Husband applying for the STA-21 program

[apureflame14]

Hey guys..I have a few questions and you all seem so knowledgeable about this stuff My husband just started prototype last week. He wants to apply to the STA-21 program but prototype is very overwhelming right now and I don't want to bog him down with questions...so...

1. Since he already started prototype, he would finish until around July. Then what? Do we have to report somewhere else and then find out if he gets selected just to move back here? I have a full time job here and really don't want to leave if that can be helped. I thought I had read somewhere that orders were placed on hold until results came out..does that mean once he finishes prototype, he kinda waits around until results come out? When does that even happen?

2. When would school start? Does he have to apply to school on his own and then he goes in the following Spring? What if you dont get accepted the college?

3. So once he goes through the college and officer thing, he would have to go through the entire pipeline again as an officer - is that right?

4. Since starting prototype, he's debating whether he even wants to apply. I don't want to push him to do anything he doesn't want to do but he did so well in a-school and power school but he understands that this is more reflective of what life is "really" like for him out in the fleet and he's not 100% he wants to sign up for that. I think it's new and he's overwhelmed just like everyone else there right now. But just in case, what's the job front like on the outside? I thought I was going to be a Navy wife so I don't really know what he would even do on the outside really or what the job security and financial aspects are out there.

Sorry, I know you guys jump on people who don't know too much - but I'm just a wife! Just trying to learn more without stressing the husband out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

[MMM]

Check the STA-21 website for time lines and other useful info.

Typically, if he graduates before the results come out, he will be kept on hold until they do. If he wants to be a nuke officer, he will go through NNPTC and NPTU again (I think a SWO-N goes to the fleet first).

There are a lot of post navy opportunities out there, both in nuclear power and out.

[Cycoticpenguin]

Your husband is in the right place. If he graduates with his NEC and gets pick up STA-21 he can make rank as well while being in college (he'd be capped to E-5, then as long as hes not an electrician, he should make e-6 pretty fast. While not important, it would be nice to have that under your belt).

1) He would be kept on hold while waiting for his results.

2) I had crap highschool GPA, I looked around and applied to a few colleges (purdue, U of M, and Mi State for starters) and was QUICKLY accepted. That really wont be an issue for him.

3) Yes, but no A-school obviously.

4) Prototype is nothing compared to being out in the fleet. It may seem overwhelming, but thats just how it is. If he;s having difficulties coping with student life, he may be wise to question himself as an officer in the fleet (feel free to chime in gamecock). They have a lot of stress the enlisted boys (at least the <e-7 types) dont have to deal with.



My 2 cents -> If hes going to do it, now is the time. Hes in a great position, hes young, hes still fresh in the navy, so his ideologies havent been smashed yet . If hes up for it, I suggest he take a peice of advice given to me late in my naval career "Take everything you can get from the Navy". I think STA-21 is a great way to do that. Not to mention, watch officers are worth oh so much more then us blue collar working types

[MMM]

FYI: If he's at the NPTU in NY, we've got briefs coming up for all potential applicants in early Feb, I imagine SC is doing the same. The briefs are required up here.

[goobs22xx]

Your husband is in the right place. If he graduates with his NEC and gets pick up STA-21 he can make rank as well while being in college (he'd be capped to E-5, then as long as hes not an electrician, he should make e-6 pretty fast. While not important, it would be nice to have that under your belt).

2) I had crap highschool GPA, I looked around and applied to a few colleges (purdue, U of M, and Mi State for starters) and was QUICKLY accepted. That really wont be an issue for him.

Just wanted to add in some stuff.

First, you do not get capped to E-5 for STA 21. That's one of those myths that gets perpetuated due to it being correct when discussing the old enlisted commissioning program. I can attest that there are roughly 20 E-4s at the Citadel right now in the STA-21 program.

As far as the timeline goes, results will come out in Oct-Nov-ish, he'd transfer to NSI in RI for 8 weeks in late Feb, and then start school in the summer. You have to be accepted to a college and have a degree plan submitted to Pensacola prior to getting orders, so he will be very crunched for time. If he intends to go to a larger school (ex: Auburn, UT, South Carolina) he will need to apply prior to results coming out in order to ensure that he meets the time requirements. Some smaller schools (ex: The Citadel, SUNY Maritime, U of Idaho) have a pretty blanket acceptance policy for STA-21s, especially Nukes. He'll be given a dream sheet where he can list three schools, so having one of the guarantees is a good bet. The Citadel even goes so far as to send out emails to all selectees to try to recruit them to go to school here. Since you mentioned staying where you are now with a full time job, I'm assuming you're still in Charleston for Prototype and interested in going to the Citadel. If you'd like to shoot me a PM, I can answer any specific questions you have about anything about the process or the school.

And to MMM, yes, SWO-Ns do SWO non-nuke div-o tours prior to going back through the pipeline.