Active Duty?

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Zeringu_One

5-Year Member
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From what I've herd, active duty slot are harder to come by today. For one, is this true? If it is, do 4 year AROTC scholarship awardees have a higher chance of getting an active duty slot upon commissioning?
 
Zeringu_One said:
From what I've herd, active duty slot are harder to come by today. For one, is this true? If it is, do 4 year AROTC scholarship awardees have a higher chance of getting an active duty slot upon commissioning?
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No.

It doesn't matter if you have a scholarship of any kind, non scholarship, or SMP. Everyone competes the same for Active Duty.

The only thing a 4 year scholarship does for you other then the money, is it allows you to Contract the start of your freshman year providing you pass the APFT. Contracting early can give you some opportunities but as far as Active Duty, it's a level playing field, so to speak.

The only guaranteed (With PMS recommendation) Active duty other than an Academy is if you attend and commission through a SMC.
 
I understand that you're concerned about your future. But honestly, I wouldn't worry so much about getting Active Duty right now. Let's face it, you are 4 years away from having to worry about that. In other words, things can completely change between now and then. Although we are drawing down now, who's to say we wont be ramping up elsewhere ... say coughIraqcough.

My point is, the number of Active Duty (AD) slots assigned each year is out of your control. You cannot control whether the Army decides to commission 3,000 2LT's into the AD Army or 5,000 2LT's.

But what you can control are: your grades and your PT score. What you can control is the ability to be the best cadet you can be at your Battalion, to be as high on the Order of Merit (OML) list as possible in order to secure that Active Duty slot. Because at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter how many AD slots there are. If you are a so so cadet you might not have a good shot at getting AD at all.

Your grades alone are worth 40% of your entire OML score ... yes forty percent. So if end up with a CGPA of 2.7 ...

Now granted, there are ways of getting AD otherwise (ie: ADSO, branch detailing, etc etc) - but I'm just trying to highlight the general jist of things.

Best of luck.
 
Not to mention, over the next four years the whole OML system could change. There is already talk of replacing, in part, the GPA percentage with a standardized test.

Just work hard and control what you can control.
 
In full agreement with Jcleppe and Thompson. Also, despite downsizing, the Active Duty Army will still need new leaders. Why not you? :thumb:
 
Jcleppe said:
Not to mention, over the next four years the whole OML system could change. There is already talk of replacing, in part, the GPA percentage with a standardized test.
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... that I didn't know. ... me no like that :frown:

Any inklings as to when we see this, if we see it at all?
 
It wouldn't shock me if they changed it because I would think the GPA system without a standardized test is unfair to the cadets attending higher tiered academic colleges or majoring in a STEM field compared to the cadets majoring in underwater basket weaving.
~ AFROTC awards 20% of the score to their test (AFOQT), I believe that is the same amount as they give to the cgpa.

Than again, depending on what the President decides to do with the Iraq situation this issue could be moot for many years to come. Not trying to divert the thread, just saying that there is merit in comments about don't worry about 4 years from now because 4 years ago nobody ever heard of ISIS.
 
Jcleppe said:
Not to mention, over the next four years the whole OML system could change. There is already talk of replacing, in part, the GPA percentage with a standardized test..
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You have a source for that rumor. Hadn't heard that one.
 
Pima said:
It wouldn't shock me if they changed it because I would think the GPA system without a standardized test is unfair to the cadets attending higher tiered academic colleges or majoring in a STEM field compared to the cadets majoring in underwater basket weaving.
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Pima, there's somewhat of a compensation for that. STEM majors get 0.5 points added on to their OML score, while engineers get 1.0 points added to their OML score. This may seem insignificant but, it actually adds a huge chunk to a cadet's OML score. I don't want to say this is always true, but just to illustrate from last year, I believe the highest OML score was something like 110. So that .5/1 point can really put you ahead of other cadets.

I'm sure this isn't completely right, but just wanted to give you the basic jist of it.
 
Jcleppe said:
Not to mention, over the next four years the whole OML system could change. There is already talk of replacing, in part, the GPA percentage with a standardized test.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't argue that a standardized test is the ultimate answer but I've long argued that GPA is not a valid indicator in any way to determine who would make a good leader in the field. IMO, that is an especially important factor in a combat situation.
 
k2rider said:
I wouldn't argue that a standardized test is the ultimate answer but I've long argued that GPA is not a valid indicator in any way to determine who would make a good leader in the field. IMO, that is an especially important factor in a combat situation.
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Well honestly, I don't think anything can test you until you actually go into combat. Taking tests and thinking you'll know what to do in a combat situation, can be far different from trying to do those same things once in combat.

From that article that you posted JCleppe, if that is true ... then I'm screwed. I am absolutely terrible at standardized test taking.
 
Thompson I believe AFROTC does the same in the amount. If you look at SFT selection, a tech major such as you needed a 3.1, a non-tech major like the OP needed a 3.4.

K2, I am also not sure a standardized test makes anyone a great leader it depends on the test. That being said I think a mixture of both a test and cgpa like AFROTC is a good mix. Use Thompson as an example. He is at PSU in engineering a nationally recognized college by USNWR, Time, Fortune, etc. I don't think you can compare the LA cadet at Hampden Sydney college if just looking at a cgpa, even if you add in the tech edge. Same is true for the cadet attending MIT, is it fair to them with a 3.2 at a higher tier academic college to get less points than Thompson (no offense Thompson).

When posters ask about chancing we remind them that there are thousands of HS in the nation, and they use the SAT/ACT to level the field. There are thousands of colleges too, and this would level the playing field at the collegiate level.

I know when AFROTC went through this change a couple of years ago for SFT, the first couple of years they decided to use either their SAT/ACT on file or the AFOQT. Which ever score was better according to their algorithm was used for the score. I believe now they are going back to the AFOQT and mandating all cadets to take the test for this yr SFT cadets. They are given two shots at the exam.
~~~ AFROTC messed with this for a couple of years...DS in 09 up for 10 SFT had the AFOQT score only used. The following year the test was not required and ACT/SAT were allowed to be substituted, it looks like that they are now back at the AFOQT being the factor...see the SMP thread an AFROTC cadet revived in the last few days.

Just saying this is not a turn on the switch and voila! They do a gradual change, my guess is maybe the class of 18 would be the first to see it implemented.

Than again, that is four years away and with the news we are looking at today, I think the Army has bigger issues on their plate....mainly the DoD budget crisis, the money is just not there. Yes, the other is I can't see Iraq not falling without boots on the ground. Drones, cruise missiles, air strikes can't fight insurgents because they do precision surgical strikes...utilities, command centers, etc.

I am not trying to be political or divert the thread, I am saying think about what life maybe like in 5 years when your are commissioned.
 
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