Service Academy to ROTC

Is it possible to transfer as an academy cadet into a ROTC program? What are the options if i want to go through the ROTC program instead of being a cadet?

Which ROTC - Army, Navy or Air Force?

Wierd, usually you see ROTC to SA, but I'd imagine that you would have to apply in your 4/C year, then transfer out of the academy to the school of your choice.

Just_A_Mom said:

Which ROTC - Army, Navy or Air Force?

Click to expand...

From previous Posts:

He is at (or accepted at?) The Coast Guard Academy, wants to be a pilot,
is concerned that he will not get flight school slot at The CGA

I had a friend of a friend that I think went from USNA to NROTC, but I think he did a year of CC in between

Why would you want to just quit after we got our shoulder boards? We haven't even started class yet. I'm hoping to become a pilot as well, but I know that I'll be happy with whatever billet I get (Although I plan on setting myself up well).

Sam,

This is why I say don't accept an apptmt or a scholarship just for your career assignment. You accept because you want to serve in that branch.

For many people, typically 25% of incomong SA classes for whatever reason they do not graduate from that SA. For some, they realize that they were not ready to make this type of commitment, for others it could be they do not want to serve in that branch.

The answer, is yes, you can transfer in, but if you want a scholarship, you will need to apply for the scholarship, so remember to keep up your grades since it will be included in your WCS. Your 1st yr at CGA will count for the same as Cadet 100 courses. Depending on your major, your college choice AND your gpa, you could slide right into Cadet 200 and still graduate on time. HOWEVER, if you change majors (engineering to business), you may find yourself having to take extra courses to fill the courses that are not transferable.

If you are only applying to an ROTC detachment thinking you will have better chances to fly than you would in the CGA, it is important to understand how the ROTC system works.

Your grades, and det involvement will be very instrumental when you go to your career field board (C300---jr yr college). There is no guarantee in anything. Currently, as many have discussed the AF is going through a RIF. They released cadets last yr just months before graduation due to their gpa. There were cadets that did not get summer training for the same reason. Don't go to the ROTC side because you think it will be easier, because if you want that dream assignment, you will have to fight for it from a NATIONAL standpoint. ROTC board decision are not school by school.

For those who don't get why. Our DS could have easily been him. He really thought hard and long about his options. To him, he was not ready for the rigid life that occurs at an SA. He knew/knows he wants to make the AF his career, but he decided that for four yrs, he just wanted to be a college student who was a cadet...not a cadet that was a college student. There is nothing wrong with understanding what your needs are and readjusting your life plan when you decide that they are imbalanced.

On the flip side, I will say for our DS he did have misgivings of not going AFA for about 6 weeks (beginning of his 2nd semester freshman yr). He wondered if he made the wrong choice because he now found himself to be involved in the AF side more than school. It lasted about 6 weeks, and from there through our advice he joined AAS, started hanging out at the det socially, and he started to create new friendships. IMHO one reason why it hit him, was due to the fact that all of the sudden he realized his friends were being traditional college kids, staying at the basketball games until 11:30 and he had to leave at 10 because he had to do formation at 6 the next morning. He felt that he was now stuck with one foot in college and one foot in AF.

It took him time to realize he can do both if he chose wisely on how to do it. He is still great friends with the kids he was best friends with as a freshman, BUT, he has now started to hang more (even rooming) with AFROTC cadets in AAS, because they all seem to be on the same page. They all want to be in both worlds, but understand the unique balancing act it takes to be successful in both worlds.

Additionally, in college, especially fresh/soph yrs., unless they are scholarship recipients, they don't put as much pressure on themselves to pull that at least 3.2 gpa. They have yet to even ponder after graduation in a realistic scenario. All ROTC cadets start pondering it the day they apply for the scholarship in hs. Hard for a traditional student to understand when you say, sorry I have to call it a night because I have to be up at 5:30. Their typical response is "blow it off", and don't understand how you can't just miss 1 formation.

Done with my diatribe, but I hope it assists you in understanding that even in ROTC you will not ever be that traditional college student, where you have freedom 24/7/365, you will be asked to step up to the table. Obviously the kids table (compared to SA...not trying to degrade ROTC, but we all know that is true), but it is still a table, while the other students are only filling up their plates.

Good luck

FINALLY and MOST IMPORTANTLY...it is great to have that dream of flying. Go for it, but please understand that the road may twist and that may never become a reality. Play intramural football and blow out your knee, you could become medically dq for flying, but not for serving. Now what? You still owe time, but flying won't be in the cards. You could get UPT, but wash out. Now what? You still owe time. Worse yet, what if you only want fighters and they give you heavies or vise a verse. Their missions are not the same in any manner.

Only go down this route because you want to serve in any position within the branch. That is why the cliche SERVICE BEFORE SELF exists!

Pima,

I think you might be reading my post wrong. I plan on staying here at CGA, not going to AFROTC. I'm just confused why a classmate of mine would want to take a spot here if they wanted the air force so much.

I COMPLETELY agree with you, 100%. Choose the branch, not the job that you want. What draws me to the coast guard was the small, family like feel of it, and the opportunity for leadership responsibilities in my career.

It's good to hear that your son didn't get RIF'd, I've heard it's happened a lot more since I became connected with the outside world. The coast guard is supposed to be cutting personnel as well, with the decommissioning of two of the 378' cutters in the near future. Things aren't looking good for the job market, military or civilian, in these times.