Mustang Anna (by Anna Wade)

After only roughly a year in the fleet, and at age 21, my buddy Anna Wade just got accepted into NAPS, or Naval Academy Prep School.  It's a big deal, and as soon as I found out (a fleet-wide notice was sent) I knew I had to get the scoop from her.

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Our Chief of Information, Rear Admiral Moynihan, sent this notice out:

Team PA,

Please join me in recognizing a career milestone for one of our teammates.

MCSN Anna Wade, who is assigned to NPASE East but is currently embarked in
USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) as an independent deployer in support of Enterprise
Carrier Strike Group, has been selected to attend the Naval Academy
Preparatory School (NAPS) in Newport, R.I., with the class convening July
2011. Upon successful completion of NAPS, she will join the Naval Academy
Class of 2016.

Selection to NAPS is extremely competitive. It is a testament to both the
outstanding performance of our shipmate and to the incredible talent we have
in the MC community. MCSN Wade is the first in recent memory from our
community to earn this honor.

This is a great career opportunity for one of our very best, and while her
loss will be felt by the PA/VI community, our Navy is gaining a great
leader.

Please join me in congratulating MCSN Wade and wishing her well as she
begins her journey toward becoming an officer.

R,

Dennis Moynihan
RDML USN
Chief of Information


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Slaughter:  You're going to be an officer!  How do you feel? 

Wade:  I FEEL AMAZING.  Life is at its peak right now.

Slaughter:  What is academy prep school?  How is it different from Officer Candidate School?

Wade:  The age limit to go to the academy is 22 (or 23) don't quote me on that. But, it's different than OCS although it's at the same place. It lasts a year while OCS is only a few months. At OCS you already have your degree and then do officer and a lot of leadership training. At NAPS, you take math, science and English courses to prepare for four years at the academy.

Slaughter:  What have you been doing out in the fleet to earn you the recognition that got you this academy spot? 

Wade:  I've honestly been working my butt off since the day I got out of 'A' school. I always knew what you do there doesn't have anything to do with your career. The person you choose to be out in the fleet right off the bat will make you who you are in the long run. I chose to do great things from the start and I made it my every day goal to prove I was motivated and hard-working. I worked hand in hand with several 0-5 and aboves during Joint Warrior this summer. I was chosen for that because of my motivation to do well, and from there on I hit the ground running.

Slaughter:  You've been chosen to be commissioned after a relatively short time as an enlisted Sailor.  Do you feel you have enough experience under your belt to move on to this next phase?

Wade:  Yes, I do. It's been a short time, but I have already been on 5 ships. I got out of 'A' school in July, but over the past 10 months, I have had enough life and leadership experiences to last me a lifetime.  I've seen a lot, I've been through a lot, and I've learned the basic foundations of what good and bad leadership is. I am going to be in school for a while, and I'll have a lot more experience than most of  the new ensigns in my class. I'll be older, wiser, and hopefully more knowledgeable about fleet life than most people in my class. I am thoroughly prepared mentally. I think the only thing left for me to do is get in excellent physical shape and prepare for 5 years of beat downs.

Slaughter:  What advice do you have for those who want what you have? 

Wade:  Stay positive. Stay motivated. Don't take criticism personally, take it seriously. Learn from your mistakes. Work out, stay fit, eat well, and stop drinking monsters! Start with the small changes in life and realize that you can't accomplish everything right off the bat. Big goals are always fundamentally accomplished through short term and smaller goals.  Change your attitude so that you can accomplish your long term goal of  getting what you really want.

Your pal,

Anna Wade

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There you have it.  Motivation, mental discipline, and physical health.  Keep rollin Wade!