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Naval Academy - Divorced

freenavy

New Member
So I am trying to keep my options as open as possible when it comes to commisoning programs and I started to do some research on addmissions for current active duty for the academy. I noticed that it says you can not be married. Am I still eligible if I am divorced and not currently married? Thank you for the help.
 

Uncle Fester

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Rule is you cannot have any dependents. Spouse, kids, dependent sibling/parent, etc. Being divorced should not be an issue.
 

freenavy

New Member
Where did you find the info about not married? At www.usna.edu? That's your best source of information.

Yes, that is the website I was looking at. It stated that you could not be married or have dependants.

Thanks Fester for the help, I am divorced with no depandants so I will look more into applying. I will contact my career counciler and see if they may know more information on this, so I can make sure I am not wasteing my/the school's time...

Another question just poped in my head. Are active duty who are accepted into the Naval Academy still on Active duty while they are attending? As in do they still get paid there active duty pay aswell as have the oppritunity to take advancement exams like you can on active duty while doing STA-21?
 

wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I seriously doubt it. They give you a place to live, feed you, clothe you, and give you a monthly stipend. Also, you're time AD while at the academy will not count for retirement. You will be just like every other MIDN once you report.
 

gaijin6423

Ask me about ninjas!
Well, that's a bit misleading, but while it can be more complicated than this, basically your time at USNA doesn't count. If you're prior service, that active duty time will count. Even though you are technically on active duty at USNA, it doesn't count for pay or retirement. That may be what you were trying to say.

And no, you cannot draw enlisted pay while there, nor can you use your GI Bill benefits or advance. If you're a Marine, they discharge you from active duty and you join the Navy.

Edit: I had several divorced guys in my class, but they had ZERO liabilities like alimony, etc.
 

freenavy

New Member
Well, that's a bit misleading, but while it can be more complicated than this, basically your time at USNA doesn't count. If you're prior service, that active duty time will count. Even though you are technically on active duty at USNA, it doesn't count for pay or retirement. That may be what you were trying to say.

And no, you cannot draw enlisted pay while there, nor can you use your GI Bill benefits or advance. If you're a Marine, they discharge you from active duty and you join the Navy.

Edit: I had several divorced guys in my class, but they had ZERO liabilities like alimony, etc.


Hmm, good info thanks. I have zero liabilities aswell, no depandents, alimony, no shared finances... it was pretty cut and dry.
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
With all that said, I graduated the Academy, worked in Admissions for 6 months and a few times I heard some general advice floating around if you're concerned about pay/advancement, etc; and as a Division Officer I'd give the same advice to my guys (when I get a division, that is) and it's this: I'm not sure I would recommend USNA for most priors. My reasoning is exactly the financial aspect. Your time does not count towards pay/retirement, and that's 4 years of earning you could have had in another program (someone correct me here - BDCP or STA-21 or one of those programs allows priors to collect their pay AND have school paid for right? I can't remember the exact details...) and that's 4 years of being paid as a Mid which is not very good pay (it's enough for your weekends but really, that's about it) compared to enlisted pay. If you're concerned about name recognition on your degree, or you want the Academy lifestyle, or they have a certain academic program you feel very strongly about, then yeah, by all means, go for the Academy. On the other hand, like many priors I have spoken to, you are more concerned with just earning the commission and becoming an officer, then I can't wholeheartedly recommend the Academy. It is a very different environment from the fleet which causes some friction for some of them and the whole pay thing is certainly going to be an adjustment.

My. 02...
 

freenavy

New Member
With all that said, I graduated the Academy, worked in Admissions for 6 months and a few times I heard some general advice floating around if you're concerned about pay/advancement, etc; and as a Division Officer I'd give the same advice to my guys (when I get a division, that is) and it's this: I'm not sure I would recommend USNA for most priors. My reasoning is exactly the financial aspect. Your time does not count towards pay/retirement, and that's 4 years of earning you could have had in another program (someone correct me here - BDCP or STA-21 or one of those programs allows priors to collect their pay AND have school paid for right? I can't remember the exact details...) and that's 4 years of being paid as a Mid which is not very good pay (it's enough for your weekends but really, that's about it) compared to enlisted pay. If you're concerned about name recognition on your degree, or you want the Academy lifestyle, or they have a certain academic program you feel very strongly about, then yeah, by all means, go for the Academy. On the other hand, like many priors I have spoken to, you are more concerned with just earning the commission and becoming an officer, then I can't wholeheartedly recommend the Academy. It is a very different environment from the fleet which causes some friction for some of them and the whole pay thing is certainly going to be an adjustment.

My. 02...


Very good information, thank you. I am not to concerned with the pay, as I am not really making "bank" right now anyways. My only concern with STA-21 was that they pay for 10,000 of tuition a year, which in some cases isn't enough at more prestigious universities (or atleast I was told). I like the idea that with the academy everything is taken care of and you can just focus on your schooling. But on the other hand with STA-21 you are alloted BAH and you can have your own place, which I am getting used to now. I'm guessing at the Academy you have room mates and room inspections and all that jazz, and don't get me wrong. If that is what the case is then I am down for whatever, like you stated it is just about earning the commision, it doesn't matter if I have to sleep in a room with 5 other guys... I think I am just going to shoot for both, I don't think it will hurt to put in an application for the academy and a STA-21 package.
 

FlyBoyd

Out to Pasture
pilot
I am not to concerned with the pay, as I am not really making "bank" right now anyways...

You may not be concerned with pay but the "lost" time that could count toward retirement will be useful later. When you get more senior, having an option to retire when you are looking for orders or when you decide you have had enough is a huge advantage.

If I had the chance to get my degree while on AD (I mean getting paid to go to school) I would weigh that very heavily against stopping my counter to go to the USNA. IMO, it is 3-4 free years of service.
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
Very good information, thank you. I am not to concerned with the pay, as I am not really making "bank" right now anyways. My only concern with STA-21 was that they pay for 10,000 of tuition a year, which in some cases isn't enough at more prestigious universities (or atleast I was told). I like the idea that with the academy everything is taken care of and you can just focus on your schooling. But on the other hand with STA-21 you are alloted BAH and you can have your own place, which I am getting used to now. I'm guessing at the Academy you have room mates and room inspections and all that jazz, and don't get me wrong. If that is what the case is then I am down for whatever, like you stated it is just about earning the commision, it doesn't matter if I have to sleep in a room with 5 other guys... I think I am just going to shoot for both, I don't think it will hurt to put in an application for the academy and a STA-21 package.

Yeah definitely. Doesn't hurt trying to open doors, but I'm just saying if you get in, it's better to be as informed as you can and garner as many opinions as you can. I can't speak for most colleges, but as far as roommates go at the Academy you'll likely make lifelong friends, more so than you've ever had before, which is pretty neat.
 

freenavy

New Member
Yeah definitely. Doesn't hurt trying to open doors, but I'm just saying if you get in, it's better to be as informed as you can and garner as many opinions as you can. I can't speak for most colleges, but as far as roommates go at the Academy you'll likely make lifelong friends, more so than you've ever had before, which is pretty neat.

Yeah definatley. I guess my only concern financially would be my car payment and other minor bills like my cell phone. But I heard you can't really use a car until your more senior so I might just sell it. Also just curious, though it really doesn't matter. As a mid are you authorized to wear awards/warefare pins earned in the fleet? Thanks.
 

gaijin6423

Ask me about ninjas!
DanMa1156 does bring up a good point. I took a ginourmous pay cut (well, it seemed that way to me) when I went to USNA. But more importantly, I missed out on those four years towards retirement, and since I only had 3 years, 9 months, and 20 days when I was discharged to go to USNA, I missed out on that little 'E' behind my pay grade. Doesn't seem like much, but it's definitely more than just a point of pride. If those years had counted, I would probably still be in, deploying again to OEF, and just trying to gut out a few more years.

I suppose the bottom line is to weigh your options in their entirety, without looking through any rose colored glasses that could skew your perspective. ...Not like some dumb ass I know who just applied to USNA to prove a point, and then was too stubborn to give up. That jackass would have been better served thoroughly exploring his options before jumping headlong into something, but hey, I was young.
 

Uncle Fester

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I think you're getting some pretty good advice on applying to the Boat School as a prior. Compared to some of the commissioning programs out there - where you're making more bank, have much more personal freedom and greater academic options, and your time-in-service clock keeps ticking - it's hard to sell USNA as a good deal for priors. You won't be treated any differently than the other plebes, except maybe you'll get shat on more for not having shoes shined or rack made properly, since you're supposed to already know how to do it (or if you do have it done right, you'll be shat on for not squaring away your straight-from-high-school roommate). The suck decreases by degrees after plebe year, but never goes away, and your quality-of-life as a Middie will never come close to even that of the most locked-down bible college.

Good reasons to go? Same as for any kid out of high school. In the Navy, the mythical Academy network is largely just that - a myth - but don't underestimate the power of the big brass ring outside the Navy. USNA's reputation may or may not be well-earned, but I'm startled how many doors being from there has opened. It impresses girlfriends and their parents. And I did get a good education there, despite my best efforts. I've never been entirely a stranger anywhere I've been in the Fleet. Anywhere you wind up, there's always a classmate or a company-mate or someone you knew from class or a team, or at least a bunch of people with mutual friends.

As the cliche goes: shitty place to be, great place to be from.

If you do decide it's for you: You are allowed to wear any pins or ribbons earned as a prior. There's always one or two guys with SEAL budweisers in each class, and a guy in my class was a AW(NAC) who'd managed to be everywhere...dude had wings and ribbons stacked up like he was some third-world President for Life.

Your prior time will count toward time-in-service once you're commissioned. If you had four-years-and-a-day as a white hat, you'll be an O-1E on graduation day...it's just your four years at school that don't count for pay or retirement.

Your instinct to just sell your car is the right one; no point in paying for a car you won't use for two years (and can't park on campus 'til you're a senior). The same goes for most of your toys and civvies...it's not unlike entering a monastery. Or prison.
 

freenavy

New Member
Very interesting. Never really realised how "strict" they were there at the academy. I know for STA-21 you have all kinds of freedom and I think you only muster once a week with your ROTC unit. I unfortunatley won't be an O-1E if I am accepted my first time up (though I'm not getting my hopes up), as I have only two years in at this point.
 
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