Rangers or SF. Each summer, cadets can train with these specialties and learn what their careers are truly like. Many graduates complete Ranger school - HOWEVER, that does NOT mean they serve as a Ranger. Just like with SF or Seals, completion of training does not ensure that you will make selection, nor serve on a team. But, those summer exercises help tremendously with those groups truly learning who you are and your capabilities. For real numbers, there are only around 3,500 Rangers in the 75th; that total includes officers. In short, your'e more likely to serve as a Ranger being enlisted, not an officer. The path to get there takes a couple years, and new LT are not eligible at first. To become a Ranger officer, you must, effectively, beat out other officers. Most officers are there less than four years, most around 2 years, before moving to a desk job, or out. The Ranger Regiments are growing, and so are the officer ranks. During times of heavy combat, it's a quick way to promote up, and many top brass have come out of Ranger Regiments. For SOF, Delta, or CIA, the path most often begins with Ranger time. After that, it gets very murky, as their recruitment info isn't broadcast. They have quotas for various roles, whatever the team needs; ie. medic, com, etc... I have heard of guys serving 5-7 years with teams in SOF. Again, you have to be selected however. To summarize, it is possible to be a "door kicker" as an Army officer, but it will be short lived, and is most likely achieved through Rangers, or SOF.
 
For real numbers, there are only around 3,500 Rangers in the 75th; that total includes officers. In short, your'e more likely to serve as a Ranger being enlisted, not an officer. The path to get there takes a couple years, and new LT are not eligible at first. To become a Ranger officer, you must, effectively, beat out other officers.

Per a cadet I know, it’s quite easy to branch infantry- it’s in low demand due to the US being at peace, though I suppose that could change given how things are shaping up. I’ve also seen pictures from post night of people picking 75th (possibly as support), so definitely possible coming out of USMA.
 
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