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BDCP is Back! (2022 Version)

insanebikerboy

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
One of the best deals out there to get a commission. Don’t know how hard it is to get accepted into but I had a few friends in the program at the same time I was at USNA. Needless to say they were enjoying their college experience much more than I was!
 
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exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
insanebikerboy said:
One of the best deals out there to get a commission. Don’t know how hard it is to get accepted into but I had a few friends in the program at the same time I was at USNA. Needless to say they were enjoying their college experience much more than I was!
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It is a good deal, I had a few accepted into this program before it ended. If it is like or similar to what it was before the minimums are far from what they will select, most will have very good GPA's.
 
sevenhelmet

sevenhelmet

Quaint ideas from yesteryear
pilot
I never knew this was an option until I was in the FRS and a buddy told me how he'd commissioned. Imagine my surprise. I'm proud of my background, but free education AND a paycheck? Yeah, I'll admit to a little jealousy.
 
FormerRecruitingGuru

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
sevenhelmet said:
I never knew this was an option until I was in the FRS and a buddy told me how he'd commissioned. Imagine my surprise. I'm proud of my background, but free education AND a paycheck? Yeah, I'll admit to a little jealousy.
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Me too. I started as a community college student and then got accepted / transferred into a four year. I found out/heard about BDCP through the internet and walked up to a local recruiting office to learn more. Of course... the recruiting office was for enlisted so they claimed to have never heard of BDCP and encouraged me to enlist instead.

I ended up walking on to the NROTC program and getting a scholarship a semester later. It wasn't until I started NROTC that BDCP still existed and that I went to the wrong office to ask.

Oh well, it all worked out though getting the extra time in service (to be retirement eligible sooner) and additional pay/benefits in college would have been nice...
 
Swanee

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
sevenhelmet said:
I never knew this was an option until I was in the FRS and a buddy told me how he'd commissioned. Imagine my surprise. I'm proud of my background, but free education AND a paycheck? Yeah, I'll admit to a little jealousy.
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And don't the 4 years count as 4 years of AD time, not just 4 good reserve years?
 
sevenhelmet

sevenhelmet

Quaint ideas from yesteryear
pilot
Swanee said:
And don't the 4 years count as 4 years of AD time, not just 4 good reserve years?
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As I recall, yes. With BDCP you can have your cake, eat it too, and still have some left for later. Just don't fail out of college, or you're gonna go serve as an E-4 in the fleet.

My USMMA years were technically as a reserve MIDN, but they don't count as good reserve years. I've always thought that was BS. I have heard (but not verified) that if I retire with 20 "good years" I get 24-year retirement pay though. Hope that one turns out to be true.
 
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exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
There is a Navy Times article on this, but as usual the have wrong info in there. They said it went away in 2003 when the last selections were in early 2010 or close to it.
 
nugget81

nugget81

Well-Known Member
pilot
Swanee said:
And don't the 4 years count as 4 years of AD time, not just 4 good reserve years?
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Correct. I was fortunate enough to join the Navy through BDCP back in 2005, and I am eligible for retirement in 2025. I have nothing but good things to say about BDCP and am very happy to see that it’s back in action. I remember when the recruiter told me about it and I thought that it must be too good to be true—there must be some strings attached, but there weren’t. It’s easily the best way to enter the Navy.

Simply put, all you have to do is take the classes you say you’re going to take, keep your grades above a ridiculously low bar, and graduate college on time. Then go to OCS and the follow-on schools for the community you were accepted into. In return you’ll earn active duty pay and benefits as an E-3 to E-5 until you commission. You’ll always have tons of leave on the books, get pay raises earlier than your peers for having more time in service, and be able to retire sooner than your OCS classmates. There has been no downside to BDCP for myself or anyone else I know who joined via the program.
 
umijs

umijs

Member
Wow this all sounds amazing! Shame I am currently going to a school with an NROTC unit. I wonder if someone looking to get their masters would still be eligible for this program?
 
insanebikerboy

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
sevenhelmet said:
As I recall, yes. With BDCP you can have your cake, eat it too, and still have some left for later. Just don't fail out of college, or you're gonna go serve as an E-4 in the fleet.

My USMMA years were technically as a reserve MIDN, but they don't count as good reserve years. I've always thought that was BS. I have heard (but not verified) that if I retire with 20 "good years" I get 24-year retirement pay though. Hope that one turns out to be true.
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I heard similar while I was at USNA. My first fleet skipper sent me a reference that dispelled that notion, the four years at USNA can count towards a federal (GS) retirement, but they are not useable for a military retirement. I was prior-enlisted and my clock stopped while I was at USNA. I'll see if I can find that email, it was years ago, but I would imagine it's the same for USMMA since it's also a federal service academy.
 
sevenhelmet

sevenhelmet

Quaint ideas from yesteryear
pilot
insanebikerboy said:
I heard similar while I was at USNA. My first fleet skipper sent me a reference that dispelled that notion, the four years at USNA can count towards a federal (GS) retirement, but they are not useable for a military retirement. I was prior-enlisted and my clock stopped while I was at USNA. I'll see if I can find that email, it was years ago, but I would imagine it's the same for USMMA since it's also a federal service academy.
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It might be. However, unlike USNA, USMMA midshipmen are reservists.
 
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