nrotc service assignment 2021

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• Service Academy Discussion
• Naval Academy - USNA

Countdown to SERVICE ASSIGNMENT

• Thread starter THParent
• Start date Oct 9, 2021

Founder - Service Academy Bacon Forums (SABF)

• Oct 9, 2021

Proud parent of an ANG, USNA X2, and a MidSib

Kierkegaard

Oh yeah, that’s happening isn’t it.  

Formerly Known As Attila The Hunnette

One of our sponsor mids from a few years ago had an excellent gift for vivid prose. He likened the Naval Academy as floating down a rushing river in a barrel, executing serpentine turns through various loops, with the current getting faster and a distant roar growing ever louder, finally going over a massive waterfall into the Fleet or Corps.  

I'm thankful USAFA didn't do this when I was a dink...if they'd looked at the cumulative GPA, etc. for us... I'd have been that sad lieutenant at the gym handing out towels.  

USNA '24 Mom BGO Bacon Lover Dog Lover

• Oct 10, 2021

Capt MJ said: One of our sponsor mids from a few years ago had an excellent gift for vivid prose. He likened the Naval Academy as floating down a rushing river in a barrel, executing serpentine turns through various loops, with the current getting faster and a distant roar growing ever louder, finally going over a massive waterfall into the Fleet or Corps. Click to expand...

• Oct 15, 2021

10/15 33 days and a wake up to Service Assignment.  

I often give inaccurate and misleading advice.

THParent said: 10/15 33 days and a wake up to Service Assignment. Click to expand...

retiredradar

Mom of usna '24 mid.

justdoit19 said: I’ve been reading on social media accounts about NROTC service assignments awarded yesterday. Why are they assigned before USNA? Maybe USNA already has their assigned and waits until later to award? Idk but so excited Click to expand...

retiredradar said: I saw that too. I figured NROTC has their alloted slots and USNA has theirs. NROTC probably takes longer since there are many schools involved. Click to expand...

NROTC got our assignments yesterday  

I'm guessing since there are less hoops to jump through administratively in NROTC compared to the Academy. Also, due to how spread out NROTC is, there are more logistical challenges. For example, it takes a bit more leg work to lock down a flight physical or NAMI (Think of it has the Naval Aviation equivalent of DoDMERB) paperwork for a waiver. At Navy, we had the facilities and staff to do those flight physicals on the Yard (and Walter Reed close by for any waiver work ups). Might be a bit more difficult for those who go to school far away from Navy bases to get those things done.  

DD USNA OORAH! / DS ROTC HOOAH!

Remember too that NROTC mids aren’t limited to unrestricted line. So that separation can have a lot to do with why they’re placed sooner and maybe more quickly.  

• Oct 18, 2021

30 days and a wake-up.  

Annapolis 22 / Naval Aviation / NROTC 25

THParent said: Today marks 40 days until November 18, 2021 which is when the Firsties of 2022 will be notified of their Service Assignment. Not to be confused with Ship Selection for SWOs, this date determines whether or not these Midshipmen commission wearing White or Blue. For Firsties wanting to go Navy, there will be a little over a dozen types of assignments ranging from SWO, Pilot (Aviator), NFO, Submarines, SEAL, EOD, CW, Medical Corps, Intel, CEC, IP, Supply, Oceanography, CWE, etc. For Marines, it will most likely be Ground, Pilot, or Cyber. For all of you, it is my sincere hope that you get your first choice! View attachment 10281 Also, since 6-week exams are over, those are the last grades to be reviewed in order to get that service assignment. A big sign of relief for a lot of Firsties, I'll wager. Click to expand...

USNA 78/parent 11/BGO for >30yrs

• Oct 19, 2021

THParent said: Also, since 6-week exams are over, those are the last grades to be reviewed in order to get that service assignment. A big sign of relief for a lot of Firsties, I'll wager. Click to expand...

Old Navy BGO

OldRetSWO said: Unless you have specific new info, USNA does not generate "new" Order of Merit based on 6 week grades. The 6 Week grades which are not even midterms have not had that kind of impact in the past and I doubt that they'd be used here as they are a "progress" as opposed to an actual semester grade. In any case, the vast majority of the slotting for the class happened well before the 6 week grades existed. Click to expand...

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On the yard, service assignment spotlight: navy surface warfare officer.

By Bill the Goat on September 7, 2023

“No other 22 to 26 year-olds on this planet are doing what we’re doing,” says a Navy surface warfare officer (SWO) off-camera in this riveting video about the role. “Anything you can think of on the ship, as a SWO, you need to be able to speak to it, to know about it, to be able to command the ship eventually. This is a pipeline to become a captain.” The job of SWO is a serious one, and these words are not to be taken lightly. As the USNA website proclaims, “The Surface Fleet is the backbone of America’s Navy.” Here, we’ll take a closer look at the critical role SWOs play in the strongest Navy in the world.

What is a Navy Surface Warfare Officer?

Naval Academy midshipmen spend four rigorous years training to become naval officers. Upon graduation, Naval Academy Graduates commission as Ensigns in the U.S. Navy and get assigned a role in a unique service community. Among several options, one of the most popular roles is that of a Surface Warfare Officer, or a SWO. In fact, in the current graduating class, 300 of the 1,000 total were assigned to become SWOs.

Once selected for surface warfare, midshipmen can choose the type of ship and the home port of their first duty assignment on Ship Selection Night. The Navy positions nine types of surface ship classes throughout the world to help keep our shores, seas and airspace safe. These include various cruisers and destroyers, amphibious assault vessels, littoral combat ships (LCS) and mine countermeasure and patrol craft. SWOs serve on every one of these. 

Their first duty typically lasts approximately 24 months. Once onboard, they have immediate responsibility for the ship’s performance. While they start as division officers, SWO candidates are working towards getting their SWO insignia. They’ll lead about 12-50 enlisted sailors, and manage a segment of the ship’s operations and equipment. Roles can range from anti-submarine warfare officer, to gunnery officer, to communications officer, to damage control assistant. As they perform these duties, SWO candidates also train for higher levels of responsibility, including qualification as combat information center watch officer, officer of the deck and of course, Navy surface warfare officer.

Related: USNA Ship Selection 2023

The Path to SWO

While many SWOs come from the U.S. Naval Academy, there are several other paths to becoming a SWO. First, you must be a U.S. Citizen. Second, at minimum, you’re required to have earned a degree from a four-year college or university. In addition to becoming a SWO through USNA, you can also prepare through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) . If you already have a degree, you can opt to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) , a 12-week Navy school in Newport, Rhode Island. 

On the Ship: What Does a SWO Do?

Life as a SWO is very dynamic, as they have the opportunity to participate in almost all aspects of critical Navy missions. Both onshore and at sea, SWOs manage a number of important roles. On shore, these roles range from Pentagon tours of duty, to student assignments at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, to teaching ROTC at acclaimed colleges, to command and management positions at shore bases and stations across the globe—and much more. 

SWOs are assigned to sea duty work aboard state-of-the-art ships within the U.S. naval fleet. While deployed, they fill essential roles in a variety of shipboard operations and activities working with or within any number of specialized forces:

• Aircraft Carrier Forces: Provide and coordinate air, submarine and surface ship defense for aircraft carriers.
• Cruiser-Destroyer Forces: Provide ship attack and defensive measures with a wide array of missile and fire power capabilities, providing anti-air, submarine and surface warfare support.
• Amphibious Forces: Embark and transport vehicles, equipment and personnel for amphibious assault operations.
• Combat-Logistics Forces: Provide combatant ships with fuel, ammunition, food and supplies; also provide repair, maintenance and rescue capabilities through Fleet Support Ships.
• Mine Warfare Forces: Detect, identify and neutralize threats from hostile use of maritime mines.
• Navy Nuclear Community : Work on some of the world’s most powerful nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.

SWO Missions

Within these roles, SWO’s pursue two types of missions: Basic and advanced. 

Basic Missions:

• Aviation Missions: Whether they’re helping with Search and Rescue missions or Anti-Submarine Warfare, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft rely on surface ships to position, refuel and prepare them for their missions.
• Damage Control Missions: Ships are not immune to the disasters that plague our shores. SWOs must know how to combat everything from fires, to flooding, to toxic gas. These crucial skills help keep the fleet safe at sea.
• Seamanship Missions: Naval ships with their own VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) teams perform the important work of checking ships for contraband, guarding the seas against piracy and other dangers.

Advanced Missions:

• Anti-Air Warfare: Aegis Cruisers and Destroyers engage in Anti-Air Warfare to defend themselves and the other high value assets like Aircraft Carriers and large deck Amphibious ships from attack by enemy missiles and aircraft.
• Amphibious Warfare: “L Class” ships conduct amphibious warfare to safely transport Marines ashore anywhere in the world.
• Ballistic Missile Defense: Some cruisers and destroyers can deploy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense to guard both allies and the US homeland from the threat of ballistic missile attack.
• Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS): Naval ships with their own VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure) teams perform the important work of checking ships for contraband, guarding the seas against piracy and other dangers.
• Mine Warfare: Mine-Countermeasure ships (MCMs) engage in mine warfare to overcome one of the world’s widely available threats to both military and commercial shipping—naval mines.
• Anti-Submarine Warfare: This type of combat is primarily implemented by cruisers and destroyers to detect, track and if required, destroy enemy submarines.

As you can see, the life of a SWO is full of adventure. There are so many incredible opportunities to serve our country in this fulfilling role, and it often serves as a launching pad to even greater responsibilities.

Where SWOs are Made

At USNA, we are proud to support our midshipmen as they prepare to become SWOs. Do you know how you can support them too? The Naval Academy Business Services Division supports the Brigade of Midshipmen by donating proceeds from our 20 business units that allow our midshipmen to be successful, well rounded future leaders. We support a variety of extracurricular activities such as cultural arts, theater, music, club sports, and a variety of other  activities.When you explore USNA, you’re giving back too. NABSD and the future SWOs thank you for your support.

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NROTC: Leaders Wanted

Navy ROTC Program

Receive full tuition, book stipend, and more.

The purpose of the Navy ROTC Program is to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the Navy's unrestricted line, the Navy Nurse Corps and the Marine Corps. As the largest single source of Navy and Marine Corps officers, the Navy ROTC Scholarship Program plays an important role in preparing mature young men and women for leadership and management positions in an increasingly technical Navy and Marine Corps.

Selected applicants for the Navy ROTC Scholarship Program are awarded scholarships through a highly competitive national selection process, and receive full tuition, books stipend, educational fees and other financial benefits OR Room and Board at many of the country's leading colleges and universities. Upon graduation, midshipmen are commissioned as officers in the unrestricted line Naval Reserve or Marine Corps Reserve.

The Navy ROTC Scholarship Program is available to qualified students who graduate from high school before August 1 of the year they intend to start college.

Students selected for the Navy ROTC Scholarship Program make their own arrangements for college enrollment and room and board, and take the normal course load required by the college or university for degree completion. Additionally, scholarship midshipmen are required to follow specific academic guidelines.

Full information concerning the Navy ROTC Scholarship Program is available from any of the colleges and universities with Navy ROTC units or from Navy and Marine Corps recruiters. A list of colleges and universities is available on this website at the  Colleges and Universities page .

The Navy ROTC Program was established to develop midshipmen mentally, morally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, and loyalty, and with the core values of honor, courage and commitment in order to commission college graduates as naval officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the naval service, and have a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.

The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (Navy ROTC) Program was established in 1926 to provide a broad base of citizens knowledgeable in the arts and sciences of Naval Warfare. The program provided an opportunity for young men to undertake careers in the naval profession. In the beginning, there were six Navy ROTC units located at the University of California at Berkeley, Georgia Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, University of Washington, and Harvard and Yale Universities. In June of 1930, 126 midshipmen graduated from college, and received commissions in the United States Navy. At least 3 of the graduates went on to obtain flag rank.

The Marine Corps entered the Navy ROTC Program in 1932, offering qualified Navy ROTC graduates commissions in the United States Marine Corps. In 1968, Prairie View A&M became the first Historically Black College (HBC) to host the program. In 1972, the Secretary of the Navy authorized 16 women to enroll in the program and attend school at one of four colleges. Women may now participate in the program while attending any Navy ROTC affiliated college or university. In 1990, the Navy ROTC Scholarship Program was expanded to include applicants pursuing a four-year degree in Nursing, leading to a commission in the Navy Nurse Corps.

The mission of the Navy ROTC Program today...  is to develop young men and women morally, mentally, and physically, and to instill in them the highest ideals of honor, courage, and commitment. The program educates and trains young men and women for leadership positions in an increasingly technical Navy and Marine Corps. Currently there are 63 Navy ROTC units/consortiums hosted at 77 schools throughout the United States.  The Navy ROTC Program is available at over 160 colleges and universities that either host Navy ROTC units or have cross-town enrollment agreements with a host university. Selected applicants for the program are awarded scholarships through a highly competitive national selection process, and receive full tuition and other financial benefits at many of the country's leading colleges and universities.

Due to restrictions imposed on the SAT & ACT administrators by the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic eligibility for the FY21 Navy or Nurse Option NROTC Scholarship has been modified as follows: Applicants must EITHER Have the following SAT or ACT scores: SAT: 540 Math; 550 Verbal Evidence Based Reading and Writing AND 1100 Combined (Math plus Evidence Based Reading and Writing) ACT: 21 Math; 22 English AND 44 Combined (Math plus English) See https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-Command/NROTC/Requirements/ for details OR A cumulative High school GPA of 2.75 (on a 4.0 Scale) AND a 2.0 grade (on a 4.0 Scale) in Algebra II (or equivalent course) AND a statement from their high school guidance counselor or senior JROTC instructor certifying that SAT and ACT testing was not reasonably available to the applicant.

We are aware of the challenges that you may be facing in scheduling your DoDMERB exams and/or remedial testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Be assured that we are continuing to process all medical information received. Your scholarship offer is still valid while you are pending your physical qualification review.  

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NROTC Service Assignment MIDN/Officer Candidate Input

• Thread starter WannabeActual
• Start date Aug 22, 2018

WannabeActual

• Aug 22, 2018

Hey gents, I'm a 1/C NROTC MIDN about to submit my Designator Request through my unit, and I'd like to get some input on the remarks section. This is what I have so far, ASTB 68 8/7/6, GPA is 3.7 Tier 1, and PT is Excellent. REMARKS: (Brief of skills, language ability, academic honors, or personal desires pertinent to service assignment) I strongly desire to be a naval aviator. I am a certified private pilot with -XX- flight hours. I am an -XYZ Scholarship- Scholar, and have made the Dean's list -X- times. I hope to hone these skills in flight school to earn wings of gold. My unit advisor didn't have a whole lot of information on what exactly the selection board is looking for in this section, or how much importance these remarks have. I'd appreciate any comments ya'll have.  

Well-Known Member

@Beans will probably have a more factual-based answer, but with a 8/7/6 and a 3.7 in a Tier 1 major (that's STEM, right?), I'm not sure anything else matters. Good luck!  

Try this: " I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row. I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru. Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I’m bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge. I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don’t perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat 400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me. I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me. I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis. But I have not yet gone to flight school."  

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making recruiting great again.

WannabeActual said: Hey gents, I'm a 1/C NROTC MIDN about to submit my Designator Request through my unit, and I'd like to get some input on the remarks section. This is what I have so far, ASTB 68 8/7/6, GPA is 3.7 Tier 1, and PT is Excellent. REMARKS: (Brief of skills, language ability, academic honors, or personal desires pertinent to service assignment) I strongly desire to be a naval aviator. I am a certified private pilot with -XX- flight hours. I am an -XYZ Scholarship- Scholar, and have made the Dean's list -X- times. I hope to hone these skills in flight school to earn wings of gold. My unit advisor didn't have a whole lot of information on what exactly the selection board is looking for in this section, or how much importance these remarks have. I'd appreciate any comments ya'll have. Click to expand...

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998

Pags said: Try this: Click to expand...

Or if RUN DMC isnt your thing you can go with one of the other great philosophers of our time: "Anything less than the best is a felony."  

• Aug 23, 2018

RUFiO181 said: Your chances diminish 42% when you ask strangers to find the answers for you. Click to expand...

When did they add a remarks section? We just listed our choices, that was it.  

Flash said: When did they add a remarks section? We just listed our choices, that was it. Click to expand...

Renegade One

Pags said: Or if RUN DMC isnt your thing you can go with one of the other great philosophers of our time: "Anything less than the best is a felony." Click to expand...

*1. Loins... GIRD

• Aug 24, 2018

Gatordev said: @Beans will probably have a more factual-based answer, but with a 8/7/6 and a 3.7 in a Tier 1 major (that's STEM, right?), I'm not sure anything else matters. Good luck! Click to expand...

• Aug 28, 2018

Really appreciate all the inputs esp @Beans , this is first year that there's been a comments section on the application and according to my OI, very little guidance has been passed regarding it. Sadly, I was unable to use the work RUN DMC or any of the other esteemed philosophers of our age, mainly for plagarism concerns.  

Cadet Newspaper

NROTC Service assignments are in!

Naval ROTC News

Fall 2021 Corps Review

Despite the challenges and changes of the past pandemic year, the Virginia Tech Naval ROTC unit remained resilient and ready, commissioning the largest single Naval ROTC class in the nation in 2021 — 42 Navy ensigns and nine Marine Corps second lieutenants!

On campus, the unit bid farewell to several key staff – Cmdr. Ryan Stoddard, Lt. Allen MacDonald, Lt. Michael Sullivan, and Lt. Kurt Smith — and welcomed a new unit executive officer, Cmdr. Griffin Hetrick, and several advisors, Lt. Will Herman ’16, Lt. Zach Rodriguez, and Lt. James Whittlesey.

At the end of October, the unit bid farewell to the last two ensigns from the class of 2021, Sam Jubon and Jeff Ackiss, as they headed off to the fleet. They, along with 30 other ensigns at the unit through the summer, made significant contributions to unit readiness and to the Corps of Cadets, conducting summer prospective student tours and preparing inbound freshman midshipmen. 

Summer Cruise

After canceling all summer training in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Navy and Marine Corps resumed fleet training cruises this year.

The unit coordinated 135 scholarship midshipmen traveling across the country to ships, submarines, aircraft squadrons, and Marine Corps sites for training from May to August.

Additionally, three midshipmen completed the rigorous SEAL officer assessment summer training program, enabling them to compete for future selection into the Naval Special Warfare community. Marine-option midshipmen participated in a dedicated “Marine Month” training program, and five rising seniors completed the challenging Officer Candidates School capstone training course, enabling them to commission after earning their academic degree.

 “My summer cruise experience was a great opportunity to be fully immersed in the Navy life,” said Midshipman Shelby Pierson ’22. “I was able to shadow in an aviation squadron and understand the daily operations from aircraft maintenance to flight operations.”

Fall Training

In August, the unit welcomed 100 freshman midshipmen, 30 of them with four-year scholarships, and resumed in-person training in Blacksburg for the battalion of 300 midshipmen.

To improve skills in critical core competencies, Navy professional labs transitioned to company-level, practical and “hands-on” training focused on damage control, warrior toughness, breath work and mindfulness training, close-order drill, swim qualifications, financial management, and Navy customs and courtesies.

Service Selection

On Oct. 15, Navy service assignments were announced to the senior class. Midshipmen screened well in the Navy’s most competitive selections with 10 submarine warfare, three Naval special warfare, one surface warfare nuclear propulsion, and the unit’s first-ever cyber warfare engineer select, Bernie Cieplak ’22, one of only three selected nationally!

Additionally, the unit assigned 18 surface warfare, seven Naval aviation, two Naval flight officers, and five selected for Marine ground option.