Hello,

I'm a SN, currently attending CTT "A" School, and I am currently applying for the USNA as an active duty service member.

I have done the prelimenary application, and now am moving on to the special request that must be forwareded through the chain of command to get a CNO nomination, ETC.

I spoke with my section leaders and chief, and they seem to know nothing of the process or what I should be doing, and wern't very helpful at all into how I should be going about this. The career councelor on base seems to never be around when I have free time, so I'm having troubles getting to speak with them also.

I was wondering if anyone could help me with this.

If you have any advice/knowledge into the subject, please e-mail me at disturbedconscience@charter.net

Thank you,

SN Gillis
USN

I assume you are talking about the one page online thing.

OPNAV 1420.1A instruction covers all of the Navy Officer Programs, including STA-21, Naval Academy, and OCS.

Google it or look it up from the www.npc.navy.mil website.

Recommend you hold off on the special request chit until you do a lot of the legwork for the application and take your SAT's
Read through the guidance and make sure you are eligible for the program you want to apply for. (If your SAT or ACTs are too low you may not qualify, or you may be too old for a specific program)
Get your PRT scores up. Get your officer boards/interviews done. Although your command may require the request chit for your CCC to schedule the interviews/boards.
Even so you should put together the interview packets to hand to the officers interviewing you.
For specifics look in the Appendix of the OPNAV 1420.1A on how the interview/board process works and details considering the Naval Academy

Let me add to that: CCC's and Chiefs and Section Leaders are NOT officers. Unless they are trying to become officers they are not as proficient with those procedures as the normal enlisted concerns.
They are very good at re-enlistments, STAR, SCORE, Guard, Chiefs packages, Cross-rating, enlisted advancements, and so on.
Part of the test of becoming an officer is seeing if you can do the research and are dedicated enough to figure the system out yourself. No one will hand-hold you through the process. You may find a mentor or someone to assist you occasionally, but hand-holding is for E2 and below, not for O-1 and above.

Go read the OPNAV 1420.1A

Need to make a couple of corrections here.

First, the CCC is expected to know where to get the information and advise a Sailor on how to pursue a commission. That is part of their job. I would also hope that if this Sailor's DIVO knew of this they would also give the Sailor some advice on how to put their best foot forward with their package.

The Chiefs should also know where to point you to get the answers. I myself don't know the answers to this Sailor's questions, but I do know where to start asking questions when a Sailor comes to me with something I can't answer right away. The fact his Chiefs seem to be unable to do this is inexcusable.

Brandolf, hate to break the news to you, but a lot of Junior Officers do need their hands held while they learn how things work after they leave the Academy, ROTC, or ? They have a lot of theoretical knowledge, but don't have the experience to put it into perspective.

For the OP, you can find a link to the instruction Brandolf cited as well as other guidance on this issue through the BUPERS web site.

Good luck with your application.

True, that is one of the mission of the Chief community, train JO's.

Nonetheless I have met a lot of CCC's who are weaker on the OPNAV 1420.1A than someone would expect. They certainly know the instruction number and appropriate phone numbers and references to use. Unless they have actually DONE one they are also going off of the theoretical knowledge from the CCC school and thusly are not going to know it inside and out.

As an officer applicant a service member should endeavor to know it inside and out.

Good luck to you SN Gillis, hope you find all the answers you are looking for.

One other thing I just went back and looked up.

One of the purposes of a Career Development Board is to advise Sailors on various things involving their career, including commissioning programs. I strongly advise you to get with your LCPO through your LPO to get one scheduled for you.

Numbers, congratulations on your quest. It may become difficult but the reward makes it all worthwhile.

Go to the following website and follow the cues to active duty applications:

http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/

As stated above, SATs are very important. To become an official candidate, you will need a combined math/verbal score of 1050. With that said, do your best. This score will only make you eligible for NAPS (Prep School). Direct entry into the Academy will require a minimum eligibility score of 1200. With these prerequisites, you will become an official candidate, receive a candidate number, and then have access to the on-line CIS which will walk you through the application process.

You have plenty of time but don't waste it. The above link also accesses the on-line catalog. Read all the age, medical, academic, etc requirements. In the catalog, you will also find the procedure for contacting the Admissions Fleet Representative, Chief Maxwell. Contact him.

Eventually you will need your Commanding Officer's recommendation (format from CIS) and, if you have been out of school more than one year, two additional officer's recommendations. Therefore, as everyone has stated above, keep the COC in the loop. If you become intimately familiar, however, with the above website, all you will need from your command are the recommendations and moral support.

Advice for the day. Prep school (NAPS) is an outstanding opportunity which prepares about 25% of the class each year, both civilians and sailors, for the rigors of USNA academics. If your age will allow it, don't turn it down. Age requirements is not to reach one's 23rd birthday by July 1 of the summer they start the Academy. Therefore, if is not 23 yrs old by July 1, 2009, they are eligible for NAPS.

Lastly, you will require a nomination. As an active duty or reserve sailor, you will be eligible for a SecNav but you should also contact your local Congressman and Senator. Their websites usually contain nomination application procedures and deadlines, usually in the fall. Get as many nominations as you are able.

Good luck.

I was under the impression active duty sailors had to go the SECNAV route, which they become eligible for by submitting appropriate package through their chain of command.

I'm sure a letter of recommendation from a Congressperson or Senator looks great but I didn't think an active sailor could snatch those up. I could definately be wrong. I know a lot less about Naval Academy apps because when I came in at 20 years of age and turned 21 at boot camp the Naval Academy age limit was 21. I hear its a little higher now, but at 28 I'm more familiar with the programs I'm eligible for. (LDO, OCS, STA-21 - until I finish the Bachelors)

quote:

Originally posted by Brandolf:
I was under the impression active duty sailors had to go the SECNAV route, which they become eligible for by submitting appropriate package through their chain of command.

Active duty are eligible for and are encouraged by the Academy to obtain nominations, not letters of recommendation, from their respective congresspersons. Yes, they are also eligible for the SecNav nomination.

The application package is now submitted on-line directly by the individual and the Commanding Officer will, as a part of this on-line applicatin, be given access to the website to submit his recommendation.

Does anyone know the steps an Army active duty soldier would take to egt in the USNA? Their website says the active duty part is for marines, navy, and "other armed forces". I would assume the Army is apart of that. Im in the 82nd deployed to Afghanistan and am working very hard to try to make it work so any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Federal law allows the SecNav to make nominations from active duty and reserve Navy and USMC only. Contact the Admissions Office via an email from the link above. I would imagine that you would be required to apply via the route of a typical civilian candidate. The other hurdle you would have to face would be that USNA would probably require a guarantee from the Army that, should you be accepted, they would release you from your Army service obligation. USNA Admissions can get you started. Interesting situation. Good luck. Keep us posted.

West Point is a great school and would be a lot less red tape.

Thanks for the advice! West Point is a good school, but nothing compares to Naval Aviators

My son had a Naval Aviator in his fighter squadron who was a WP grad. However, I do see your point.

for the OP,

Owen is our resident SME on pretty much all things dealing with the USNA.

If I were 20 years younger and trying to get advice, I'd be listening to what he has to say.

*

I am attending NAPS right now. Got accepted for class of 2012 granted that I finish NAPS.

The biggest challenge is completing the freaking package. You will deal with a lot of people who have no idea how the process works, this includes the CCC and whoever else.

It is very important for you to be 111% proficient with the instruction 1420.1A. Time and time again I've had to highlight a section of the instruction and show it to people in my chain of command and CCC to have them believe me.

Get in contact with the fleet applicants liaison from the academy. I think it should still be ETCS Maxwell. Don't bother with every little detail but if you are having trouble with a certain thing e-mail or call him.

Your recommendation letters are very important!!! Try to get the highest ranking USNA alumni officers to complete them for you. You should write your own recommendation letter and present it to the officer. This will give them something to go off of.

Also your personal essay is VERY important. Spend plenty of time writing and having it reviewed by officers.

Talk to officers and get their support and advice. Most people will not understand or help you unless they have went to the academy themselves.

Most importantly, don't give up and keep on fighting for your dream.

All of the above assumes that you have at the least met the minimum requirements. Academic performance will be evaluated very harshly. I wouldn't count on getting a direct appointment unless you went to a college for a decent amount of time before enlisting. Almost all of the prior enlisted end up going to NAPS with few nukes and people with actual college experience going directly.

NAPS is not that bad. A lot of the priors are playing catch up with the high schoolers in terms of schoolwork and physical training. Stay motivated.

Do some soul searching and really evaluate if you are ready to go to the Academy. It is not like any other college and Plebe Year will be the longest year of your life.

If you are still down, then stack the deck in your favor. Get amazing recommendations like you were advised and get ready to pitch your case on why you are absolutely ready to complete one of the hardest academic programs in the country. Don't let anything stop you because it is absolutely worth it and will change your life.

NAPS is fun, Plebe Year is long and the rest is gravy.

I believe in order for active duty Army to apply to USNA you have to get a congressional, senatorial, or vice-presidential nomination.

The SECNAV nomination is only reserved for active duty and reserve USN and USMC. With that being said I don't think you will have trouble getting the nomination since you are enlisted just a lot of crazy looks from Army officers asking "why?" Lol.

I'm almost done with NAPS here. Getting ready to start plebe summer. It's been my dream for a long time so I'm very excited.

Good luck and hope to see you at the academy or west point.

CCC's are encouraged to give only basic guidance to officer packages. They will point you to the correct instruction, and may polish your package once they receive it, but they are not going to walk you through the process.

This is intentional. It is a way of weeding out those who are not self-motivated enough to succeed, as well as those who are not capable of the admin naval officers take on. Do you want a manager who cannot take an instruction and turn it into proper action without needing someone to hold his hand?

Best course of action is to find a mentor who has been through the process themselves...that would be a prior-enlisted officer. As long as you're not a scrub they are invariably more than happy to help, because a good mentorship is likely how they got there themselves.