Career Development

Training Course
Commissioning Programs
 Enabling Objectives

 LIST the basic qualification requirements

needed to apply for commissioning programs
and their associated benefits
 IDENTIFY commissioning paths available
 DISCUSS critical application timelines and
limitations
 References
 Enlisted to Officer Commissioning Programs Administrative
Manual, OPNAVINST 1420.1 (Series)
 Naval Military Personnel Manual (MILPERSMAN), NAVPERS 15560
 Medical Enlisted Commissioning Programs,
https://www.med.navy.mil/Naval-Medical-Leader-and-Professional-
Development-Command/Professional-Development/Enlisted-
Commissioning-Programs/-Medical-Enlisted-Commissioning-
Programs-/
 Officer Training Command,
https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-
Command/OTCN/OCS/
 Seaman to Admiral-21 Program,
https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-
Command/STA-21/
 United States Naval Academy, www.usna.edu/homepage.php
 Commissioning
Programs
 Purpose – to provide opportunities for enlisted personnel
to obtain a commission.
 Program types:
 Seaman to Admiral-21 (STA-21)
 United States Naval Academy and Naval Academy
Preparatory School (NAPS)
 Officer Candidate School (OCS)
 Chief Warrant Officer/Limited Duty Officer (CWO/LDO)
 Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP)
 Medical Service Corps In-Service Procurement Program
(MSC-IPP)
 Human Resources In-Service Procurement Program (HR-
ISPP)
 Basic Requirements
 Must be a U.S. citizen (no waivers)

 Must be physically qualified (normal vision, color

and depth perception)

 Must meet age requirement (varies by designator)

 Testing (varies by program):

 OCS- Officer Aptitude Rating (OAR)
 AOCS- Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB)
 Math/Verbal (MVT)
 Mechanical Comprehension Test (MCT)
 USNA, STA-21, MECP- SAT/ACT
 Basic Requirements cont…

 Recommended by CO

 Good moral character

 Have no NJPs within last 36 months

 Have a security clearance

 Program Education
 Commissioning programs that PROVIDE a degree:
 STA-21
 USNA
 MECP
 MSC-IPP (requires degree AND provides higher degree)

 Commissioning programs that REQUIRE a degree:

 OCS
 MSC-IPP
 HR-ISPP

 Commissioning programs that DO NOT REQUIRE a

degree:
 CWO
 LDO
 Seaman to Admiral
(STA-21)
 Provides opportunity for enlisted Sailors to complete
baccalaureate degree and commission as an officer.

 Allows Sailors to apply for core program, target

group option, or both (core offers more flexibility in
major and schools).

 Core program Sailors will:

 Be assigned an Unrestricted line (URL) Navy officer
designator upon commissioning
 Request URL designator in final year of study and will be
selected based off of officer community goals
 STA-21 Target Group
Options
 Civil Engineer Corps  Medical Corps
 Pilot  Surface Warfare officer
 Naval Flight Officer  Human Resources
 Nurse Corps  Nuclear
 Special Warfare  Oceanography
 Supply Corps  Explosive Ordinance
 Intel Disposal
 Information Warfare
 STA-21 Participants
 STA-21 participants WILL:
 Receive full pay, allowances, and benefits
 Be eligible for enlisted advancement
 Receive up to $10,000 per academic year to help pay for
college expenses (tuition, books, fees)
 Participate in tailored preparatory program
 Attend school year-round

 STA-21 participants WILL NOT

 Be eligible for TA
 Be eligible for Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP) (some
special pays in the Special Warfare Option may continue)

NOTE: Time spent in school will not count towards retirement,

however, it will count towards pay purposes.
 STA-21 Application Procedures

 Comprised of two parts:

 Part 1 by Sailor online:
https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-
Service-Training-Command/STA-21/STA-21-
Program/
 Part 2 by Command (mail-in portion)

 Packages must be postmarked by 1 July

 References: OPNAVINST 1420.1 (Series) chapter

8 and current NAVADMIN
 U.S. Naval Academy
(USNA)
 Provides 4 years of college education and navy
training.
 Results in a commission as an Ensign, USN.
 Eligibility:
 Must be at least 17 years old and must not have
passed their 23rd birthday on 1 July of the entrance
year (no waivers)
 Must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no
incurred obligations of parenthood
 Have vision correctable to 20/20 and normal color
perception
 Attain SAT/ACT minimums:
 1050 or 46 (English & math); within 2 years
 Naval Academy
Preparatory School (NAPS)
 Provides intensive instruction and preparation
for the academic, military, and physical training
at the U.S. Naval Academy.

 Must not be older than 22, as of 1 July of the

entrance year.

 Occurs a year prior to the enrollment as a

freshman at the Naval Academy.

 Participant will be appointed to the USNA upon

successful completion of NAPS.
 USNA Pay and Obligations

 Students at the Naval Academy:

 Are Midshipman, USN
 Receive:
 Midshipman pay
 Free tuition room, and board
 Must obligate 5 years of active duty, and 3 years
of Reserve upon initial appointment.

 References:
 OPNAVINST 1420.1(series), chapter 3
 https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/index.php
 Officer Candidate School

 Is a commissioning program for individuals possessing a

minimum of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited
institution.

 Applicants may choose, depending on individual

qualifications, designators within the Unrestricted Line,
Restricted Line, and certain Staff Corps designators.

 Eligibility and benefits:

 OPNAVINST 1420.1(series), chapter 4
 Age limits based on designator (19 to 42)
 Provides 12 weeks of officer candidate indoctrination and
training at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island
 E-4 and below applicants are advanced to E-5 upon
reporting to OCS
 OCS Designators

 Surface Warfare  Intelligence

 Pilot  Supply Corps
 Naval Flight Officer  Information Warfare
 Submarine  Public Affairs Officer
 Special Warfare  Oceanography
 Explosive Ordnance  Civil Engineering Corps
Disposal
 Nuclear Power Instructor
 Engineering Duty
 Surface Nuclear
 Aviation Maintenance Duty
 Information Professional
 Limited Duty Officer
(LDO)
 Provides for commissioning as Naval Line or Staff Corps
Officers for Petty Officer First Class or Chief Petty Officers for
the performance of duty in broad technical fields related to
their former rating.
 Eligibility:
 Must be a PO1 or CPO (E-7 to E-9).
 Must have at least 8, but not more than 14 years of active
duty service.
 One year time-in-grade as of 1 Oct of the application year.
 E6 candidates additional requirements:
 Meet eligibility requirements for E-7 except TIR and LTC.
 Selection board eligible on current E-7 exam.

References: OPNAVINST 1420.1(series), chapter 7 and most

recent NAVADMIN.
 Chief Warrant Officer
(CWO)
 Provides a pathway for commissioning as Naval Officers who
are the technical specialists for the occupational specialty of
their enlisted ratings.
 Eligibility:
 Must be a CPO (E-7 to E-9), including a PO1 selected for CPO
 14 to 20 years TIS for E7-E8 candidates (CWO2)
 14 to 22 years for E9 candidates (CWO3)
 6 to 14 years TIS for E-5 and above (Cyber Warrant Officer
(WO1)
 Have no NJPs, courts-martial, or civilian felony convictions in
last 36 months as of 1 Oct of the application year

References: OPNAVINST 1420.1(series), chapter 7 and most

recent NAVADMIN
 Medical Enlisted
Commissioning Program
(MECP)
 Provides up to 36 months of study at a university
having an accredited nursing program.
 Is open to all active duty enlisted personnel.
 Provides a full-time opportunity for enlisted
personnel to earn a baccalaureate degree in
nursing and a commission in the Nurse Corps.
 Features:
 Receive full pay, allowances, and benefits
 Must pay all tuition, books, and fees, but may use GI
Bill (use of TA is not authorized)
 MECP Eligibility
Requirements
 Reference: OPNAVINST 1420.1 (series), chapter 5
 Must be commissioned by 42nd birthday.
 Have no in-service drug or alcohol abuse or
felony convictions.
 Have completed a minimum 30 semester hours
or 45 quarter hours in undergraduate coursework
with a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
 Attain SAT/ACT minimums: 1,000 or 42
(combined); no more than 3 years old.
 Have applied for acceptance or transfer into a
nursing program.
 Medical Service Corps In-
Service Procurement
Program (MSC-IPP)
 MSC IPP offers a wide range of undergraduate
and graduate training opportunities in a variety
of Medical Service Corps specialties leading to a
commission in the Medical Service Corps.

 Eligibility and benefits:

 OPNAVINST 1420.1(series), chapter 6
 Must be in paygrades E5-E9
 Sailors receive full pay and allowances at their current
enlisted paygrade
 Must commission by 42nd birthday (no waivers)
 Are eligible to take advancement exams
 Training is fully funded
 MSC-IPP Options
 Pharmacy
 Health Care Administration
 Radiation Health
 Social Work
 Industrial Hygiene
 Physician Assistant
 Environmental Health
 Additional Commissioning
Opportunities

 JAG-IPP
 Commission as Judge Advocate General Corps
Officer, Program Authorization 111A

 Human Resources Officer-ISPP

 Commission as a Human Resources Officer,
Program Authorization 109

 Aerial Vehicle Operator Warrant Officer

 Commission as a WO1 operator of the MQ-25
Platform, Program Authorization 106A
 Knowledge Check
1. Which commissioning program application is due
1 July?
2. Which commissioning program allows Sailors to
receive full pay and allowances while attending
college, but does not pay for tuition, book, or
fees?
3. Which commissioning program is looking for
technical managers that are progressively
advanced within a broad technical field?
4. Which commissioning program is looking for
technical specialists that possess extensive
experience and knowledge within a given
occupational specialty?
 Summary and
Review
 In this lesson we discussed:
 Basic qualification requirements needed to
apply for commissioning programs

 Benefits of commissioning

 Commissioning paths available

 Application timelines and limitations

Commissioning
Programs