I've read information about both West Point and Army ROTC (or any ROTC branch for that matter), and can't help but notice the apparent gap in training intensity. I mean it seems that lieutenants who graduate from West Point would be light years ahead of ROTC graduates in terms of overall leadership quality and ability to get a job done. Is this true? Does this mean there are basically two types of Army officers and one is just more prepared for accomplishing his/her mission? That doesn't seem fair.
USMA vs. AROTC
- Thread starter bungholio
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Not at all. It always depends on the individual. A west point grad could be the worst officer while an ROTC grad would be a much better leader.
The thing is, West Point grads have a sort of upper hand due to the fact that they literally live a military lifestyle 24/7. While ROTC grads do not. (except maybe the SMCs).
To be a great leader doesn't mean you have to go a certain path. There have been plenty of great leaders that have never set foot inside of West Point. There are two types of leaders, a good one and a bad one. Which one is you, is up to you and you alone. Not your background.
The thing is, West Point grads have a sort of upper hand due to the fact that they literally live a military lifestyle 24/7. While ROTC grads do not. (except maybe the SMCs).
To be a great leader doesn't mean you have to go a certain path. There have been plenty of great leaders that have never set foot inside of West Point. There are two types of leaders, a good one and a bad one. Which one is you, is up to you and you alone. Not your background.
the 24/7 part of that is what trips me up though..West Point Cadets simply get more practice at being good leaders and good soldiers..Not that I want to bash ROTC at all, I will be an ROTC cadet myself next year, but just through sheer hours put in, USMA officers seem like they'd be way ahead. I mean if I graduated from West Point and found my abilities no greater than an ROTC cadet who put it not even half as much time as me, I'd be pissed!
GoArmyBeatNavy
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There are advantages and disadvantages to both. I have worked with great officers from each program. A lot of it is how much effort and how much focus the Cadets puts into their respective programs.
Still, West Point grads will, generally, have a easier time adapting to the military requirements of Active Duty. ROTC grads will have an easier time adapting to being an independent adult (broad generalizations).
scoutpilot
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Yes and no. There are some significant opportunities in the USMA experience that ROTC lacks, especially in times of shrinking budgets.
You're right that the type of leader you are (good or bad) is largely personally determined, the tools you have at your disposal depend largely on the training you receive.
I didn't get into west point last year so I reapplied and got in this year. So I had a year to re apply and get my file stronger. I went to north georgia college & state university in dahlonega ga which is an SMC ( senior military college) there are only 6 of them. I thought it wuldnt be tough as west point at first either. All I can say is that if you go rotc, go to an SMC. They make you live SOMEWHAT of a military lifestyle. Barracks, uniform, first call, pt, all the good stuff but after the first semester or first year you get som leeway like gettin to wear civis after 5, weekends off, stuff like that. So they both produce high caliber officers however west point has much more pop too it. When I got accepted to west point I hd to withdraw from the college at the end of the year which meant talkin to the pms (professor of military science) who was a full colnoel who gave me a good talkin to for leaving but in the end he used a good analogy. He said look at rotc and west point as shoes. West point is nike and rotc is like walmart ones. Both wil do the same job. But for some reason society perfers nike. I'm not sayin west point is better, just the name it carries with it brings more respect. But as someone said in a previous post IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE PERSON.
scoutpilot
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I wouldn't say "society prefers" really covers why West Point bears the reputation it does.
Remember, too, that you're not simply being trained to become an officer. If all we cared about you knowing was how to format a memo, how to plan an operation, and how to shoot/move/communicate, then officer training would be a 6-month course.
We want you to be educated. We want you to be thinkers. We want you to be deep, analytical leaders on top of being tacticians and good soldiers.
Will you get better training at West Point? Yeah, most likely. They have fewer trainees per evolution at CLDT than at LDAC, and more dollars to spend per cadet. You have access to a huge officer base and all their experiences. You will also get a world class education. Can you get that in ROTC? Sure, at some schools. Some people do ROTC at below average schools. It's all dependent.
"Society prefers" USMA because the West Point product is, on average, a higher quality product and much more homogenous. ROTC is much broader as a program and their product reflects it.
There will be heroes and zeroes from both.
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I've heard, and you can confirm this Scout, that West Pointers got to West Point with the hope that they too will some day get their ugly mugs on Showtime. Is that true? 