Posted on Apr 19, 2020
Can a prior Army enlisted commission Navy active duty?
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I am hoping for some imput on this matter because I've heard very different answers by word of mouth. Is it likely to become an active duty officer by being prior service or would I be forced into a reserve role? If possibe/likely, what is the path to selecting your role(branch? Not sure what you'd call it in the Navy) and getting your commission not being an Naval Academy grad? All helpful input is appreciated!
Posted in these groups: 
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Navy)
USNA
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Navy) USNA
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 4
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Two websites to poke around in for more information.
https://www.navy.com/joining-navy-if-you-have-served
https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/careercounseling/Pages/CommissioningPrograms.aspx
If you will have your degree before coming into the Navy, you won't have the ROTC option. Your best bets are OCS and ODS. ODS is a short course for specific fields that commissions into the Navy Reserve. Usually the jobs are available based on quotas and test scores, similar to choosing an enlisted job. Do you know what field (community) you are interested in? I am in Aviation, so that is really all I know. I have friends in the Intel, Medical, Supply, and IT if you need more information.
Have you talked to a recruiter at all yet? Are you still active duty? Good luck no matter what route you choose!
https://www.navy.com/joining-navy-if-you-have-served
https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/careercounseling/Pages/CommissioningPrograms.aspx
If you will have your degree before coming into the Navy, you won't have the ROTC option. Your best bets are OCS and ODS. ODS is a short course for specific fields that commissions into the Navy Reserve. Usually the jobs are available based on quotas and test scores, similar to choosing an enlisted job. Do you know what field (community) you are interested in? I am in Aviation, so that is really all I know. I have friends in the Intel, Medical, Supply, and IT if you need more information.
Have you talked to a recruiter at all yet? Are you still active duty? Good luck no matter what route you choose!
Joining the Navy with Prior Military Service - Navy.com
If you have served in the military before, find out how you can put your prior military service and experience to work with the option to serve in the Navy Reserve.
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SGT Michael Moore
Thank you sir! And yes, I will have my degree by the end of next month, so that sadly means no ROTC. While I am open to any field the one that I'm interested in are aviation, diver, intel, and SWO, although I've heard if im not an academy grad avation and SWO are very unlikely to get. I have not spoken to a recruiter as I would like to get as much info before I go in may to hopefully have tje best understanding of the Navy as I can. Also no, I left active duty almost 2 years ago to pursue the last part of my degree.
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LT (Join to see)
SGT Michael Moore
I can't comment on SWO, but in Aviation, there is no preference to Academy, ROTC, or OCS. It does help to have a technical degree, heavy in math/physics or engineering.
I can't comment on SWO, but in Aviation, there is no preference to Academy, ROTC, or OCS. It does help to have a technical degree, heavy in math/physics or engineering.
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SGT Michael Moore
LT (Join to see)
Very good to know! Sadly the most experience I have with is starting off my career as an Engineer in the Army.
Very good to know! Sadly the most experience I have with is starting off my career as an Engineer in the Army.
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The Navy's Recruiting Command is responsible for getting candidates for OCS. [login to see] Is the email address to ask for more info. The Navy's website is craptastic.
The Navy has ROTC too. https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/requirements.html
Recommend you go sit down with the nearest one and just fact find.
USNA is technically a route, but if you are down the road a ways, this may be too hard at this point.
If you meet a direct commissioning requirement, that could be a route. I'd link you to the list, but it is buried in their Recruiting website, which like the Army's, diverts you t their landing page, ensuring you have to sift through all their other programs first.
The Navy has ROTC too. https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/requirements.html
Recommend you go sit down with the nearest one and just fact find.
USNA is technically a route, but if you are down the road a ways, this may be too hard at this point.
If you meet a direct commissioning requirement, that could be a route. I'd link you to the list, but it is buried in their Recruiting website, which like the Army's, diverts you t their landing page, ensuring you have to sift through all their other programs first.
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps - Scholarship Requirements
The NROTC Program was established to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the Navy and Marine Corps.
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SGT Michael Moore
Thank you sir. That is my plan to go discuss with a recruiter soon. I am just hoping to get a little extra knowledge for hopefully a more well rounded idea!
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I do not know what the current regs are, your best bet is to talk to a number of Officer recruiters. That being said, OCS (Officer Candidate School) and ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) are the 2 accession programs. OCS is a short school, and ROTC is in conjunction with College. When I commissioned back in 1997, we came out as USNR, and were able to switch to USN after getting qualified. We were not Reservists, we were active duty Reserve officers. Kinda big deal about nothing. It was all for accounting and retirement purposes, as I recall. Again, best bet is talk to a number of Officer Recruiters (different stations), or even got to a MEPS station. They can look at your record and maths it to current needs. SGT Michael Moore
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LTC Jason Mackay
The Army does the same thing where 80% of ROTC grads had their initial commission as a "Reserve commission" and then you are allowed to accept a RA Commission. The term was OTRA, other than regular Army. There were honor grads and Star belly sneetches that were commissioned RA, usually the dominion of academy grads.
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