Can an enlisted sailor be "promoted" to an officer?

Question

If I were to enlist in the Navy straight out of high school is there a certain rank which once reached would allow me to become an officer (degree pending)? And could I even obtain such a degree while still a sailor?

Answer 1

To become an officer after you enlist, you can put in for the STA21 program. That is the Seaman to Admrial program. Either you can go to the Naval Academy or go to college, get your degree and go to Officer Canidate School (OCS). While enlisted you can work on your degree by either taking classes on the ship and enroll in school while on shore duty. There are many ways to earn college credit while in the Navy. I have 38 credits that apply to an Associates Degree in Engineering and have not attended a single class. They are from the training I recieved to work on electronics. You only need to ask questions to the right people and they are The Educational Services Officer and the Navy College Office, which each base has.

Answer 2

NO. To become and officer from the enlisted ranks you can put in a package for the Seaman to Admiral Program. There are numerous programs within this program that allow you to go to college to get your degree and then become and officer. You can also stay in the Navy long enough to become a 1st class Petty Officer and then you can take your normal advancement exam to be considered for a Limited Duty Officer. Or you can go to school, get your degree then put in a package to be considered for OCS for various officer programs. There are ways to go enlisted to officer, but there is no magical paygrade where you can just switch over. Do your research to decide if you really want to be an officer for all the right reasons. Learn what being an officer is all about. There is a lot more to it than the uniform. Being enlisted is a lot of fun. Being an officer is a lot of paperwork and supervising. Not to many breaks if you mess up, there is nobody to blame buy you in most situations. Enlisted people can go to tons of different schools. They can switch jobs during their career, they can act stupid and have fun and get away with it because all eyes aren't on them 24/7. Make sure you want this for the right reasons. I went into the Navy with three college degrees and went enlisted. I decided I wanted to check stuff out first. I learned that being enlisted doesn't have as cool of a uniform, but the job was way more fun than what officers do.

Answer 3

What they call a "mustange" is what an officer cannot experience on the enlisted side. Boot camp, enlisted troubles with everything, and that front line of defense. If the navy feels that there is an enlisted that could join the officer ranks than that alone should be commended. Front line experience and knowing more about your troops than that of one who has never experienced it, is invaluable. Tell me how many admirals have front line experience, know about and value each and every sailor and what he/she brings to their unit, and can command instant and almost certain respect among both enlisted and officer ranks. Ask any warrent officer how many problems they have with getting any job done.

Answer 4

Yes, there are several paths to comissioning. one is LDO..Limited Duty Officer. you must be an E6 who has screened for E7 in order to put in a packet. then there are Warrant Officers. youmust be an E7 before you can put in a packet. or there is STA-21, wehreby you are sent to college onthe Navy's dime where you get a 4 year degree in three years or less all while doing ROTC and at the end you are commissioned. a fourth path is staright OCS.. get your degree on yoru own time and then apply to OCS. this doesn't count communties such as JAG, or Medical, which have different commissioning paths.

Answer 5

Technically you don't promote to officer, but it's a logical next career step for many. So, in effect, you do promote to officer. You've heard about Seaman to Admiral, and were given the website to look at. There is the Warrant Officer Program, in which as a Chief Petty Officer (CPO), you apply, and your application and records are reviewed by a board to determine whether you are Warrant material. There is also the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program, in which as a Petty Officer First Class eligible to participate in the advancement process for CPO (up to one year early for application for LDO), you apply, and your application and records are reviewed by a board to determine whether you are officer material. But you don't technically promote to officer, but you apply and are accepted into the officer ranks.
Also, all Sailors, officer and enlisted alike, are now highly encouraged to earn degrees. There are many programs designed to allow them to earn degrees while on active duty, and advancement to SCPO and MCPO will require completion of Associate's and Bachelor's degrees in a rating related field.

Answer 6

There are programs in the Navy that will lead to a commission, but the effort to get into these programs has to come from you. Seaman to Admiral program is a big one that was started by Admiral Boorda, former CNO that stareted enlisted and worked his way up all the way to CNO. There is also space in the U.S. Naval Academy for enlisted personnel to try and get. It's a hard program to get into, but if you put the effort and try you can make it.

Answer 7

Yes and no...

You can, but in order to do so, you must be promoted during conflict.

If you take courses while enlisted, once you have your degree (batchelor or higher), you are elegible for promotion. Alternatively, if you have the grades and background, you can apply for OCS out of HS. (i.e.: You have the educational credits for a specific diploma, not a general one - and the grades to go with it. A "general" diploma is essentially useless for any form of advanced degree or specialty profession. Talk to a recruiter to see what kind of grades (high) and courses (sciences) you'll need.

Answer 8

If you're going to enlist right away, you can do the STA 21 program (Seaman To Admiral 21). Normally you have to do atleast 2 years of satisfactory active duty services.

Answer 9

Yes if you consider a Warrant Officer

Answer 10

Yes, it happens. They are then called: Mustangs. Usually through exemplary service the promotion is made.