Active Duty

Hey Guys!

So I am applying to USMA and already have received a 3 year AD scholarship. What I want to know is:

1.) If the school my ROTC scholarship is placed at is considered a pretty respectable institution, then will that boost my chances of getting active duty?

2.) If I do not (God forbid) even manage to commission active duty, what is the process for "applying" for active duty after I become a reserve officer?

I really want to go active duty, but want to know, realistically, what my chances are at getting it through ROTC. Obviously, USMA is 100% AD.

Thanks!

Hoffy600 said:

Hey Guys!

So I am applying to USMA and already have received a 3 year AD scholarship. What I want to know is:

1.) If the school my ROTC scholarship is placed at is considered a pretty respectable institution, then will that boost my chances of getting active duty?

2.) If I do not (God forbid) even manage to commission active duty, what is the process for "applying" for active duty after I become a reserve officer?

I really want to go active duty, but want to know, realistically, what my chances are at getting it through ROTC. Obviously, USMA is 100% AD.

Thanks!

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1) The Army doesn't care which school you attended for your ROTC years (SMCs and USMC being different). Your OML position is based upon a defined list of things which you can find in older threads in the ROTC forum. Basically it comes down to your GPA, ECs, jobs, ranking within your unit, APFT scores, and performance at LDAC between Jr. and Sr. years. Your GPA at Harvard or at Bi-directional State U are scored identically for the same major (and only a few majors get an extra GPA boost - relatively minor).

2) If you are not high enough on the OML to receive AD, (the majority today get AD, but the numbers may change with future military budgets) it is highly unlikely that you will get a second chance to commission (exceptions exist like if you went to med school on your own and went that route as IIRC, the Army hasn't turned down those direct commissions in recent years - they always need more docs - however I don't think that is what you were looking for).

Best advice - choose a major where you will get good grades, study hard, participate in everything you can in your unit, max out your PT, find an EC that works well with ROTC (athletics work well for example). You'll be just fine if you are truly among the most qualified. One last piece of advice - keep your nose clean - don't give them a reason to give you the boot.

Thanks! That answered almost everything. OML is what matters most.

Just from another perspective though, if the US Army pays 120,000 dollars over three years of my education at a private institution wouldn't I be considered "getting off easy" if I merely serve in the reserve?

Not that the Reserve is easy... AD all the way!

Being reserves/NG is not getting off easy as every part of the service has its purpose. Many of the army branches rely on reserve and NG forces to complete the mission.

Opinions over the years change. I have had many buddies since my freshman year switch from AD to reserves because of different goals and personal perceptions of the military.It happens (If I had a dime for every time a freshman said they were going to be a 20 year career infantry SF/Ranger...)

I agree with goalie in everything but, "choose a major where you will get good grades". It is true that GPA matters a lot in AROTC, yet majoring in something for the sake of boosting your OML could really hurt you in the long run. Remember, you always need a back-up plan. A BA in underwater basketweaving 4.0 GPA is not one. Seriously, getting AD is not that hard just make good decisions.

I've known a few guys to go from reserves to AD (seemed easier than NG to AD) but who knows what that situation will be like 4 years from now.

Aglahad;226343]I agree with goalie in everything but, "choose a major where you will get good grades". It is true that GPA matters a lot in AROTC, yet majoring in something for the sake of boosting your OML could really hurt you in the long run. Remember, you always need a back-up plan. A BA in underwater basketweaving 4.0 GPA is not one. Seriously, getting AD is not that hard just make good decisions

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There is a lot of wisdom in Aglahad's post. I have a very close friend who majored in "recreation" (we have always joked about this). He had an amazing career in the special forces, but I'm not so sure that recreation majors will do well in the coming years.

Plan for a civilian career while in college; you may not need it, but it sure helps if you have that "Plan B" covered.

patentesq said:

There is a lot of wisdom in Aglahad's post. I have a very close friend who majored in "recreation" (we have always joked about this). He had an amazing career in the special forces, but I'm not so sure that recreation majors will do well in the coming years.

Plan for a civilian career while in college; you may not need it, but it sure helps if you have that "Plan B" covered.

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EXACTLY. It's great that you want to go into the military now, but you are making a mistake IMHO if you put all of your eggs into the Army as a career basket. You have to plan for alternatives. Even if you go on Active duty-What things look like from the outside and what they look like once you are inside the green machine are radically different, and there are lots of folks (more get out than stay in beyond their initial commitment) who decide that a few years is enough. Then what do you do? You need to think about what your degree will prepare you for when you make your decisions about choosing a major. Then - you need to do as well as you can to preserve all of your options - with the Army and without it.

the number 51 cadet in the nation chose to go into the NYARNG as an aviator, and accepted a job with GE as an Clarkson graduate with an Engineering and Management degree. Rank in the top 10% and you get to tell the Army where you want to go. You have to figure out what the best way to get in the top 10% is, and it doesn't involve the cost of you school.