Different Paths to become a US Navy Captain?
Submitted by admin on February 6, 2010 – 7:59 am5 Comments
Mr. Smith asked:
So I am 18, got close to 60 college credits and have 2 years of college left. I am considering going career Navy as an officer and I eventually want to work my way up to becoming a Captain of a large vessel. Now what is the best type of officer to be to accomplish this in the shortest amount of time? Also would it be possible to do aviation until a certain rank and then transfer over to something more related to Captaining a ship?
Thanks!
subs
a family friend flew jets and eventually was captain of the independence…it is a trickier path to go though.
if your goal is to drive a boat then I think the best way is to go subs.
US Naval Academy.
If you want to be a Navy Captain in command of a large ship, you really need to have a ring on your finger that says “United States Naval Academy”.
Being Catholic helps, too.
Here are your chances of making Captain (O-6) in the Navy (or any branch for that matter):
Out of 100 new 2LTs/Ensigns maybe 5 will make O-6 in 24-26 years and 1 will make 1-Star rank.
If you only have 2 years of college left and you want to commission as a Navy Ensign, if your present university has an NROTC program or if NROTC is available at a cross town school you should contact them soon, because you need to complete the summer training at Newport to be eligible for the 2 year NROTC advanced course. If you want to become a Captain of a large Naval vessel in the shortest amount of time, you would choose SWO(surface warfare officer.) If the Navy pays for flight school, they are not going to allow a transfer to another area for a while unless an aviator became physically unable to perform. Flight school for naval aviator involves a 4 additional year commitment after earning one’s wings. If your goal is to become a Captain of a large commercial vessel in the shortest time possible, then you should be pursuing a Coast Guard issued Merchant Marine Deck Officer’s license at usmma, or one of the six state maritime academies.
Good Luck!