Honored that you would reach out for assistance. Thanks for your service.
The biggest thing you will want to focus on when you set out to apply is the transferability of your skills. Applicants from a military background often fare well *when* they do a good job of taking leadership, teamwork, maturity, decision-making, etc. out of the abstract and placing it in context. Management consulting is a great place to do that. It's about pushing forward on assignments that are often accompanied by aggressive timelines, rigid thinking, and hit-or-miss group members. Being able to showcase your ability to handle all that in much more serious situations will allow you to paint a picture of your ability as a consultant.
You will also want to work to showcase intellect in your applications. I think you will see top programs make a few concessions for a military applicant with such strong thematic traits, but they still want to see that spark. If both your academic record and your GMAT are underwhelming, you have to compose a very "smart" set of essays. I know the pressure is on, but as you can see, the application you forward will make all the difference.
As for schools, I would focus on programs with robust recruiting opportunities in consulting. Duke is a great choice. Definitely consider Ross and Haas as well among elite programs. Darden and Indiana are worthy of consideration.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Respectfully,
Paul Lanzillotti
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