Branch detail program

rdesai11

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Can some one please explain branching detail for me? How does one qualify? How does it work? What sort of branches are available? Etc.
 
kinnem, those slides describe Branching, but not Branch Detail, which is a completely separate process.

Branch Detailiing is where the cadet's assigned Branch (e.g. Military Intelligence) loans the newly minted 2LT to one of the MFE Branches for Basic Officer Training and then first duty: (Infantry, Armor, Chemical, or Field Artillery) for the first 24-36 months of the 2LT's career. At the end of the loan period, the 2LT reports back to the "Control Branch", in this case Military Intelligence, probably also as an O2, and ideally at the same installation where the 2LT served while being borrowed.

I also have questions about Detailing:

1) In a Branch like MI where about 50-65% of 2LT's are Detailed, what process decides who gets Detailed, and who reports directly to the Control Branch? Is it OML within the Control Branch?

2) After it is decided that, for example, these 200 2LTs get detailed, and these 150 don't, how do the 200 assigned for Detail get divided among the receiving Branches (IN, AR, CM, FA)?
 
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Aglahad, I read that post, and also the link you posted. Not sure if your comment was addressed to me, but where in that link are my two specific questions addressed?
 
Aglahad, I read that post, and also the link you posted. Not sure if your comment was addressed to me, but where in that link are my two specific questions addressed?

Sorry it was in reference to the OP

1. I don't know how the receiving branch would be assigned but I think it was has to do with need. Combat arms always needs a lot of S-shop assistants and PLs so 90% of branch details I have seen to MI have been infantry with a handful of armor. Detailed LTs had to have VOLUNTEER for the detail on their accessions packet, by going the detail route you have a better chance of getting MI. A LT who was high on the OML probably doesn't have to detail to go straight into his/her control branch of choice.

2. I think this has to do with the upside-down pyramid of need (LT vs CPT) as well. Most receiving branches are infantry/armor. I have seen a few like FA/finance or CM/ADA. Maybe they consider a cadet's branch preference list but I think at this point it comes down to dropping a LT in a spot that is open. There are a lot more infantry and armor units than CM/FA so that is where we see people going. I imagine a lot of the CM and handful of FA details are set aside for females. My class had one FA detail and 3-4 IN. Also it is required for males to have a few combat arms in their top 3-5 so that could play a factor as well....

Detailing is kind of like a second ADSO telling the army, "Hey I will go anywhere if I could get XX branch somewhere down the road when you need me", also combat arms time/Ranger tab looks good for career progression.

I can clarify if need be.
 
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1. Detailed LTs had to have VOLUNTEER for the detail on their accessions packet.
Hmm, not sure about that. I did google "Army Branch Detail" and came across quite a few posts from across the Internet Land where the poster was Detailed, and wondered why, and what it meant. Some posts are three years old, some are newer. So, if I might clarify: If an MSIV puts down Military Intelligence as #1 choice, and does NOT volunteer for Detail, is it possible that MSIV will still be Detailed? I find it implausible that 60% of MSIV who are Branched into Military Intelligence would have volunteered to be Detailed into IN, AR, FA or CM.
 
1. by going the detail route you have a better chance of getting MI. A LT who was high on the OML probably doesn't have to detail to go straight into his/her control branch of choice.
Yes, that is where the rubber hits the road.

Let's discuss real numbers from 2011. In 2011, the MSIVs Branched into MI, without using ADSO, were from top 1% - top 30% of ADOML (178 cadets). Then from 31%-40% (63 cadets) of ADOML, ADSO was needed to get MI. Then of course the "Bottom Halfers" used ADSO from 50% to 78% (124 cadets).

So, let's say you have always dreamed of Military Intelligence (or another example, Signal Corps) ... but for now let's just talk about MI. You just LOVE making Power Point presentations, and reading long reports and creating from them half page executive summaries for Sr. Officers. Let's further say that you are an MSIV in the 23% of the ADOML. Do you risk NOT volunteering for an MFE Branch detail if that means you have lowered your chances of getting straight to those Power Points in MI? Is there a computer model available to MSIVs that will let them know the odds they will get MI without volunteering for Branching?
 
Hmm, not sure about that. I did google "Army Branch Detail" and came across quite a few posts from across the Internet Land where the poster was Detailed, and wondered why, and what it meant. Some posts are three years old, some are newer. So, if I might clarify: If an MSIV puts down Military Intelligence as #1 choice, and does NOT volunteer for Detail, is it possible that MSIV will still be Detailed? I find it implausible that 60% of MSIV who are Branched into Military Intelligence would have volunteered to be Detailed into IN, AR, FA or CM.

I assure you that in order to be placed the branch detail program you have to volunteer. The HR guys will ask you, "Do you want to work LDAC/LTC?", Do you want to work GBR?". "Do you want to volunteer for branch detail?". I know quite a few people who went straight to MI but they were very high on the OML, many cadets I knew wanted a little combat arms time before a desk job and some just wanted a better shot at MI because they knew 49% OML wasn't going to cut it even with ADSO.

Yes, that is where the rubber hits the road.

Let's discuss real numbers from 2011. In 2011, the MSIVs Branched into MI, without using ADSO, were from top 1% - top 30% of ADOML (178 cadets). Then from 31%-40% (63 cadets) of ADOML, ADSO was needed to get MI. Then of course the "Bottom Halfers" used ADSO from 50% to 78% (124 cadets).

So, let's say you have always dreamed of Military Intelligence (or another example, Signal Corps) ... but for now let's just talk about MI. You just LOVE making Power Point presentations, and reading long reports and creating from them half page executive summaries for Sr. Officers. Let's further say that you are an MSIV in the 23% of the ADOML. Do you risk NOT volunteering for an MFE Branch detail if that means you have lowered your chances of getting straight to those Power Points in MI? Is there a computer model available to MSIVs that will let them know the odds they will get MI without volunteering for Branching?

We weren't show any computer model other than a few past Excel programs hashed together by CC that showed us based on past OML points and cut-offs (w or w/o ADSO) what branch we would get. In my opinion it was kind of a crap shoot but you have to realize that because of my branch choice I wasn't worried like the other guys. So far I haven't met any branch details who were really upset, most were happy that they would eventually get their branch and they could spend their early years doing something in the combat arms arena.

It's kind of like being stuck in between a rock and a hard place. At 23% I would probably just try straight MI or ADSO if I didn't care about years. The branch detail hassle of going to IBOLC then MI CCC is something I wouldn't want but a lot of people do.
 
http://www.purdue.edu/armyrotc/_f/currentcadets/accessions_briefing_11_apr_2011.pptx

Aglahad, I think I have found just now that there may be some who are in fact Detailed who didn't volunteer. See slide 22 of the above linked Power Point, last bullet point. (cut and paste the URL)

Hmm interesting I wonder how often they do not meet their quota for details. As far as I know everyone who got detailed volunteered and I guess people who didn't volunteer would have had some of those donor branches in their top 5 right? So moral of the story is to not put those said donor branches in your top 3-5 if you are worried about the slight chance of detailing.

Check out slide 42 bottom, that is the question you are asked
 
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"I assure you that in order to be placed the branch detail program you have to volunteer."

This is not true- I was top 15% in the nation and I was forced to branch detail to Infantry, which was not my detail preference.

My advice, if you aren't in the top 10%, volunteer to detail because the Army will not give you MI straight out.
 
"I assure you that in order to be placed the branch detail program you have to volunteer."

This is not true- I was top 15% in the nation and I was forced to branch detail to Infantry, which was not my detail preference.

My advice, if you aren't in the top 10%, volunteer to detail because the Army will not give you MI straight out.

Yeah, we already covered that with Dunn's source and my last post. Since most MI is detailed, I wouldn't expect getting it straight out unless I was top 10% anyway. If I really didn't want a chance of that infantry detail I wouldn't have bothered...
 
Yeah, we already covered that with Dunn's source and my last post. Since most MI is detailed, I wouldn't expect getting it straight out unless I was top 10% anyway. If I really didn't want a chance of that infantry detail I wouldn't have bothered...

I guess it can sometimes be the luck of the draw as well.

Last year during the Branching for my son's class one cadet that was about 30% on the OML received MI without any detail, he did ADSO and received GRADSO as well.
 
Interesting, this Detail program.

OK, so what happens if a cadet has the following desires, and the knowledge that their position on the National OML is not top 10%, but not too far from it, say top 18%, which in prior year would earn preference 1) below without using ADSO:

1) Active Duty, Branch: Military Intelligence.
2) Reserves, Branch: Military Intelligence
3) Active Duty, Branch: Military Intelligence with detail to Chemical

Can this cadet, after being assigned to 3) above, choose to request 2) instead? Or is a cadet not allowed to transfer from Active Duty to Reserves after first choosing AD?
 
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I was branched detailed from MI to Infantry.

For me I would have perferred to stayed with Infantry, but for my year group your MI branch manager would rather have your resign than let you stay at the detailed branch. Not sure how it works now.
 
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