I came across this pic of a recent Annapolis grad. The cutline mentions the Academy graduating class totaled 1,028, with 791 earning commissions as Navy ensigns and 213 as Marine officers.
That leaves a gap and there’s my question - whats going on with the other 24? It’s possible to graduate from the USNA but not get a commission? Is there another career path to follow here? One possibility is that a student could have been rendered physically unfit for military service during their stint at the Academy but still been able to graduate.
Possibly foreign officers? I went the OCS route so I’m not sure. We did have foreign officers going through officer basic courses. I had a Bosnian officer in my tank crew.
Naval Officer here.
There are a few foreign nationals, I seem to recall a couple of Brits and Germans. There are 10 to 15 inter-service transfers from the Army and Air Force. And there are a very few, less than 5 I’d think that fail their last physical and are not physically qualified and graduate but don’t get a commission.
If some graduates from a service academy, but decides they don’t want to join the military before being commisioned aren’t they allowed to pay back the government for their tution, room & board, etc?
They can, but it it doesn’t happen all that often. I know it happens with athletes (some of whom the school knows will never go into the military from the very beginning). I seem to remember some rich kid in legal trouble who paid his way out a commission instead of getting in trouble with the military.
Cite? It doesn’t seem impossible to me but all the athletes I remember went on to receive their commissions and serve. From the Naval Academy: David Robinson, Napoleon McCallum, Phil McConky and Roger Staubach.
First, I didn’t say that all athletes don’t honor their commitments, just that some didn’t. Rodger certainly did his five.
Speaking of a cite, I’d like you to provide a site that David Robinson, Napoleon McCallum both honored their five year commitment to the Navy. I thought that Robinson did only two, and I know that McCallum had a sweetheart deal working half days while playing football his first year, but I may be wrong.
I think y’all have it a bit backwards. If the person refuses a commission, doesn’t the government require them to repay the expenses of the education or serve time as an Enlisted Member (unless a waiver is requested and granted)?
I should have been more clear. I should have said that “some athletes are not required to honor their commitments.” I’d say that 99% of them do, but there some, primarily football and some basketball guys, that we know are never going to pass a physical and serve.
I know they didn’t serve the same as most new ensigns but that is not the same as "If some graduates from a service academy, but decides they don’t want to join the military before being commisioned aren’t they allowed to pay back the government for their tution, room & board, etc? " which is what you responded with an affirmative. They did not buy back their time, they served in some capacity. Mostly as recruiting tools. IIRC Robinson was useless as a Navy officer since he grew freakishly tall while he was in college. McCallum couldn’t be much use after his knee started bending in the wrong direction. (I think he was out by then) McConkey didn’t join the NFL until his commitment was up.
**Ya cannae “refuse a commission.” **We signed a little piece of paper late during our third year that made us all a bit nervous - you acknowledge the US Navy now owns your ass and that you will accept your commission and you *will *carry out your duties until the Navy no longer needs you. Service as an officer in the US military is *not *something lightly entered into, it is not a job, it is not a summer-camp; it is a commitment.
There are special circumstances under which you may be able to get out early (as was my case), but never can you assume that will be the case when it comes your turn.
[QUOTE=Defective Detective]
**Ya cannae “refuse a commission.”
Of course you can. Just just have to live with the consequences. The US military is still an all volunteer force.
No, you didn’t. You signed a promise agreeing that you would accept a commission when tendered. The government does not own you. What they do, though, is have a claim on your service due to your MSO. That would be for a total of eight years. The MSO is activated when you begin your third year at a Federal Service Academy.
As a retired USN Petty Officer First Class, I’m well aware that service in the military isn’t just a job.
Why are you directing this comment to me? I never said one could assume such.
David Robinson didn’t opt out or pay his way out of his obligation. He eventually grew so tall that he had to be given an honorable discharge, his height precluded him from being viable in the U.S. Navy. The only reason he was even able to get into the academy was because at the time of his admission he was just barely under the maximum height ceiling, over his four years there he naturally grew over that limit and eventually he just wasn’t going to be viable in a huge majority of naval career paths.
He did serve two years active duty after his graduation, but realistically I think the Navy realized that it didn’t make much sense to continue keeping the guy in the service when he’d never be able to serve on a ship and when he had other things he could do outside the navy. When he was released from his active duty commitment after two years he still continued to serve in a reserve capacity many years afterwards.
Roger Staubach graduated from the academy in 1964, he didn’t start playing professional football until 1969 (5 years later, one of which was spent in Vietnam) at the age of 27.
You actually can pay your way out (it’s usually in excess of $200,000.) If you separate from the academy before the beginning of your third year, you incur no military obligation (whether you resign, fail out, are expelled et cetera.) After that, if you fail to graduate after the beginning of your third year you will typically have to serve 2 to 4 years enlisted.
If you refuse a commission upon graduation you can choose to serve 4 years enlisted or pay the Navy back its $200,000.
Of course you can. You just have to live with the consequences. The US military is still an all volunteer force.
No, you didn’t. You signed a promise agreeing that you would accept a commission when tendered. The government does not own you. What they do, though, is have a claim on your service due to your being a Midshipman in the 3rd or 4th year. Once you begin your service, then you have a Military Service Obligation (MSO) for a total of eight years–the number of years Active Duty depending on the program.
As a retired USN Petty Officer First Class, I’m well aware that service in the military isn’t just a job.
Why are you directing this comment to me? I never said one could assume such.
I’d guess a combination of inter-service transfers and foreign students would account for most of the 24, and a few medical-outs would finish it.
I’ve got a good friend who went to the Air Force Academy but cross-commissioned into the Navy and is now a Navy SEAL. I also know people who got a commission in the Marines from the AF Academy, and every year people who graduate from Annapolis get commissions in both the Air Force and the Army.
My WAG as to why the numbers don’t add up: the Annapolis public affairs person didn’t want to highlight the other services during an article on the Navy, so only Navy and Marine officer numbers were given to the reporter.