Mostly pure speculation on my part. And that is based on reports from midshipmen as well as NROTC class advisers regarding big Navy's emphasis on mids getting tech degrees. I'm simply making the leap from what is occurring now at the pre-commissioning phase of one's career to several years down the road where it is possible that having that "check in the box" may looked highly upon.
You mean like, whether you have a masters degree or not.....or whether you have the JPME box checked. Yea, things that don't have shit to do with your performance.
It will give you a better APC score, which (as far as I know) sits in a dark corner of your ODC. I seem to recall some programs at NPS require a minimum APC score (although it's probably waiverable), and my guess is that NPS and/or War College are the only folks who look at it (I'm guessing it also factors into the Test Pilot package). I'm not sure how the score is viewed, but it's a 3-digit # where the first # reflects your overall gpa, the second # reflects how much math you've had, and the third reflects your Technical Qual Code (technical curricula stuff).
You just made my point for me. Neither the JPME requirement nor the masters degree has jack shit to do with your performance, but yet somehow they are taken into account in the boards. I understand your point on getting the extra kudos for initiative by getting a masters. But the same can be said about getting a technical degree as well.