How does rank progress for Naval Academy graduates?

Can someone explain the rank progression for graduates of the Naval Academy? I'm curious about what the career path looks like in terms of rank once you graduate. Is there a typical timeline or set of milestones to be aware of?

Sure, happy to help outline the typical rank progression for graduates of the United States Naval Academy (USNA).

When a midshipman graduates from the USNA and completes their Bachelor's degree, they become commissioned as an Officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps. The first rank they receive is Ensign (O-1) for the Navy or Second Lieutenant (O-1) for the Marine Corps.

Each new Officer then generally spends up to 2 years in this rank while receiving professional training and gaining experience in their duties. Potential roles at this stage range widely depending upon the Officer's area of specialty, from overseeing a division aboard a Navy ship to supervising a platoon of Marines.

After approximately 2 years, Officers in both the Navy and Marine Corps are eligible for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade (O-2) or First Lieutenant (O-2), respectively. Once again, time in this rank is typically about 2 years.

Following that, Officers can be promoted to Lieutenant (O-3) in the Navy or Captain (O-3) in the Marine Corps. This would normally occur around the 4-year mark after graduation. These officers typically hold larger leadership roles, such as Executive Officer of a larger Navy Division or Company Commander in the Marines.

From there, the next milestones would be Lieutenant Commander (O-4, Navy) or Major (O-4, Marine Corps). This promotion sometimes occurs around the 10 to 11-year mark.

This is a general timeline, but it's important to note that progression can be influenced by many factors, including performance, the needs of the Navy or Marine Corps, and more. It's also worth mentioning that further promotion beyond the ranks detailed here certainly exists, up to Admiral or General, but this is dependent on particular skill, opportunity, and a military career spanning multiple decades.

This is a high-level overview, and the specific path can look different based on one's job specialty within the Navy or Marine Corps, as well as other factors.