Post: #1

I'm currently planning on trying to get into either the U.S naval or Airforce academy, does anyone here know how the exact process works (how the admissions look through applicants), and anyone been any of them and served afterwards? I trying to get congressional nominations. I'm looking more along serving in the navy and the naval academy and getting financial problems out of the way. Plus the U.S has bases around the world so hopefully I will be able to travel and visit different countries, (always been a plan of mine). What is conducive to this plan, the air force or navy?

Post: #2

That just BEGS for this response from a similar person, who asked Bob Norris (a former Navy aviator) whether to go to USAFA or Annapolis:

Quote:Young Man,
Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force Academies.
Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine way to serve your country.
As you requested, I'd be happy to share some insight into which service would be the best choice.
Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself "Which one am I more likely to thrive in?"
USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their training programs are terrific.
All pilots are groomed to meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch
and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest
and the best trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you'll know what to expect,
what is expected of you, and you'll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations.
You will never be put in a situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important
family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot...so would your wife. Your Dad would want your
sister to marry one.
Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black shoes (surface warfare) and bubble heads (submariners).
Furthermore, the Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy is
heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from
one extreme to the other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise.
The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth;
you'll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled kid the judge made
join the service. You will be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and
get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss
many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad weather
and/or at night and you will be scared many times.

You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a lethal force.
And some days - when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will catapult into a glorious morning
over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it.

The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator.

That bar is in Singapore.

Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in Colorado

Having said that, with extensive service on one side or the other... either one will have long tours overseas, not necessarily in places you particularly care to spend a lot of time in. There's a lot of good and bad. I have a fair amount of experience with military academies and can tell you they are a fantastic deal in terms of education, tuition, grit, learning things you won't learn elsewhere, having a job afterwards... with some serious costs as well. Navy will probably let you SEE more places... from a boat. Mileage varies greatly depending on career field for both services.

Post: #3

What are the costs? I don't have any money right now, and I want to attend the Naval Academy, which as I understand it, is free if you get in.

Post: #4

I don't go to one of the Federal academies.
But I go to one of the Senior Military Academies.
I was on my way to West Point, but I decided I didnt wanna "completely" sell my soul to the government.

I might be able to help you out on some info though

Post: #5

Ohiogang:

The advantage of a service academy, if you can get in, is that there is no "cost", and you are paid to go to school. The catch, if you can call it that, is that you owe X number of years to the service afterward depending on occupation (for me it was 6 years, but I became a pilot, which incurred a 10-year commitment).

Seeing it from the other side--that's guaranteed pay and a good education and job background... at the cost of your 20s, a potentially really exciting period of life. It's a tough call. Aside from the fact that I married a lazy parasite who decided after 19 years that my job was restricting her freedoms and abilities and now can take half my pension due to congressional law, it's turned out fairly well for me. Your mileage can vary considerably.

Post: #6

(09-21-2011 11:08 PM)Stitch Wrote:  Aside from the fact that I married a lazy parasite who decided after 19 years that my job was restricting her freedoms and abilities and now can take half my pension due to congressional law, it's turned out fairly well for me. Your mileage can vary considerably.

This part is important.

If you sign up, do not get married. Don't even get a girlfriend. It doesn't usually end well.
Not saying it can't, but why take a risk like that?

Post: #7

stitch how will serving X years cost me my 20's, I want to at least be discharged before my mid-20's?

Sourcecode, how do I go about doing this without completely selling my soul to the government?

Post: #8

go to a regular college where you can have a normal social/college life

a 2nd Lt from the Academy makes the same amount of money as a 2nd Lt from any other college in the US.

Post: #9

Ohio-- you can do that as long as you don't take a career option with a longer payback (read: pilot). It's a tough call; having a good job is not such a bad thing in the given economy.

Post: #10

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/04/news/com...s.fortune/

http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/con...-ceos.html

Post: #11

Go to south fla (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, ect)

Attend UM, FIU, or FAU and do their ROTC Program

Free Ride plus stipend

Surrounded by the best talent the US has to offer.

Have the best the beaches in the US at your fingertips

You have mad cheap flights to Latin America

Seriously bro, do THIS RIGHT.

Post: #12

Dash, I want everything to be free plus have something on paper that looks fancy to people which the Naval Academy fills. How good of a plan is this? Will I get taken advantage of in any way if I follow this route? I'm really confused about my life right now

Post: #13

(10-09-2011 06:15 PM)Ohiogang Wrote:  Dash, I want everything to be free plus have something on paper that looks fancy to people which the Naval Academy fills. How good of a plan is this? Will I get taken advantage of in any way if I follow this route? I'm really confused about my life right now

Id get a good serving job and work thu-sat. That plus the stipend will cover all your costs of college.

College is supp to be fun. Academy will NOT be fun. The benefits (if there is any, other than you can feel better about yourself) will not outweigh the overall experience of going to a fun college / town.

You wont make anymore money by going to a academy. A major from the crappiest college in America makes the same as a major from West Point.

Post: #14

(10-09-2011 06:15 PM)Ohiogang Wrote:  Dash, I want everything to be free plus have something on paper that looks fancy to people which the Naval Academy fills. How good of a plan is this? Will I get taken advantage of in any way if I follow this route? I'm really confused about my life right now

Academy is good if you want to make a career out of your military service. If you are absolutely certain (and I don't know anyone at your age who is) that you do not want to make a career of it, then consider trying for a scholarship with an ROTC unit at a good (read: fun) school.

Post: #15

I just want to get out of my personal life crisis/home situation I am in right now. I don't have my own car and I don't have a lot of money unlike a lot of my rich affluent peers I went to High school with, having fantastic lives, all the fun, getting laid and partying their asses off/along with getting fancy paper statements. I want to completely re-invent myself, get leadership skills, prestige, discipline, something valuable on paper and a trampoline to jump and fall back on in this coming depression. Plus I also want to travel the world and be part of something if that sounds cliche. I maybe young but I am starting to figure what I want to do with my life. I am idea/inventor/designer guy and I want to build & patent my own missiles/machines as well as start my own business. I want my own invented missiles and submarines to be deployed in the U.S navy (dream of mine). I have a lot of ideas on devices that would potentially change aerial combat & infantry warfare, ideas that would be hopefully be implemented if any war were to break out with the chicoms or gooks. I believe the U.S navy needs to re-invent itself. It is massively misallocating its spending & finances on stupid shit that's putting it behind other navies of the world. I sort of want to be like a Tony Stark sort of guy without the unreal ism/exaggeration of that character. I want to attend the academy, graduate preferably & hopefully in the top percent & serve in the navy for a period of years. I want to know at least a couple of languages (Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian) when I reach the age of 30. In the period before I do that, and after I have served I want to work in the Middle East for a period of time, preferably in a place like Turkey and not in warzones. I believe I have the looks & height to work in such a region (I'm kinda Middle Eastern looking). During that period, I want to have access to places like Beirut, Tel-Aviv and other cities like that in the Middle East/Central Asia/caucuses. After I get that period done, hopefully I can start my own business & start inventing things.


I either follow something like that, or I become one of those naval aviator guys. Is the Naval Academy bad? Is it a complete sausage fest with hazing like the stories I hear in West Point?

Post: #16

Bro, seriously there is NO GOOD reason to go to an Academy over a regular school.

Academys fucking blow ass and are the opposite of fun.

Graduates from the Academy make the same as graduates from some 3rd tier shit school in "pick any state".

Almost everyone gets promoted up until Major - Lt. Col. Regardless of where you went to school. Promotion after that is mainly about performance , time severed, and relationships with your CO's.

Only go to an Academy if you wanna pat yourself on the back after a 4 years of hell.

Go to a regular school and do ROTC. Have a semi normal college life! Major in something good.

Post: #17

I didn't attend the Naval Academy, but served with many pilots who did. I entered the military directly through OCS after graduation from university. I also know a lot of guys who went through NROTC. Thus I ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, as opposed to the previous poster. Almost without exception, the Annapolis guys had their shit wired tight and kicked ass on the other guys - for two reasons; they were more disciplined and used to performing under stress. They often got the F-18's, while the other dudes got the lesser gigs. It aint a four-year frat party to be sure, but you will get a superb education, a well-paid professional job upon graduation and an unparalleled professional network for the duration of your post-military career. Perhaps the best deal of attending the Naval Academy is the "rolodex" that you will own after graduation and completion of your military service. I am currently in a new business venture with two Annapolis grads who are late 30's and killing it professionally. They both did their minimum commitments following graduation and have become wealthy men through business. They are fit, smart, hooked up with beautiful women and fun as hell.

If I was an young guy and had it to do all over again -knowing what I know now - I wouldn't hesitate to attend one of the academies. Don't worry, you'll get plenty of pussy along the way.

Post: #18

I did attend an academy, and I too know what I am talking about. I then went to a civilian collage for my PhD. You'll have a hell of a lot more fun going to a regular college. But what you will learn from one of the acadamies is how to work the fuck out of yourself. What you learn there is that you can do hard things and survive. And believe you me, that's a lesson 90% of the world doesn't seem to know.

It's only four years. But you learn a hell of a lot in four years, particularly if you're paying attention.

Post: #19

(10-14-2011 12:09 PM)LostGringo Wrote:  I didn't attend the Naval Academy, but served with many pilots who did. I entered the military directly through OCS after graduation from university. I also know a lot of guys who went through NROTC. Thus I ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, as opposed to the previous poster. Almost without exception, the Annapolis guys had their shit wired tight and kicked ass on the other guys - for two reasons; they were more disciplined and used to performing under stress. They often got the F-18's, while the other dudes got the lesser gigs. It aint a four-year frat party to be sure, but you will get a superb education, a well-paid professional job upon graduation and an unparalleled professional network for the duration of your post-military career. Perhaps the best deal of attending the Naval Academy is the "rolodex" that you will own after graduation and completion of your military service. I am currently in a new business venture with two Annapolis grads who are late 30's and killing it professionally. They both did their minimum commitments following graduation and have become wealthy men through business. They are fit, smart, hooked up with beautiful women and fun as hell.

If I was an young guy and had it to do all over again -knowing what I know now - I wouldn't hesitate to attend one of the academies. Don't worry, you'll get plenty of pussy along the way.

LostGringo is spot on -- listen to him. Although I personally would not recommend an academy to anyone who intends to serve the minimum active duty commitment.

There is a lot of bad gouge (wrong information) in this thread so it should all be taken with a grain of salt.

Post: #20

I want more then the minimum but not the max is that alright? I want to enter the Naval Aviation sevice afterwards so I am assuming I of course have to do more then the minimum.

Post: #21

For me the commitment for aviation was 10 years; not sure how USN is handling it these days. It's a serious chunk of your life, make no mistake. Has its benefits too. Your call.

Post: #22

whats the best deal for ending up like the successful guys you mentioned?

Post: #23

(10-15-2011 12:02 PM)Ohiogang Wrote:  I want more then the minimum but not the max is that alright? I want to enter the Naval Aviation sevice afterwards so I am assuming I of course have to do more then the minimum.

I am a USAFA grad and there is no comparison between Florida Atlantic, Florida Southern, or any other second or third tier schools to any of the service academies. All universities are not equal. Some universities command a great deal of respect and prestige. USAFA, Annapolis, and West Point are in the same categories as Stanford, Duke, and the Ivy League schools. Getting a commission is competitive and getting into a competitive career field, such as aviation is no easy task if you go to a rinky-dink university. Academy grads come in with a regular commission versus those from ROTC and OTS who come in with a reserve commission. Do some research on the difference. And for those ignorants out there, when I talk of a reserve commission I'm not talking about being in the Reserve Component.

Even for those who go to a decent university such a Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Tulane, Michigan...., you will have to study hard and have great grades to be competitive for flight training. At least at USAFA, if you are physically qualified, off you go.

Yes, your social life will be vastly superior at a civilian university. But at an Academy you are getting paid to be where you are, you are getting a world class education, you graduate directly into a decent paying job that increases automatically with time in service and promotions, and your degree is respected and will open doors and the network that will be a part of will be of value for as long as you live. Even if you don't make it a 20 year career and get out after your initial commitment, you will be better off than the majority of your peers who didn't go to a Academy.

Promotion is only automatic to O-3, which is Captain. You will have to compete for anything above this. Anyone who says otherwise shows that they don't know what they are talking about. Promotions to and above O-6, Colonel, gets political. You have to have had a stellar career and have some "sponsors" who are above you.

Yes, you can accomplish the same by going to a good civilian university and working hard just like you would have to do everywhere, but don't think you can go to any university, party it up, and do what you would like to do.

Again, yes, your social life won't be anything like it would be at a civilian university but at an Academy you will come out without any student loans and you got something very important out of the way while you were in your late teens and early twenties.

All Universities are not created equal.

Post: #24

Alb3,

Not everyone wants to be a pilot. There is many jobs out there in the AF. And even still I know many pilots from civilian schools.

The pay is the exact same.

Everyone automatically gets promoted to O-3. Then everyone gets promoted to O-5 as long as they put in the time and are not a complete fuck up.

Yea past O-5 shit gets political. Need to have good recommendations and some stuff on paper that looks good.

Other than patting yourself on the back I cant see no benefit for going to the Academy over a good civilian school

Post: #25

(10-15-2011 11:07 PM)Dash Global Wrote:  Alb3,

Not everyone wants to be a pilot. There is many jobs out there in the AF. And even still I know many pilots from civilian schools.

The pay is the exact same.

Everyone automatically gets promoted to O-3. Then everyone gets promoted to O-5 as long as they put in the time and are not a complete fuck up.

Yea past O-5 shit gets political. Need to have good recommendations and some stuff on paper that looks good.

Other than patting yourself on the back I cant see no benefit for going to the Academy over a good civilian school

No offense Dash but you have no clue what you are talking about. Everyone does not get promoted to O-5. Captain is automatic and you have to meet a board for anything above that and it is quite competitive.

For Ohio, like a previous poster told you, that call is yours but don't listen to the misinformed on this board.