<p>When does the 5 year obligation start at the USNA? After plebe year or second year?</p>
<p>Mids sign their 2 for 7 agreements at the end of their 2nd year.</p>
<p>It starts the day of graduation if you go SWO or SUBS</p>
<p>Service time does not begin with the signing of the 2 for 7 papers.</p>
<p>Your obligation starts at different times depending on your service assignment (community) Navy Pilot, Marine Pilot obligation is 8 years starting the receipt of their wings (which is typically 2 years after commissioning). Navy NFO serve 7 years following winging. I think for Marine NFO it is 6 years following winging. TAD (temporary assigned duty), prior to the beginning of their their ware fare school or initial assignments, may not be included in service obligation time. For those going directly (after basket leave, if they take it) to their initial assignment, service obligation starts after commissioning.</p>
<p>Not to quibble, but more precisely the 2 for 7 agreement, i.e. 2 more years @ USNA and a total of 7 years is signed upon return at the beginning of year 3, day before term commences. </p>
<p>As noted by its absence, for aviation folks, the 5 doesn't commence until they are finished with training, so 5 becomes longer. Someone here will know precisely the terms of pilots and NFOs.</p>
<p>WOW ...thanks NT. That was quick. See prayer does work! Especially when talking about a wing and ... ;)</p>
<p>I don't believe I have ever been on a website with as many knit picking, overlord mentality, know it all's as here. I never once stated when "service time" began. And really, to make the distinction between the end of the 2nd year and beginning of 3rd year is at best disingenuous...........give me a break. 2 for 7 letters are signed after the 2nd year is over, anybody want to dispute that.............</p>
<p>On Edit, I pray my son is as not as arrogant and condescending as some of you here that purport to have been through the Academy when he graduates.</p>
<p>The five year obligation does not start in either your Plebe or second class year. </p>
<p>There is a difference between the ceremonial 2 for 7 signing and 5 year service obligation. The question was when does your obligation of 5 years start. The 2 for 7 signing has nothing to do with that question. Its scroll and a legal document which you sign that outlines what your obligation WILL BE - that by completing your education you will serve at least 5 years as a commissioned officer in The US Navy or US Marine Corp. And outlines the obligation if you do not complete the next 2 years. You are able to leave during second class year or even firstie year with either an enlisted requirement or a monetary penalty (or both) in lieu of the "5" year obligation.</p>
<p>Now when does the actual 5 year obligation begin - Not while you are at the Academy. The 5 year clock starts at verying times depending on which service community you elect. SWO,SUBs, the clock starts ticking at commissioning. So mine in the class of 2010 will commission on May 28, 2010. If he decides to go SWO or Subs his obligation will be complete in June 2015. Now if he goes Navy Pilot. He will go to flight school, that can take up to 2 years to earn his wings and then report to his squadron. The clock starts ticking when he gets to his squadron. As the Navy will be spending A LOT of money to train him so he will have a an obligation greater than 5 years - I think Native Texan was right that it is an 8 year obligation. Graduating in May of 2010, reporting to flight school in July, 2 years of flight school, finishing July of 2012, and now the clock starts - it's 8 years with the obligation complete in 2020. </p>
<p>Two senarios - two different answers to the question of
[quote]
When does the 5 year obligation start
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Gotamidin - I am certainly no not mean to be or knit picking and if you are seeing it that way my apologies. I guess there is a misnomer in the way the question was phrased and possibly as a Plebe parent the understanding for what the 2 for 7 really is. For clarification only, the 2 for 7 signing is done at the beginning of Classes - you actually have two weeks into your third Academic year before having to commit.</p>
<p>2 for 7 is a ceremony followed by, in USNA, terms nice dinner with the 50 year class invited. You actually do have another week or so after classes to sign the documents. You are committing to a minimum of a 5 year serve obligation which as pointed out above will commence at different times depending on one's service selection. The majority it does start upon commissioning. There is no obligation in Plebe or sophmore year and starting in the Junior year the obligation is to make it to commissioning and then serve 5 years or if you do not make commissioning you have "another" obligation that involves enlisted time, money or both.</p>
<p>gotamid . . .the nitpickin has been worse at varying times.</p>
<p>It's sort of like whack-a-mole; when one nitpicker fades to oblivion, others pop up to take his place.
some people seem to enjoy spending more time picking apart the posts of others than adding anything substantive tot he conversation.</p>
<p>Maybe everyone should take a deep breath. Most people who ask questions on this forum don't know the answers (which is why they're asking) or don't know enough to frame the question in a way that allows a precise answer. </p>
<p>I believe the above posters were trying to first clarify the question and then answer it. Swearing at people and using expletives (religious or otherwise) is not appropriate. If you have a problem with someone's post, PM that individual or, better yet, turn the other cheek. Much better for all in the long run -- and the short run.</p>
<p>One question:
[quote]
you actually have two weeks into your third Academic year before having to commit.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Is this true for Navy? I thought all service academies went by the same committment rules - at West Point your committment officially begins the moment you step into the first class on the first day of classes in your Cow (Third or 2nd class) year.</p>
<p>With you Mike. Let's see how it works out.</p>
<p>Got to go with Mike & WP. Ratchet it down a little. To answer gotamidin they don't call them "Ring Knockers" for nothing.</p>
<p>Justamom-
prior to actually having our Mid reach 2C year I was under the impression the 2 for 7 committment was aligned with the start of the first class of the 2C year-</p>
<p>so while I believe that is still the "general intent," (meaning, why show up for the first class if you are not going to stay!) the actual "signing" came about 2 weeks later.</p>
<p>The only thing I would add to Profmom's above post is that there is an actual contract that gets signed and filed away in each mid's record.....that is the "official" document- the large scroll is for ceremonial purposes, each member of the class adding their name to the whole- which is then put on display in the Levy Center until commissioning-
right now the scrolls for 2009 and 2010 are on display.</p>
<p>2010 ... thanks, as always, for squaring us away on Gotamidin's earlier statement of ...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Mids sign their 2 for 7 agreements at the end of their 2nd year.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>with your clarifying, accurate information that indeed the signing is in Mid's year #3.</p>
<p>And thanks too Mike, wherever you may be ...:cool: Your edifications are particularly appreciated. ;)</p>
<p>To sum up the confusion:</p>
<p>All mids/cadets get two "free" years. Two years in which to decide whether or not to accept the committment.
According to Federal Law the commitment begins the first day of class of the third year (Junior Year) at an Academy.<br>
The commitment is that upon graduation you will accept a commission and agree to serve for 8 years of which 5 years are Active Duty. The remaining three may be Reserves or IRR.</p>
<p>Any extra schooling - such as attending flight school, medical school etc. will require you to modify your commitment.</p>
<p>Signing of the 2 for 7 agreement that the Naval Academy does is ceremonial. Similar to taking the Oath on R-Day or I-Day - Parents all think they are watching their child take the Oath when it is simply ceremonial. The Oath was already taken hours earlier.</p>
<p>Does anyone know when the "signing ceremony" started? We didn't have it my year. It was just "assumed" that when you took your first academic class of 2/C year, you had agreed to the seven years. A few weeks later, we had a big "2 for 7" blowout party (we could drink beer at 18 in those days).</p>
<p>My guess is that someone between my year and now challenged the 2 for 7 because they never made any official commitment (i.e., signing) so they added this. BTW, I think it's a nice thing, and thus wondering when it started.</p>
<p>This year the signing of the scroll was the Monday and Tuesday prior to classes starting on Wed. August 20th. Not sure when the dinner was. If you go to [url=<a href="http://www.dropshots.com/USNA2010and07%5DDropShots.com%5B/url">http://www.dropshots.com/USNA2010and07]DropShots.com[/url</a>] she posted pictures of the Mids signing the scroll.</p>
<p>Now to throw a monkey wrench in the whole shootin match. There is a bit of a delay in FS slots. Rare is a May Grad gonna hit FS by July. Some current recent ensigns are waiting for a school opening as grad assistant coaches waiting for a slot. Then there is the firstie that was given a extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to injury and is graduating this DEC. Then will go to flight after being a GA next season if the plan falls together. So he is gonna be wearing Khaki's for a long long time. So IMHO the 2 for 7 signing has little practical application with service obligation DURATION or when the clock starts ticking. Way to many variables in the process. There are other communities with some delays as well. SWO will be the shortest requirement though. That is why some call it the five and dive community.</p>
<p>usna85-
I don't know when the signing ceremony started- again, the 2C's sign a contract, but the "ceremonial" part of it- the signing of the class scroll- is done in Smoke Hall- it is a non-public event - not open to parents in that it is not publicized- although I know of a few parents that have managed to get in to take some pics the past 2 years-</p>
<p>if you are on the yard, do stop by and see the scrolls that are on display in Levy Center- 2009 and 10 are on display (2008 just removed)- will have to find out what happens to the scrolls once the class graduates, although I am wondering if they will show up in either Alumni Hall or Preble once the renovations get done- guess we will have to wait and see! But it was fun to try and "find" our Mid's signature - and those of his company mates and friends- on the scroll!</p>