Navy STA-21 program?

[7.62x51]

I am 25, I have 3.5 years of college under my belt, although I have been out of college/football for 2 years now.

The plan was to get into the Navy job I want, and utilize the programs the Navy has setup to complete my schooling and become a CO (ex: Seaman to Admiral program).

I figured it was kind of pointless to go back and pay for school to get my B.A. (however close I may be to it) in the civilian sector, as I could have the Navy pay for it, and I plan to enlist anyway rather than attempt to go in as an O.

I was actually hoping I could play my senior year of football at my university while in the STA-21 program, then I could come back to my Navy job after I graduate as a commissioned officer. Of course this is all down the road and I am purely focused on just making it to the job I want first...but it's nice to have a plan of some sort even if it is very long term.

Any input on this?

 

[phils04gt]

a little help

Look up the STA-21 program on the Internet. There are stipulations to it: I am almost positive you have to be enlisted in the Navy, and you have to prove yourself before you just submit your STA package. I think there is a time requirement as well. You have to have your CO's endorsement, interviews, LORs; it is a pretty lengthy process. I would recommend finishing your degree and apply directly to OCS. Check out USNavyocs.com I just separated from active duty (Navy) and have applied for OCS. Also check out the BDCP OCS deal the navy has. I am not 100% they are still doing this but it would allow you to apply for Officer Candidate School from the outside, without having your degree completed. I also believe that they only hold the STA-21 boards once a year and that is in June/July time frame.

Enlisted Commissioning Program

 

[MPRT_H8R]

The Seaman to Admiral program is for sailors to become Officers, so if you arent currently in the navy you are not quallified. if you are already so close to having a college degree just finish college and then go through OCS. here is a link if you are interested and good luck~! Officer Training Command, Home of Navy OCS - Officer Candidate School

 

[7.62x51]

The Seaman to Admiral program is for sailors to become Officers, so if you arent currently in the navy you are not quallified. if you are already so close to having a college degree just finish college and then go through OCS. here is a link if you are interested and good luck~! Officer Training Command, Home of Navy OCS - Officer Candidate School

The problem is, the job I am going for is highly competitive for O's. The only guaranteed shot I can get for this job tryout is to go in as enlisted.

 

[MPRT_H8R]

The problem is, the job I am going for is highly competitive for O's. The only guaranteed shot I can get for this job tryout is to go in as enlisted.

tell me what job you are looking in to and i will see for you...believe me it will be a lot harder, and take longer, for you to come in enlisted and do an officer package then it will be for you to finish your degree and just come in as an officer. please trust me on this one~!

 

[7.62x51]

tell me what job you are looking in to and i will see for you...believe me it will be a lot harder, and take longer, for you to come in enlisted and do an officer package then it will be for you to finish your degree and just come in as an officer. please trust me on this one~!

Thanks for the response. The job I am going for is SO. Passed PST last Thursday w/ motivator

 

[MustangSteveGT]

I would suggest just finishing your degree as a civilian, especially being that far into it.
I've been in 7 years and am finishing my Bachelor's right now. I only took 1-2 classes at a time but that is all you will have time for as an enlisted guy with duty and work, ect. I'm using active duty TA, not GI Bill or Navy college fund ect.
Sure, the requirements to get into these officer jobs may be competitive coming from the outside (more college then enlisted to officer many times)- but the requirements can also change to require more for enlisted over time. Meaning get the college out of the way before anything in your case. If your set on doing the Navy thing, you'll at least be recruited as E-2 or E-3 instead of E-1 like I was and degrees count as advancement points on the advancement exams.
When you join you go through months/a couple years of training commands before you even get anywhere that you'll have a chance to even do more college if for some reason the STA-21 thing doesn't work out right away.
I completed a degree thinking the same way you did. I'll get it jump out and jump right back in as an officer. Forward to years later, now that idea requires a masters degree.
Get the education first, that is your immediate bargaining power in an organization which constantly changes.
Just having A degree will get you SOME kind of officer job somewhere. Maybe not always in the Navy specifically, but in SOME branch. Avoid the low pay and less privileges of enlisted life and go straight to officer if you can. That's just MY opinion. Cause once they get your ass on that enlisted contract you can throw all that sh-t the recruiter told you out the door.
Letters of recommendation, good evals, awards, security clearance, interviews- all that takes time in to accumulate. One day becomes a year, a year becomes a whole contact. Meanwhile the whole time your getting lower enlisted pay. Finish your degree and go officer the first time. JUST my opinion.

 

[MPRT_H8R]

Thanks for the response. The job I am going for is SO. Passed PST last Thursday w/ motivator

Congrats on passing the in-test for SO that is a very tough job! if you go in as an enlisted SO i think you may be stuck as an enlisted guy for a while. Once you come in as an E you will have to submit a package for any officer program you want. packages are long, drawnout processes that include interviews and boards and paperwork and at the end of it all you stand a chance of not being accepted. if you spend the small bit of extra time now and finish your degree and THEN go to OCS you will be an officer. Select special warefare and after you graduate OCS you will be on your way to training in Coronado as an Ensign. Another advantge is that once you are comissioned you will reap all the benefits of being and Officer...benefits such as higher base pay, much higher housing allowance....if you are married and choose to live in base housing the houses you are offered are MUCH nicer in some areas. the only initial down-side for you going to BUDs as an Officer is, i think that they are held to a higher standard as far as % wise for tests and things like that but since i have never been to BUDs i am not positive on that one. Overall you will be much better off if you just finish your degree now, and come in as an Officer. coming in as an enlisted anything these days can be an exhausting waste of time and money especially if you are already so close to your degree.
here are a few links that might help you out or at least might interest you and GOOD LUCK~!
Navy UDT-SEAL Museum :|: Training
The Elite Among Navy SEALS | NavySeal.com
Navy SEALs : Special Operations: Careers & Jobs: Navy.com

btw: the job you want is highly competitive at the enlisted level also i think roughly 5% make it to an operational team.