Gold Bar Recruiters - Excellent Source of Info

Gold bar recruiters are newly commissioned second lieutenants who remain on campus after graduating while they await their slot at the Basic Officer Leader Course. These individuals can be invaluable in your preparation for your (or your young adult's) adventure.

Our family had no experience with ROTC, the first choice school Dim Sum had selected, or the city in which it was located (a long story). He had the notion he would simply show up on campus and deal with things as they developed.

Having just been through the undergraduate ROTC experience, the Gold Bar recruiter was quite willing to answer my various questions about how things worked. Even questions like whether or not to have a bicycle on campus and the relationship of fraternity life to ROTC. I didn't find the awkwardness I would have expected posing these questions to a senior cadre member.

EDelahanty said:

Gold bar recruiters are newly commissioned second lieutenants who remain on campus after graduating while they await their slot at the Basic Officer Leader Course. These individuals can be invaluable in your preparation for your (or your young adult's) adventure.

Our family had no experience with ROTC, the first choice school Dim Sum had selected, or the city in which it was located (a long story). He had the notion he would simply show up on campus and deal with things as they developed.

Having just been through the undergraduate ROTC experience, the Gold Bar recruiter was quite willing to answer my various questions about how things worked. Even questions like whether or not to have a bicycle on campus and the relationship of fraternity life to ROTC. I didn't find the awkwardness I would have expected posing these questions to a senior cadre member.

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Yup, I will be starting as a GBR in a couple weeks. I will try and pass any recruiting knowledge I learn to the forum if possible

Are there people doing this job on every campus with ROTC?

It depends. Depends on recent graduates and BOLC dates and if they apply for GBR. At my school, we've had at least 1 each year, but not for the whole year. Usually just for a few months. It can be hit or miss on if a GBR is at a unit or not. They also are not the ultimate source on joining ROTC. They're recent ROTC grads with great info but don't go through a formal training process on the ins and outs of joining the program. Our GBR's usually sit around and get tasked out by other cadre to do busy work nobody else wants to do with some recruiting duties based on the ROO and the battalions recruiting mission requirements.

-Bull- said:

It depends. Depends on recent graduates and BOLC dates and if they apply for GBR. At my school, we've had at least 1 each year, but not for the whole year. Usually just for a few months. It can be hit or miss on if a GBR is at a unit or not. They also are not the ultimate source on joining ROTC. They're recent ROTC grads with great info but don't go through a formal training process on the ins and outs of joining the program. Our GBR's usually sit around and get tasked out by other cadre to do busy work nobody else wants to do with some recruiting duties based on the ROO and the battalions recruiting mission requirements.

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Honestly, it varies from battalion and you can't just compare one school's use of them as the end all be all for the job. At my school they were expected to know the ins and out of the recruiting process (SMP, GFRD, OML info, DoDMERB process etc.), scholarship information and recruitment at various high schools and colleges (not necessarily at the level of a ROO but certainly to competency). My school is in a ROO transition right now so it is an especially important time for the current GBR to fulfil recruitment tasks while the ROO handles current scholarship issues with HRA and the PMS. GBRs often are used as PT graders, TACs, fill in MS instructors at times, assistants to the training NCO (planning training and executing supply acquisition), range safety, and of course recruiters. Now during certain times of the year, especially summer, the job can be really slow but that is common for most battalions if their cadre are at LDAC. In addition they have that recent link with current cadets and can relate to an incoming freshman more so than most cadre.

The perks of being a GBR resides in starting pay ahead of your buddies and the progression perks of being of AD first. Nowadays the slots are really budget dependent and many tours are not that long. I have seen some as short as a month to four months. Mine is going to be about 3.5 months

Another option for anyone else reading is for a new LT to work LDAC or LTC. For nursing cadets I highly recommend doing the LDAC slot if available because most of your time is spent in the medical aid areas near the Deltas (WWII barracks) and the job is somewhat relevant. However, IMO I would pass on working as a line LT at LDAC because of less than ideal details and for some other reasons I can divulge in PM. It really does depend on what detail you get put with though. I know some LTs who loved working PT while some hated being lane TACs and vice versa. Perhaps the pay and experience are worth it to some, but I would try for GBR if it was available. I can't comment on LTC.

2LTs can also spend 15 days as Hometown Recruiters for their ROTC Battalion or their local Recruiting Station. Typically this is done in combination with leave.

An example would be a 2LT completes BOLC, goes home for Winter Break on leave, signs off leave and begins 15 Day HRAP, then returns to BOLC, outprocesses from post, and transitions to first duty station.

Exactly why I said it depends on the ROO and can be hit or miss. My battalion doesn't have recruiting issues so the ROO takes a lot of time off and the GBR gets to stretch his legs in his office. Our satellite schools are a different story.