That's the rumor I've been hearing as well. From academy friends apparently again this year there was an NFO draft from those who picked SWO first. Well I guess this bodes well for me! Here's to 1370...
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service selection (Spring '08)
- Thread starter CommodoreMid
- Start date
That's the rumor I've been hearing as well. From academy friends apparently again this year there was an NFO draft from those who picked SWO first. Well I guess this bodes well for me! Here's to 1370...
Im not a boat school type so I dont know how accurate this is, but I had heard that in order to get USMC your chances are slim if you do not do Leatherneck. So in a sense you cant wait to long to decide to go USMC. Correct? or am I way off the mark.
There was a 1390 draft last year too, for physically qualified candidates.
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
I thought it was like NROTC where you have to go through OCS/Leathernecks. I guess not.
I'm pretty sure OCS =/= Leatherneck. OCS is a one or two summer course for MO. Leatherneck is a summer program for Academy types, but is not organized like OCS.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
You are correct. Bulldog = Shortened version of OCS for NROTC types. It is run by the OCS Staff. Leatherneck = Shortened version of TBS for Academy types. It is run by USNA Marines, overseen by TBS staff. Some of that staff are handpicked 2ndLt's who have just graduated.
If you want to commission in the Marine Corps, you must do one of them (save for special case exception), depending on your commissioning source. I don't know a whole lot about Bulldog, but for Leatherneck it's an evaluation period and the Marines stationed at USNA assign you a letter grade for your performance during Leatherneck, A-F. If you get lower than a B, you'll be hard pressed to commission in the USMC. Not saying you can't, just that it will be hard. If you get a D or F, forget about it. I got an A. Some of my classmates who were gung-ho, fired up and wanted USMC didn't look too thrilled when they walked out of the office having just found out they got a D. They got motivated about the Navy pretty quick.
As for the handpicked 2ndLt's, they are generally all in the top 10% of the graduating class from TBS. There's also one or two Capt's that are from TBS to oversee the whole thing. I've done it from both sides, as a Midn and as a 2ndLt so I can pretty much answer any questions they may come up about it.
There are exceptions to Leatherneck, but they are far and few between. If you don't want to do it (some sort of once in a lifetime training opportunity presents itself, like an exchange to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst) then the Marine staff at the Naval Academy better know who you are, can recognize you by face and/or name, and you had better get involved with Semper Fi quick.
adam28270
New Member
PhrogPilot. When you say shortened TBS for Academy MIDS, I assume you are talking about just a testing period to prepare people for OCS/TBS. The reason I ask, is everyone I know at the academy thats a Marine is at TBS in Quantico right now. Kindof like the Pre-Mini Buds right?
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Very simliar to Mini-Buds. When I say it's a shortened TBS, I mean that the curriculum/schedule mirrors TBS, only in a shorter time frame (4 weeks for Leatherneck vice 6 months for TBS). It's not really designed to prepare you for TBS (Academy grads don't go to OCS), but it gives an opportunity for the Marine staff at USNA (the ones who determine come service selection time, who selects Marine Corps) to evaluate a midshipman for his potential to be a Marine Officer.
You still have to go through TBS when you graduate.
Just talked to my XO....1370. Yay! Now to wait for orders....
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
Oh really?!? I've heard that about phog dudes.
All kidding aside, they used to have ALL middies go through some form of OCS/TBS during their summer before their second year. Do they still do that? I remember seeing some fairly misreable looking dudes when I was at OCS (I believe they were in Mike Co) that were clearly not going to go USMC but were there because they had no choice.
Also, is there any thruth to the story that the academy stopped sending mids to OCS proper because the navy didn't want to commission the ones that failed out?
Back in the late 80's mids had to go to OCS to be eligible for USMC (i'm told). The story I was told is that the ones who didn't make it were commissioned in the navy upon graduation from the academy. Somebody eventually asked "Hey, if this kid isn't good enough to be a Marine, why are we commissioning him at all?". Then they pulled the plug. True or urban legend?
By the way, this wasn't intended to start a flame war or be disrespectful to the navy (which I do a lot, but not this time). Just curious.