I understand why you might feel this way, but I call BS on your lame backpedal that what you really meant was that it was meant to apply to THIS poster.
You are perfectly OK to have this opinion, but "are considered" is short for "are considered by the majority". So, why to you think SMCs are considered by the majority to be better than ROTC at other colleges?
Dunninla, I didn`t mean it just applied to this poster, and I understand it might come off as a lame BS backpedal, and I was backpedaling a little--to be sure it was clear I didn`t think that regular ROTC programs produced inadequate or bad officers compared to the SMC`s. What I replied to was part of what Aglahad had said:
How are SMCs better than regular ROTC programs in terms of officer quality. Please enlighten, because I sure didn't notice a difference at LDAC.
What I had then written was referring to the fact that I didn`t think one produced better officers than the other.
No, that`s not what I meant at all. I`m sorry it came across as that way ...he has previously asked about West Point, and now he asked about ROTC, so I was just suggesting a happy medium in case he hadn`t heard of them before, as I thought maybe he`d be interested in maybe the more of a service academy environment, but without the low acceptance rate of the service academies. I didn`t mean they produce better officers; both good and bad officers come from all commissioning sources. I just meant that the SMC`s offer a more rigorous environment, and might be good if he doesn`t want so much as the normal college experience and wants the structured environment of the SMC`s. I never meant that regular ROTC programs produced inadequate officers or anything like that.
At the end, it does sound like I was saying that I thought that SMC`s aren`t better than ROTC or vice-versa. I believe that the SMC`s are better than regular ROTC, but I never meant that they produce better officers necessarily. Sorry if I offended anyone or made it sound like I was trying to please everyone by backpedaling and whatnot.
I think SMC`s are better because you`re in the Corps Of Cadets 24/7, wearing your uniform every day to classes, and I think that it`s a more rigorous environment than regular ROTC. And while some of them like A&M are also large civilian schools in which not everyone has to participate in the Corps, you still have wearing the uniform every day, PT every day, and that type of thing. Does this mean I think one source produces better officers? No, not at all. Some of the very best officers have come from regular ROTC, while other have come from SMC`s. Personally, if I don`t get accepted to USNA, I think my first choice for a ROTC unit will not be at a SMC. If I really thought that SMC`s produced better officers, then I don`t think I`d want to attend any regular ROTC unit-I`d want to attend a SMC.
In my reply to Aglahad, I had written that I didn`t think SMC`s produced better officers, so Dunninla, while I understand it seemed like a BS backpedal to try and say I didn`t think they were better, that wasn`t my intention. I was trying to say I didn`t think the SMC`s necessarily produced better officers. Ultimately, in my opinion, I think it`s up to the person. The best ROTC unit in the entire world at a regular college or SMC, couldn`t always produce the BEST officers in the world...it`s up to the cadet/mid, on the effort on which they put into becoming and being an officer, and how they do it. ROTC trains civilians, but that doesn`t mean it automatically makes them good officers. SMC`s offer better immersion into the military environment, which I think can be very helpful, especially for perhaps someone who doesn`t know for sure if they wish to be in the military. By going to a SMC, that can help them decide on whether or not they really want to be in the military. I feel like I`ve dug myself a hole by writing my previous posts
, but honestly, all of what I`ve written above is the complete truth. No BS, just hopefully clearing up on what I think about the SMC`s vs. regular ROTC, and that when I replied to Aglahad`s post, it wasn`t my intention to backpedal and mean that I didn`t think the SMC`s were better, because I think they are.
cravius, I respect your opinion, but I stand by what I said.
I hope that clears up my stance on this subject.