[ivan is terrible 75]

Okay, here's the relatively simple way it works.

In order to be a commander you must be an officer. To do this, there are 3 ways the navy will make officers. 1. The Naval Academy Midshipmen, 2. ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Midshipmen, and 3. OCS (Officer Candidate School). Each of these are designed to produce Ensigns, or an O-1. Enlisted members of the navy can, through their performance/testing/intelligence, be recommended for one of these 3 Officer Accession Programs. The Naval Academy and ROTC give you a college education during your military training, and to even be considered for OCS, you must have graduated college.

For the Academy and ROTC, the way the ranks work are like so:

Freshman = Midshipman 4/c (4th class)
Sophomore = Midshipman 3/c (3rd class)...etc.

Within these two programs you also have your own chain of command, to develop your leadership skills as an officer. These range from Squad Leader, Platoon Commander (Midshipman Ensign), Company Commander (Midshipman Lieutenant Commander), Battalion XO (Midshipman Commander), Battalion CO (Midshipman Captain). There are many other billets to fill in OPs, ADMIN, and LOGs, filling in the other "Midshipman _________" ranks.

During the summers you actually deploy to the fleet to continue your training on an actual vessel or in a flight squadron. I'm currently waiting to recieve my orders for my submarine tour for this summer.

MIDN who will be 3/cs go on a tour that's supposed to help you figure out which service you want to be in, be it surface, submarine, aviation, or marine. you spend a little time with each group and get a crash course in each. Last year i sank two old spruance destroyers while i was on the USS Ramage, DDG 61. I flew a t-34, i shot every weapon in the marine corps' arsenal, and spent a few days underway on the USS Boise, SSN 764...so yeah.

MIDN who will be 2/cs and 1/cs go on a tour with one vessel, and learn what its like to be a junior officer while on board.

This whole time, during the school year, you're actually attending classes, earning your degree. In the end of your Junior year (2/c), you service select. Based on many different things like GPA, Physical Aptitude, Personal preference, and the "needs of the navy," you are ranked among all the other people who will be commissioned with you, from the Academy, ROTC, and OCS alike.

If you select submarines, you will first attend an interview with an Admiral, the guy who's in charge of the whole submarine fleet of the US navy. Kind of an important guy, to say the least. If he deems you an acceptable sailor for his sub fleet, you will wait until you get your degree, then you are commissioned as an Ensign, then attend Nuclear Power School and other schools before you can even step foot and take charge of men on a boat.

Once you get there, you will most likely stand engineering watch while you try to qualify in all the areas and earn your gold dolphins. after this, it's a trip through the ranks, following procedures and what not, as dept. head and what not. On submarines, at the rank of Lieutenant Commander, you will most likely become an XO, and if you become a Commander, you will most likely be given command of your own boat. By this time you pretty much know everything about submarines, and you are an extremely intelligent person.


I hope this is an in depth enough step by step approach to it all..

happy hunting.


John W. Pasichnyk,
MIDN 2/C USNR
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL