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</p>
<p>And I have a deep down sick feeling in my stomach that, due to some of the totally incorrect posts on this thread, you are going to tell him that if he wants to be a CG officer that KP is just as good, if not better, a choice than USCGA. That would be, in my opinion, horrific advice.</p>
<p>I also never spoke of possible demise of active duty commissions, I simply stated that about 25% go active duty and that is what it should be. You're also missing the point that EVERY graduate is commissioned into the Armed Forces and has a commitment to serve in the Reserves or Guard.</p>
<p>With regard to USNA vs USMMA alone, if someone has the choice, and they often do, they should consider everything because a butter bar is a butter bar no matter where they came from and its what you produce once you are in the Fleet. </p>
<p>I don't know why you have such a hard on about USMMA. We're arguing about two great schools that both have tremendous young men and women attending them. I work in the Pentagon with Flag and General officers, and Secretaries and Asisstant Secretaries, from every service and thay all have tremendous respect for Kings Point and the commitment of its Midshipmen and the capabilites of its graduates. Maybe they get something you don't. </p>
<p>I'm done with this conversation.</p>
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due to some of the totally incorrect posts on this thread,
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<p>Opinions that are different from yours are not incorrect. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>You just cannot accept anyone else's views if they are different from yours, can you? </p>
<p>You cannot grasp the concept that everything you posts as YOUR OPINION does not make it a fact, it only makes it one person's opinion. </p>
<p>Every other poster in this thread also has an opinion on the subject, and they carry just as much if not more weight than yours, since yours are so obviously biased.</p>
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<p>You just cannot accept anyone else's views if they are different from yours, can you?
</p>
<p>Go back to my post #23 on this thread. I quoted nine statements which fred had made. Three of them with the utmost in benefit of the doubt, are opinions. The remaining six are misfactual. This is to what I am referring.</p>
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<p>If this were truly the case, the only acceptable officer acquisition program would be that which was most cost effective, OCS. I would have expected a more responsible posting from someone who works in the Pentagon.</p>
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His desired goal is to eventually go into maritime security/homeland security/law enforcement with the Coast Guard. He is leaning towards KP due to the fact that there are so many options open to graduates.
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<p>Back to this comment - post this question on the Coast Guard forum - see what you get. Better yet - call a Coast Guard officer and see what answer you get.</p>
<p>My OPINION - USMMA is a fine school but how can anyone advise one who has been accepted into the Coast Guard academy and desires to be an officer in the Coast Guard NOT to attend?
There is a lot more to it than just Sea Year at USMMA.<br>
Of course one can commission CG out of USMMA - I am sure one can become a fine CG Officer - however - the mission of the USCGA is to produce Coast Guard officers. If that is his career goal and he has been accepted then then it's a no brainer. For one thing at the CGA he will be taught by Coast Guard officers and have future Coast Guard officers as classmates. </p>
<p>If this particular young person has not visited the CGA then a visit is in order along with a chat with an admissions officer about his dilemma.</p>
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Sorry to disagree with you on the ROTC info KP2001. Everybody knows that it's legal to go from ROTC to the Academies.</p>
<p>But just go into an ROTC interview and tell them that you want to leave for an Academy after a year and see where it gets you! I've seen it myself.
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<p>The "problem" with forums like these is that people tend to take their own personal experiences and extrapolate them to the rule to end all rules.....</p>
<p>Fred - how do you explain the experience of my daughter when she was offered a ROTC scholarship in Oct she offered to turn it down since she had applied to USMA - they would not let her - encouraged her to accept in in case her academy plans didn't work out.</p>
<p>As far as Navy goes - do a search - there is at least one member who was rejected at USNA, accepted a Navy ROTC scholarship, reapplied and was accepted the next year.....</p>
<p>Now - as far as USNAgirl goes - she doesn't really tell her own story in her original post. Go read her other posts - she is highly academically qualified for USNA - the reason she can't get a Congressional nom is because her Congressman is new. He won the last election and the loser used up all the avaliable spots in the congressional district. Therefore this MOC cannot nominate until one either graduates or leaves the academy.
She also states she wanted USNA since she was 12. </p>
<p>Again - In my OPINION here - she should be advised that the option exists for her if she doesn't get an appointment she could wait a year and go NROTC in college and reapply.<br>
Now I have never heard of a kids reapplying to USNA from USMMA - to accept a nomination and appointment to USMMA would effectively end this young woman's dream to attend USNA.
MOC's want to make their constituents happy and also nominate as many kids as possible. It is not uncommon for MOC's to offer nominations to academies when he doesn't have enough candidates to fill the slate.</p>
<p>For those of you who have been involved in this process for - let's say about a year - I am sure you take great pride in the vast amount of insight and knowledge that you have gained from your son/daughter's experience.</p>
<p>Might want to consider that a person with the experience of many years as a representative of admissions, who is an alumnus, a parent of an alumnus and a career officer may just know a teensy weensy bit more about the process and may have gained just a tiny bit more insight than you.</p>
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If this were truly the case, the only acceptable officer acquisition program would be that which was most cost effective, OCS. I would have expected a more responsible posting from someone who works in the Pentagon.
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</p>
<p>You are truly delusional if you think that where an individual assessed from is more important than his or her competency as an officer. </p>
<p>The purpose of a broad set of commissioning sources is to provide a diverse pool of candidates with different experiences and perspectives. Each commissioning source serves a valuable purpose.</p>
<p>But once in the Fleet, every officer must demonstrate his or her competency as an officer regardless of where they assessed from. So, I stand by my statement that a butter bar is a butter bar. To judge based upon any criteria other then competency would be truly irresponsible</p>
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<p>The oversimplification of all oversimplifications. Not to recognize that some butter bars are more prepared than others. Wow. </p>
<p>JustAMomOf4, you can be my wingman anytime.</p>
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Now I have never heard of a kids reapplying to USNA from USMMA - to accept a nomination and appointment to USMMA would effectively end this young woman's dream to attend USNA.
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<p>While not USNA, one of my son's good friends his plebe year at USMMA re-applied to USAFA and was accepted and is now Class of 2010 at USAFA instead of Class of 2009 at USMMA. </p>
<p>One of the things I have always said to everyone, including my son, interested in going to an Academy is that they should always ask themselves -- Do you want to be an Officer in Navy, or do you want to go to the Naval Academy. Because if your ultimate goal is to be an Officer in the Navy, you should explore all the ways to do that and plan accordingly and give yourself options.</p>
<p>I truly admire kids who are absolutely committed to going the the Naval Academy and keep trying. More power to them. </p>
<p>But there is also something to be said for going to Plan B to achieve your same goal. And maybe Plan B is NROTC and re-apply to USNA or maybe its take the appointment to Kings Point; or maybe its to just go to school and apply for OCS or maybe its to enlist and go from there.</p>
<p>My final advice, (and my bet is the USNAgirl is smart enough to already be doing this) would be to go and talk to both USNA and USMMA grads in person and not rely on CC for your sole source of information. Also, if she can take a trip to KP and meet the Mids and the Administration. My son was convinced to go up to Kings Point and check it out by an O-4 Company Officer at USNA. It was great advice.</p>
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Might want to consider that a person with the experience of many years as a representative of admissions, who is an alumnus, a parent of an alumnus and a career officer may just know a teensy weensy bit more about the process and may have gained just a tiny bit more insight than you.
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<p>LMAO! </p>
<p>Only if you understand that he believes USMMA graduates who go to sea are "sell-outs". :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I don't think anyone is disputing anything he posted as a FACT.</p>
<p>It's when OPINIONS get elevated to FACTS is where he loses all credibility, no matter whom he "claims" to be.</p>
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The oversimplification of all oversimplifications. Not to recognize that some butter bars are more prepared than others. Wow.
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<p>I absolutely recognize that some butter bars are more prepared than others. </p>
<p>What I will not recognize is that one set of experiences in becoming commissioned as an Officer is necessarily better than another. They ALL add value to the Navy of the 21st Century. But once in the Fleet, its not where you came from, but what you accomplish that sets you apart.</p>
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<p>I believe that candidates like navygirl who have wanted to be in the Navy since they were 10 years old, who are "baited-and-switched" by their MOCs to attend USMMA, and while there 'sell out' to a civilian career, are untrue to their heart's calling. Yes, they have sold themselves out. For those who attended in order to get a job in the merchant marine, I have absolutely no problems. Like I said earlier, they are getting a great education at a great institution.</p>
<p>And also, yes, I believe 'service' in the merchant marines is a step or two down from service to one's country by being in the military. For these outstanding young men and women to basically sign away at least the next twelve years of their lives to the needs of the service is truly a huge feat. Luigi, tell us how overwhelming it was the first time you signed on the dotted line to serve your country, knowing that the needs of Uncle Sam superceeded all personal desires for the entire forseeable future.</p>
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Sure, sea year provides seamanship skills to those who eventually end up Navy SWOs. They will have an edge on technical skills at the expense of some other attribute which they have failed to obtain by not being at USNA.
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<p>Again, it is the breadth of experiences each individual brings to the Navy overall that is important. </p>
<p>And just as the USNA grad catch up to the USMMA grad in navigation and ship handling; the USMMA grad will eventually learn which fork to use with which course at dinner. ;)</p>
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And also, yes, I believe 'service' in the merchant marines is a step or two down from service to one's country by being in the military.
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<p>They are in the military. Since when did serving in the Reserves or the National Guard not count as the military?</p>
<p>USMMA grads obligation is to serve in BOTH the Merchant Marine AND in the Reserves or the Guard OR on Active Duty.</p>
<p>You know, arguing on the internet is a lot like the Special Olympics -- even if you win, you're still retarded. </p>
<p>(Everyone needs to lighten up!!)</p>
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[quote]
And also, yes, I believe 'service' in the merchant marines is a step or two down from service to one's country by being in the military. For these outstanding young men and women to basically sign away at least the next twelve years of their lives to the needs of the service is truly a huge feat. Luigi, tell us how overwhelming it was the first time you signed on the dotted line to serve your country, knowing that the needs of Uncle Sam superceeded all personal desires for the entire forseeable future.
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<p>I'm deeply saddened that you feel this way 69. Officers coming out of KP are indeed serving their country and are spilling the same red blood for it as other military members. You really are breaking my heart 69. :(</p>
<p>An 06 KP grad was on the recent recovery mission of this KP grad Naval pilot who was killed.</p>
<p>Navy</a> identifies 3 aviators killed in crash off carrier | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com</p>
<p>Enough! USNA69 how dare you say that serving in the merchant marine is a step down. I have one son who is active duty Navy and is currently serving his country in Iraq with the Marines. My other son attends USMMA and I can tell you that my older son, who is in harms way, feels that his brother is serving his country as well as he is! I am truly disappointed in your view of service to our country. If that's the opinions that Annapolis teaches then I am so very glad my son choose Kings Point!</p>
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<p>An 06 KP grad was on the recent recovery mission of this KP grad Naval pilot who was killed.
</p>
<p>I am not talking about those MMA grads who are on active duty military, only those who are sailing in the merchant marine fleet. Those on active duty are without a doubt serving their country exactly the same as any other active duty military officer.</p>
<p>And no, LFWB dad, I will not put IRR reserves anywhere near the same category as where I would place active duty military. You did mention a change from IRR status, however, the current catalog indicates exceptions for those merchant mariners serving at sea. We'll see if my attitude changes.</p>