FY-12 SEAMAN TO ADMIRAL-21 PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT:

UNCLASSIFIED//

ROUTINE

R 011808Z APR 11

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC

TO NAVADMIN
AL NAVADMIN

INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC

BT
UNCLAS
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
NAVADMIN 114/11

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/APR//

SUBJ/FY-12 SEAMAN TO ADMIRAL-21 PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAV/14DEC2009//

AMPN/REF A IS OPNAVINST 1420.1B, ENLISTED TO OFFICER COMMISSIONING 
PROGRAMS APPLICATION ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL.//

RMKS/1.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS NAVADMIN IS TO SOLICIT APPLICATIONS AND  
PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR THE FY-12 SEAMAN TO ADMIRAL-21 (STA-21) 
COMMISSIONING PROGRAM.

2.  STA-21 IS A FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION AND COMMISSIONING 
PROGRAM OPEN TO ENLISTED PERSONNEL OF ALL PAYGRADES AND RATINGS WHO MEET 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN REF A AND ON THE STA-21 WEBSITE, 
UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION LINK.  SELECTEES ARE PROVIDED A MAXIMUM OF 36 
MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND STUDY TO COMPLETE A BACCALAUREATE 
DEGREE.  PARTICIPANTS WILL REMAIN ON ACTIVE DUTY WHILE ATTENDING COLLEGE 
AND RECEIVE PAY, ALLOWANCES, BENEFITS, AND PRIVILEGES OF CURRENT 
PAYGRADE.  ADDITIONALLY, SELECTEES WILL RECEIVE AN EDUCATION VOUCHER FOR 
UP TO $10,000 PER YEAR TO COVER TUITION, FEES, AND BOOK COSTS.

3.  DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS FOR THE FY-12 STA-21 PROGRAM 
IS 1 JULY 2011.  HOWEVER, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT APPLICATIONS BE MAILED 
PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE.  APPLICATION PACKAGES MUST BE POSTMARKED ON OR 
BEFORE THE DEADLINE DATE.  DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ADDITIONAL 
DOCUMENTATION TO AN APPLICANT'S PACKAGE IS
1 AUGUST 2011.  NO ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS CAN BE ADDED AFTER THIS DATE.  
THE SELECTION BOARD WILL MEET IN SEPTEMBER 2011.  NAMES OF SELECTEES 
WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY NAVADMIN IN OCTOBER 2011.

4.  LESSONS LEARNED.  THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ADDRESSES LESSONS 
LEARNED FROM THE FY-11 STA-21 SELECTION PROCESS AND BOARD.  THIS 
INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO PRECLUDE COMMON ERRORS.
    A.  OF 745 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED THIS YEAR, ONLY 628 WERE
    BOARD
ELIGIBLE.
    B.  EACH YEAR, PACKAGES ARE STILL NOT CONSIDERED DUE TO NON-
QUALIFYING SAT/ACT TEST SCORES, NO SAT/ACT TEST SCORES SUBMITTED, NO CO 
ENDORSEMENT, RECENT NJP, AND MISSING OR ILLEGIBLE SUBMISSION OF 
DOCUMENTS.
    C.  MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BEFORE SUBMITTING 
AN APPLICATION.  THE SELECTION PROCESS IS EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE.  
APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE MAILED ONLY WHEN FULLY COMPLETE.  OFFICER 
INTERVIEW BOARDS AND THE CO'S PERSONAL INTERVIEW SHOULD ONLY BE 
CONDUCTED AFTER THE APPLICATION IS COMPLETE.  THE FULL PICTURE OF AN 
APPLICANT'S ACADEMIC POTENTIAL CAN ONLY BE DETERMINED BY REVIEWING THE 
SAT/ACT SCORES AND HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS.
    D.  AN INTERVIEW BOARD AND NOMINATION REVIEW BOARD SHALL BE 
CONDUCTED IAW REF A.  IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT OFFICERS OF THE APPLICANT'S 
DESIGNATOR CHOICE, IF AVAILABLE AT A BASE OR COMMAND, BE ASKED TO 
PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVIEW/NOMINATION REVIEW BOARD TO ASSESS THE 
APPLICANT FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.  NOMINATION REVIEW BOARDS SHOULD BE 
EXTERNAL TO THE COMMAND.  IN THE EVENT THAT A NOMINATION REVIEW BOARD 
OUTSIDE THE COMMAND CANNOT BE CONVENED, THE COMMAND SHOULD PRESENT THREE 
ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW APPRAISALS TO ADD TO THE PACKAGE OR AN EXPLANATION 
OF WHY THE DIRECTED PROCESS COULD NOT BE FOLLOWED.  HOW OTHER OFFICERS 
VIEW THE APPLICANT CARRIES SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT.  FOR JUNIOR SAILORS WITH 
ONLY SCHOOLHOUSE EVALUATIONS, THE CO MUST ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN HIS OR 
HER ENDORSEMENT.  SAILORS MUST ADDRESS ANY HARDSHIPS OR UNIQUE 
EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPED THEIR CHARACTER AND JUNIOR SAILORS SHOULD 
PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCES.  HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS 
RARELY PROVIDE IN-DEPTH INFORMATION ON INVOLVEMENT IN SPORTS, CLUBS, 
VOLUNTEER WORK, ETC.
EACH CANDIDATE SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO INCLUDE IN THEIR PERSONAL 
STATEMENT REASON(S) FOR THEIR INTEREST IN THE STA-21 PROGRAM, AND WHAT 
THEY WOULD DO WITH THE OPPORTUNITY, IF SELECTED.  ADDITIONALLY, 
APPLICANTS SHOULD EXPLAIN ANY MITIGATING ISSUES THE BOARD NEEDS TO 
CONSIDER (I.E. POOR HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE GRADES AND UNEXPLAINED GAPS).

5.  COMMANDING OFFICERS, COMMAND CAREER COUNSELORS AND SENIOR ENLISTED 
MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED TO ENCOURAGE QUALIFIED SAILORS TO PARTICIPATE IN 
THIS PROGRAM.

6.  APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE MAILED TO:
    COMMANDER
    NAVAL SERVICE TRAINING COMMAND (OD2/STA-21)
    250 DALLAS STREET, STE A
    PENSACOLA, FL 32508-5268

7.  SPECIFIC DETAILS, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND 
SELECTION PROCEDURES CAN BE FOUND IN REF A AND AT THE STA-21 WEBSITE 
UNDER PROGRAM OPTIONS AT HTTPS://WWW.STA-21.NAVY.MIL.

8.  QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO COMMAND 
CAREER COUNSELORS OR TO NAVAL SERVICE TRAINING COMMAND, OFFICER 
DEVELOPMENT DIVISION (OD2) AT (850) 452-9563 OR EMAIL 
pnsc_sta21@navy.mil.

9.  RELEASED BY VADM MARK FERGUSON, N1//

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