<p>Bill - you make an outstanding point in your last sentence there. One of the problems with USNA is that it doesnt prepare Mids for the reality of life. It’s very focused on training mids to lead mids. It’s not very focused on the sheer basics like how to live independently as an adult, how to manage your finances, what to do when SN Numnuts cant manage his finances, etc. When I was there, everything you needed to “pay” for was automatically taken out of your paycheck and you got a lump sum or a bill at the end when you graduated. There was no balancing a checkbook or paying off credit cards like in the real world, so how are these young officers supposed to learn how to do it? The most important thing that isnt even remotely mentioned at USNA, like you mentioned, is career ownership. I didnt actually own my career and have things I wanted to accomplish until I put on LT. My focus as an Ens/JG was to get my work done, get through the day, and get off the ship to a shore tour. I fortunately was stationed at the Pentagon where I learned that you can say no to anyone regardless of rank when it comes to career issues. Long story short, I ended up lateral transferring out of subs after numerous failed attempts through a lot of hard work, networking, and by playing a little hardball. The Navy will always be able to claim its pound of flesh, but at the end of the day, if you give everything and dont get anything in return, you’ll end up being an O5 getting passed over and wondering where things went wrong.</p>