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15 SEP2025 SNA/SNFO BOARD

Rainold said:
I'm wondering if there's any rhyme or reason some got an email and others didn't. Was everyone who got it prior service perhaps? I'm on the IWC board, non-prior, and didn't get one.
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I'm reasonably sure it's a big nothing-burger. The message looked auto-generated by the Navy's Applicant Relationship Management (ARM) system (and not all that official either – it literally begins with "Hi" and routed straight to my spam folder). If you set up an applicant account through this Navy recruiting page months ago when starting the process to contact a recruiter, then you might have received the message.
 
I received the email and freaked out until I realized it’s a link into the application portal that has been modernized with a new look
 
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Jowen872 said:
What if your LOR is a former naval aviator and STFI(top gun) winner?
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Nope, the board doesn't even look at them for aviation, that is why most recruiters don't have people bother and try to get them.

There are some designators they do such as Supply or IWC, in those cases they are looking for LOR's from people who have directly seen you perform over time, at least 6 months, otherwise they aren't worth anything much like LOR's from family and friends.

If a person has a moral waiver they may do a quick read but the above parameters would still apply.
 
Well that’s discouraging. I talked to
exNavyOffRec said:
Nope, the board doesn't even look at them for aviation, that is why most recruiters don't have people bother and try to get them.

There are some designators they do such as Supply or IWC, in those cases they are looking for LOR's from people who have directly seen you perform over time, at least 6 months, otherwise they aren't worth anything much like LOR's from family and friends.

If a person has a moral waiver they may do a quick read but the above parameters would still apply.
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Well that’s discouraging. I talked to a NA Captain that works in the office of the CNP. He told me that the board looks at LORs because it’s not just about making Pilots, it’s also about making sure we have good Naval Officers.
 
I’ve never understood the heavy emphasis on ASTB scores. That probably explains why, throughout my enlisted career as an AW, I’ve seen so many NFOS and NAs who are weak at influencing, strategic planning, and sharing decision-making with enlisted personnel(I can only speak for the maritime patrol community). Despite $65k reenlistment bonuses for AWs, hardly anyone wants to stay in the maritime patrol community—even with the per diem lifestyle and the fact that they never step foot on a ship. To me, that speaks to poor leadership.

At this point, they might as well make SNA and NFO warrant officer roles. Letters of Recommendation should be taken more seriously to highlight the applicant's leadership success. And yes, I get the counterargument: “But they need to make sure you can pass flight school.” Still, I believe this system does more harm than good when it promotes individuals who can score high on a test but can’t lead effectively a command.
 
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exNavyOffRec said:
...There are some designators they do such as Supply or IWC...
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Not sure what this portends, but when I raised the question of gathering LORs for my IWC package, my recruiter expressly told me not to worry about them "because the board understands every applicant doesn't know an Admiral or Congressman."

Granted, my package still had all of my prior NCOERs and joint school evals, so I imagine it's pretty clear what my prior command teams/ instructors thought about me. Still, if LORs really are weighty components for some OCS packages, it'd be great for that guidance to be a little more...well, established? Or at least not so heavily influenced by whatever schizophrenic hearsay might be circulating around...
 
Bito B said:
Well that’s discouraging. I talked to

Well that’s discouraging. I talked to a NA Captain that works in the office of the CNP. He told me that the board looks at LORs because it’s not just about making Pilots, it’s also about making sure we have good Naval Officers.
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Lol that is the PC answer, the fact is they need to pick those with the best chance of making through the pipeline.
 
Gandalf_Actual said:
Not sure what this portends, but when I raised the question of gathering LORs for my IWC package, my recruiter expressly told me not to worry about them "because the board understands every applicant doesn't know an Admiral or Congressman."

Granted, my package still had all of my prior NCOERs and joint school evals, so I imagine it's pretty clear what my prior command teams/ instructors thought about me. Still, if LORs really are weighty components for some OCS packages, it'd be great for that guidance to be a little more...well, established? Or at least not so heavily influenced by whatever schizophrenic hearsay might be circulating around...
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The board members know and several have told me in the past that anyone can blow smoke for 30 minutes to get a good LOR. That is why they want to see in the LOR how long the person has known the applicant.
 
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