The Boat School Boys

[Renegade One]

First off, in full disclosure, I'm a USNA grad.

My experience is that there are differences between the commissioning sources...in the same way that there are differences within each commissioning source...each year group...each OCS class etc...because they are all composed of individuals.

And for any wannabe trying to decide which path to take...go whichever path works for you.

My 2 cents...

Good post. Fair and balanced.

Truth: Think of any hydraulic system...USNA and NROTC (to a slightly lesser extent...) are the "predictable, engineered throughput that drives the machine". OCS (AOCS in my day....) is the "accumulator/sump/surge drive" that kicks in when and if required...can increase pressure (throughput) or throttle it back (as required) to "modulate needed pressure on the system".

The three absolutely rely on the others...

"Now these are the Laws of the Navy,
Unwritten and varied they be;
And he who is wise will observe them,
Going down in his ship to the sea.
...
No man seeth the piston,
But it driveth the ship none the less."

 

[rondebmar]

Good post. Fair and balanced.

Truth: Think of any hydraulic system...USNA and NROTC (to a slightly lesser extent...) are the "predictable, engineered throughput that drives the machine". OCS (AOCS in my day....) is the "accumulator/sump/surge drive" that kicks in when and if required...can increase pressure (throughput) or throttle it back (as required) to "modulate needed pressure on the system".

The three absolutely rely on the others...

"Now these are the Laws of the Navy,
Unwritten and varied they be;
And he who is wise will observe them,
Going down in his ship to the sea.
...
No man seeth the piston,
But it driveth the ship none the less."

R1 ...And the Nav/MarCad ...(oh-oh - I might regret posing this question) ...in what lofty position might he be in your analogy?

 

[Renegade One]

R1 ...And the Nav/MarCad ...(oh-oh - I might regret posing this question) ...in what lofty position might he be in your analogy?

Just not familiar enough with those programs to know. What would you say? We're they the older 2-years of college and then flight training programs? I think they provided a whole heap of the flyers that won WWII for us, if I'm on the same page. V5 and V12 programs...those related?

 

[BusyBee604]

Just not familiar enough with those programs to know. What would you say? We're they the older 2-years of college and then flight training programs? I think they provided a whole heap of the flyers that won WWII for us, if I'm on the same page. V5 and V12 programs...those related?

At the tine of my NAVCAD selection, required 2 years of college (or pass cquivalency test), plus all associated medical & aero aptitude tests/exams. NAVCADs received the same API as the recently butter-barred O's...except for liberty policy/mandatory evening study. N/Cs were winged & commissioned at the same ceremony upon completing advanced.

N/Cs in for 4 years from wings/comm, depending on excellent basic flight grade, at my time a voluntary two year extension would guarantee jets! Also we were not allowed to be married. I met 2 who divorced to enter program with the intention to 'remarry' upon commissioning. Also several secretly were/remained married & not caught.

Another little known perq was the N/C commission DOR was back-dated to the basic completion month (~6 mo.), so only 1-yr. to JG. It gave us a nice 'leg up' on DOR, over most college ROTC/USNA summer commissionees! NAVCAD had a significant share of very successful Officer leaders/Aviators

R1, believe the V-XX Programs, much akin to N/Cs, were rush buildups during WWII.
BzB

 

[Renegade One]

At the tine of my NAVCAD selection, required 2 years of college (or pass cquivalency test), plus all associated medical & aero aptitude tests/exams. NAVCADs received the same API as the recently butter-barred O's...except for liberty policy/mandatory evening study. N/Cs were winged & commissioned at the same ceremony upon completing advanced.

N/Cs in for 4 years from wings/comm, depending on excellent basic flight grade, at my time a voluntary two year extension would guarantee jets! Also we were not allowed to be married. I met 2 who divorced to enter program with the intention to 'remarry' upon commissioning. Also several secretly were/remained married & not caught.

Another little known perq was the N/C commission DOR was back-dated to the basic completion month (~6 mo.), so only 1-yr. to JG. It gave us a nice 'leg up' on DOR, over most college ROTC/USNA summer commissionees! NAVCAD had a significant share of very successful Officer leaders/Aviators

R1, believe the V-XX Programs, much akin to N/Cs, were rush buildups during WWII.
BzB

Great...thanks. Good info.

 

[BusyBee604]

Just not familiar enough with those programs to know.

BTW, I failed to mention the Aviation Officer Candidate (AOC) Program of that era. Required a college BA/BS degree. AOC classed up every two 0dd weeks [ex. class 43-56], alternating w/ N/C class every two even weeks [44-56].

AOCs & N/Cs did identical API, same uniform/pay, same DI treatment Major difference, AOCs commissioned upon graduation API, entering primary as ENSs. This occasionally made for some awkward situations, when a "that guy" new AOC ("Lead?") ENS tried bullying a Cadet with his new-found power. Primary IPs put a stop to that s**t immediately! Many lifelong friendships were rooted in the API common experience, N/C & AOC alike!

*N/C BzB - primary 1957

 

[blackbart22]

When I was about to complete flight training and get commisioned, a friend complained to the detailer because for the previous six weeks no NAVCAD got a VA(prop) squadron. NAVCADs got VAW flying guppys or VU. The detailer told him that he was mistaken, NAVCADs were as apt to get single squadrons. Three guys graduated from ATU- 301 that week, two got VA(prop) and one got VAW-11. There was one NAVCAD, guess who "got to fly the gutless guppy through the sky".
That made seven weeks. Confronted with this evidence, the detailer said " OK, so we don't give NAVCADs "career enhancing billets. They don't stay in anyway."