USMMA vs all Academies

Curious if there’s ever been a time in recent history where USMMA graduates were denied the opportunity to commission active duty because the needs of the merchant marine took priority.
 
The variety of options is one thing that really attracted my DS.

He wants to be a pilot. He's hoping for a flight slot, but realizes that 5 years at sea would enable him to easily pay for commercial flight training on his own dime at ATP.

On the other hand, he doesn't know if spending a significant time sailing is something he'll like. How would he or anyone else really know until they've done it?
 
GrilledCheese94 said:
Curious if there’s ever been a time in recent history where USMMA graduates were denied the opportunity to commission active duty because the needs of the merchant marine took priority.
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Not that I have heard of in the last 15 years at least. An average of one-third of each graduating class goes active duty.
 
ColoGator said:
The variety of options is one thing that really attracted my DS.

He wants to be a pilot. He's hoping for a flight slot, but realizes that 5 years at sea would enable him to easily pay for commercial flight training on his own dime at ATP.

On the other hand, he doesn't know if spending a significant time sailing is something he'll like. How would he or anyone else really know until they've done it?
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You don't know. That's why having experience sailing in your first sea year is so important. You get a chance to try it out before your commitment which does not come until the start of second class year.
 
KPEngnr90 said:
Interesting to note that a freshly graduated KP mariner can cross-commission into any of the services but none of the other grads from other academies can become mariners day 1 out the gate.
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To me, this is the biggest selling point for USMMA. While none of my kids attended USMMA, the selling point to them made a lot of sense. Here's how it was pitched to them. As a 17 or 18 year kid, when you pick USMA, USNA or USAFA, you are committing the next 9 years of your life to that service. A lot of things can change between the time you are 18 and 22, when you graduate. You could become uninterested in the service you locked yourself into four years prior, you could fall in love and not want to ship out, etc. At USMMA, you enter at 18, but don't have to make a decision on what you want to do for another 4 years. A lot can change in those 4 years. To me, that's a big selling point.
 
kpmom2013 said:
You don't know. That's why having experience sailing in your first sea year is so important. You get a chance to try it out before your commitment which does not come until the start of second class year.
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Yes, that was my point.
 
Bhalf said:
My DD’s first choice was USMMA because of the choices. However, she said she’s heavily leaning on continuing as a mariner after school rather than commissioning into another service. She’s very excited and all in as a merchant mariner.
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I probably lost $500K in salary by doing the Active duty Navy Ship driver SWO thing outta the zoo. But I will never regret it.
 
Edmund said:
To me, this is the biggest selling point for USMMA. While none of my kids attended USMMA, the selling point to them made a lot of sense. Here's how it was pitched to them. As a 17 or 18 year kid, when you pick USMA, USNA or USAFA, you are committing the next 9 years of your life to that service. A lot of things can change between the time you are 18 and 22, when you graduate. You could become uninterested in the service you locked yourself into four years prior, you could fall in love and not want to ship out, etc. At USMMA, you enter at 18, but don't have to make a decision on what you want to do for another 4 years. A lot can change in those 4 years. To me, that's a big selling point.
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I wanted to be a Navy officer on Destroyers chasing Russian Submarines in HS.(Cold War era). Got appointment to USNA and USMMA. Family ties to Kings Point made me choose and come 1/c yr I found myself still wanting to be a SWO. Did 5 yrs and 2 Division Officer tours in the Navy but decided I wanted the bigger payday with less stress and went from my last day as a Navy LT on a destroyer to a 3rd Engineer on a Supertanker literally overnight making 4X my Navy pay. Proud to have served and so thankful for the career opportunity afterwards.
 
GrilledCheese94 said:
Curious if there’s ever been a time in recent history where USMMA graduates were denied the opportunity to commission active duty because the needs of the merchant marine took priority.
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If anything it should be now. Lotsa 3rd engineers and 3rd mates not getting reliefs with MSC.
 
KPEngnr90 said:
I wanted to be a Navy officer on Destroyers chasing Russian Submarines in HS.(Cold War era). Got appointment to USNA and USMMA. Family ties to Kings Point made me choose and come 1/c yr I found myself still wanting to be a SWO. Did 5 yrs and 2 Division Officer tours in the Navy but decided I wanted the bigger payday with less stress and went from my last day as a Navy LT on a destroyer to a 3rd Engineer on a Supertanker literally overnight making 4X my Navy pay. Proud to have served and so thankful for the career opportunity afterwards.
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What did the process of leaving the navy for civilian life look like in terms of KP's commitment and the commitment you took when you activated your USNR commission?
 
KPEngnr90 said:
I probably lost $500K in salary by doing the Active duty Navy Ship driver SWO thing outta the zoo. But I will never regret it.
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My husband was a Nuke in he Navy so she considered SWO. We used to live in Charleston and she went to school on base where the Nuke school and prototype was for years. But she seems to have decided that she’d have more freedom and money staying the course of a Mariner.
 
Bhalf said:
My husband was a Nuke in he Navy so she considered SWO. We used to live in Charleston and she went to school on base where the Nuke school and prototype was for years. But she seems to have decided that she’d have more freedom and money staying the course of a Mariner.
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This seems to be a reoccurring theme with students and applicants looking at KP-people originally interested in military service, but after sea year or after learning about being a Mariner they change their minds and Sail. On my visit I was told 75% of kids come in wanting to go active duty, (Not sure if its 100% true but that's what someone told me :wiggle: )and about 1/3-1/4 end up commissioning . Sea year, the ability to commission to any of the (and the $$$) are big pulls factors.
 
NG2703 said:
This seems to be a reoccurring theme with students and applicants looking at KP-people originally interested in military service, but after sea year or after learning about being a Mariner they change their minds and Sail. On my visit I was told 75% of kids come in wanting to go active duty, (Not sure if its 100% true but that's what someone told me :wiggle: )and about 1/3-1/4 end up commissioning . Sea year, the ability to commission to any of the (and the $$$) are big pulls factors.
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Add academy burnout to the list of pull factors.
 
I wrote a letter endorsed by my CO to resign my active duty commission and transfer to the Naval Reserve. I wanted to retain my reserve commission and transfer from the SWO community to the Merchant Marine Reserve which is now called Strategic Sealift Officer community.
 
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