STA-21
Encyclopedia
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
commissioning program for the 21st century and is designed to enable active-duty Sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s to get a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
degree and become commissioned officers.
History
Previously there were over a dozen different paths for active-duty MarinesUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and Sailors to become commissioned officers, "Seaman to Admiral" being just one of them. This wide array of programs lacked uniformity in benefits, selection procedures, educational opportunities, and program requirements. This created a very confusing web of program applications, deadlines, and choices for fleet applicants and was very cumbersome for the Navy to manage and administer.
For all of these reasons and more, the Navy combined most of these current commissioning paths into one consolidated program that preserves the Seaman to Admiral name made popular by Admiral Jeremy Boorda
Jeremy Michael Boorda
Jeremy Michael Boorda was an admiral of the United States Navy and the 25th Chief of Naval Operations . Boorda is the only CNO to have risen to the position from the enlisted ranks.-Early life and education :...
: Seaman to Admiral-21 (STA-21).
Current
The STA-21 Commissioning Program is designed to meet the goals of the Navy in the 21st century, while at the same time creating a fair and equitable system for outstanding active-duty Sailors to receive a college education and become commissioned officers in the Unrestricted Line (URL), Special Duty Officer (Intelligence), Special Duty Officer (Information Warfare - formerly Cryptologist), Nurse Corps (CEC), Supply Corps (SC), Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), or SEALS (SPECWAR). It is extremely competitive for sailors selected from the fleet; the average selection rate has ranged from 10% to 24% since 2001.All options require excellent physical conditioning, with the NFO and Pilot option having more stringent standards. All STA-21 report to the Naval Science Institute before going to their assigned college.