LTC questions

atreen

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Jun 22, 2013
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Is LTC very challenging for someone with no military background? Am I supposed to know ranks, salutes, etc. before coming in?

How hard is PT in general? I hear that there are some who come attend just for the leadership aspect of the training, with no intention to join ROTC, so I assume that physical fitness level is not very consistent? What is the average/high/low PT scores for LTC?
 
LTC will give you the basics which covers the Army ROTC MS1 and MS2 classes. There is a wide range of experience of those that go. Some may have been in ROTC sophomore year MS1 and some may have just started AROTC at LTC. I would think there must be a committment to join AROTC. I am guessing that slots are hard to get. You should not go unless you are committed.

Key is to listen to instructors, do your best, enjoy yourself and make some friends. It is a small Army and you will cross paths in the future with those you train with and from there. Start working out, running, push ups and sit ups every day until you go. Hydrate heavily at Fort Knox - It is hot during the summer.

Key point work hard and make a lot of friends.

Good Luck
 
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LTC

My DS is on his way to LTC now as an ECP cadet. With the limited number of slots I believe you must be sent by your schools ROTC unit. I assume there will be some that attend that then decide ROTC or the military is not for them, but I believe you must have the intent of joining ROTC.
 
When my wife did ROTC at Auburn, she started the program her sophomore year. She was awarded a scholarship so she had to sign a contract before she left. They then send you to LTC to make up for the first one or two years that you missed. It is very similar to Basic Training outside its shorter length. In fact its former name was Basic Camp. You are not expected to know anything.
 
Thanks for the responses.

Also, when is the earliest I should approach the battalion with my desire to attend LTC/receive a commission in 2 years? I would like to go to LTC 2014. Is now too early? Should I wait until December/January?
 
Thanks for the responses.

Also, when is the earliest I should approach the battalion with my desire to attend LTC/receive a commission in 2 years? I would like to go to LTC 2014. Is now too early? Should I wait until December/January?

IMHO it's never too early. I'm sure they can help you get lined up for the application and let you know the things you need to be doing in the interim. They may also have other ideas on how you might commission.
 
IMHO it's never too early. I'm sure they can help you get lined up for the application and let you know the things you need to be doing in the interim. They may also have other ideas on how you might commission.
From what I've found - it's better to tell them ASAP; the earlier the better (ie: filling out your CCF 104-R form - especially if you are getting an extension of semester(s)). It probably makes paperwork a little easier.
 
Thanks for the responses.

Also, when is the earliest I should approach the battalion with my desire to attend LTC/receive a commission in 2 years? I would like to go to LTC 2014. Is now too early? Should I wait until December/January?

I assume you will be a sophomore. I would advise contacting your AROTC department ASAP. There is usually no one there in the summer. If you dont hear from them make it really urgent the week before school starts. You should probably take the MS1 classes this year. Be a great student/cadet. Impress them through action not talk. If they dont advise LTC then bring it up and talk to them later in the fall when they know you.

Good Luck
 
I assume you will be a sophomore. I would advise contacting your AROTC department ASAP. There is usually no one there in the summer. If you dont hear from them make it really urgent the week before school starts. You should probably take the MS1 classes this year. Be a great student/cadet. Impress them through action not talk. If they dont advise LTC then bring it up and talk to them later in the fall when they know you.

Good Luck

I second NorwichDad's advice. The longer you wait to make contact, the more variables you leave to chance. The PMS/cadre would approve you for LTC only if (1) they can't meet their commissioning goal from the existing core of already contracted and still uncontracted MS2s and/or (2) they see you as a superior choice to (a) uncontracted MS2s and (b) other would-be LTC walk-ons. Many schools have in the past relied on LTC-attendees to fill their quota, but this can change in the future.

Even if you just want to test-drive ROTC and your capacity to adapt to military life, you're better off starting the process sooner rather than later. You may not want to wait until you show up for LTC at Fort Knox and have drill sergeants hectoring you.

Having said that, I would not deny it is possible to show up well into your sophomore year and make a favorable impression on the battalion decision-makers.
________________________________________________________________

Dewey Oxburger: ... I went to this doctor. Well, he told me I swallow a lot of aggression... along with a lot of pizzas! Ha Ha Ha! Pizzas! I'm basically a shy person, I'm a shy guy. Uh, he suggested taking one these uh, aggression training courses. You know these aggression training courses like EST, those type of things. Anyway, it cost 400 bucks! 400 bucks to join this thing? Well I didn't have the money and I thought to myself, "Join the army"! It's free. So I figured while I'm here I'll lose a few pounds. And you got what, a 6 to 8 week training program here? A real tough one. Which is perfect for me.
[Looks around at all the soldiers and gestures emphatically]
Dewey Oxburger: I'm going to walk out of here a Lean, Mean, Fightin' Machine! Ha ha ha ha!
 
Is LTC very challenging for someone with no military background? Am I supposed to know ranks, salutes, etc. before coming in?

How hard is PT in general? I hear that there are some who come attend just for the leadership aspect of the training, with no intention to join ROTC, so I assume that physical fitness level is not very consistent? What is the average/high/low PT scores for LTC?

Link to LTC 2013 photo galleries.

http://armyrotc.smugmug.com/LeadersTrainingCourse2013

The new Army motto could be: "The Best, the Brightest and the Most Photographed." In the meantime I am waiting to see Cadet Delahanty's mug in the LDAC galleries.
 
LTC 2013

DS is halfway thru LTC, has today off.

To help answer some of the OP's questions:

DS said the drill instructors weren't bad, kinda in your face at the first then pretty cool once they get to know you.

PT--you need to be in decent shape with some muscle tone but for him at least it's not that bad. They don't do pt everyday so if you want to improve you do in on your own. He said they work out in their rooms of an evening if they have time. He's actually a little disappointed pt is more intense.

The courses you run can be tough on some that is not athletic or in decent shape.

Sleep--he gets to sleep about 11-11:30 and is up at 4:30. They just did day and night land nav and that went for 25 hours. Good news he found 5/5 in day and 4/4 at night.

Food--he thinks it's great, even the MRE's. From eating and working all day and some workouts on his own he has gained about 10 pounds in the 3 weeks he's been gone (1 week mini camo at his school). he could use it though, he was 6'1 and 145 pounds.

Classroom work--small rooms, 100 people sitting on the floor for 2-3 hrs. generally boring. he said alot of it is review of what they covered at their mini camp.

He is the only one from his school in his platoon. Said he's been squad leader twice by promotion ( I guess that means someone wasn't doing their job and he was appointed) and is due to be platoon leader next week.

He said he is having fun and learning, it's not as hard as he thought it would be and he is in better shape that most of the people there. A little tired and a little home sick, but it's worth it.
 
Thanks for the responses. I'm just trying to get a gauge on the physical toughness of LTC. I'm going next year, and at the moment, I can get around 240-250 apft consistently. I think I will be at around at least 270 by 2014 (hopefully better, I was under 200 in February). How will I hold up?
 
APFT wise you will be fine. you only need 50% in all areas to pass LTC.

you will be using lots of upper body, lots of running and walking. day after day. Fatigue becomes a factor. Some cadets that he knows had problems on their first APFT because they were fatigued from the previous days drills.

Make sure your feet are in good shape.

Little sleep. DS is running on about 4-5 hrs avg and has had a few 24 days.

it's as much mental as physical.
 
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