u/cybersarge1

I’m graduating college this year, and I’ve been considering joining the Guard and pursuing OCS. I’ve been talking to a few people in the Guard, and they mentioned that State OCS was absolutely terrible and basically a huge haze fest. I’ve also heard that Federal OCS is a much better experience. I was curious if that’s actually true, and whether having the guard send me Federal OCS instead is something that’s actually worth fighting for in your contract.

Hello! This question is for any Naval Officers who commissioned through NROTC. I previously participated in Army ROTC but I’m considering switching to the Navy and wanted to know how the experience compares. For example In Army ROTC most of our labs are centered around warrior tasks and field exercises, such as land navigation, patrolling, squad tactics, and spending time in the woods learning offensive and defensive operations. Between our junior and senior years, we attend Cadet Summer Training which lasts a little over 30 days and evaluates us on those skills. After successfully completing camp, we can rank our preferred branches (career fields) and interview for them. Those include fields like Infantry, Logistics, Signal, Military Intelligence, Aviation, and others.
I’m curious how the Navy ROTC experience compares.

A few questions I have:
What are your weekly labs typically like?
What do your summer training cruises consist of, and when do they usually take place?
How are service assignments or career fields selected after commissioning?
What are some of the career opportunities available to new Naval Officers?
Is there much emphasis on field training, or is it more focused on shipboard operations, leadership, and technical skills?

I have a question about a unique situation. I understand that in order to commission as an officer, you need to have at least a bachelor’s degree. However, I was wondering if it is possible to participate in ROTC and commission while enrolled in an associate degree program or a two-year certification program if I have already completed a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, I already have prior military experience, so I should be able to bypass the MS1 and MS2 years.