End of the AROTC FTX

Jcleppe

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Just talked with son at LDAC this afternoon before they take their phones, said they had a long briefing today about Accessions and ROTC in general.

Son mentioned something interesting, they said that as of now they are not going to have ROTC Battalions do any FTX's next year, they said they are trying to get away from the more tactical training. They didn't say what will be done as a replacement. Son chuckled since his first job next year was to plan FTX, not sure what he'll be planning now.

Hard to keep up with all the changes these days, this forum will be very useful to applicants and new cadets as it seems AROTC is going through many transitions.

Of course this could all change by next year if the ideas don't stick.
 
FTX

That training HAS to happen at some point...I know it is expensive for the battalions to put on, and some schools do a better job of it than others...Do they move it to LTC, and make it mandatory for all? That might put the training on a level playing field for cadets across the country.

This seems to give the cadre even less evaluation criteria with which to make their recommendations...Some reallocation of the OML percentage will have to occur...
My son said his cadre alluded to some changes being made primarily affecting the 2016 class. I would be interested in the thought process that lead to the changes...
 
Just had this confirmed by one of my classmates at camp.

He said - instead - there will be an LTC-esque camp between MS1 and MS2 year for ALL Cadets.

It'll make my job in the S3 office easier next semester if this takes effect, but not sure how I feel about the change (not that that would ever matter).

“It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for them.”
 
Just had this confirmed by one of my classmates at camp.

He said - instead - there will be an LTC-esque camp between MS1 and MS2 year for ALL Cadets. ”

So I wonder what will happen to the rising MS2s and MS3s both of whom will not have an opportunity to attend the LTC-esque camp between their MS1 and MS2 years.

I had the impression from my cadet that the FTXs were a part of preparing for LDAC and if those cadets miss both the new summer training and FTX???
 
So I wonder what will happen to the rising MS2s and MS3s both of whom will not have an opportunity to attend the LTC-esque camp between their MS1 and MS2 years.

I had the impression from my cadet that the FTXs were a part of preparing for LDAC and if those cadets miss both the new summer training and FTX???

Good point. My guess is they will ease into the transition and keep FTX for this next group of MSIIIs as well as having the camp for the new MSIs/IIs. Nothing in the Army, besides its Soldiers, moves very fast.
 
So I wonder what will happen to the rising MS2s and MS3s both of whom will not have an opportunity to attend the LTC-esque camp between their MS1 and MS2 years.

I had the impression from my cadet that the FTXs were a part of preparing for LDAC and if those cadets miss both the new summer training and FTX???
Well, I've heard of such an "LTC-esque" camp for rising MS2's. Supposedly suppose to start next summer, starting with the Class of 2017.

My bigger concern with cutting FTX, is how land nav training will occur. I know a huge chunk of it is usually land nav.

Curious, does anyone here do land nav during LLAB at all? We have, a little. And little we've done was nothing in comparison to FTX.
 
Well, I've heard of such an "LTC-esque" camp for rising MS2's. Supposedly suppose to start next summer, starting with the Class of 2017.

My bigger concern with cutting FTX, is how land nav training will occur. I know a huge chunk of it is usually land nav.

Curious, does anyone here do land nav during LLAB at all? We have, a little. And little we've done was nothing in comparison to FTX.

My son told me they did land nav a few times as part of regular labs - one day and one night each semester IIRC. But, you are right, it does not compare to an FTX, especially since so many cadets are excused from all or part of lab due to class conflicts or distance.

But I will say, and I am giving away my age, way back in the day, when I was in AROTC (the late 70s), land nav was not part of our FTXs either. So everything old is new again. :biggrin:
 
According the DS... After this LDAC...no more STX lanes, GPA not really a factor moving forward, standardized tests will be given and cadre evals are a huge portion of the OML now since they are the ones interacting with the cadets on a daily basis. Not sure how this will effect the rising MSII's as they will be the first ones to go through this new format. If nothing else it should be an interesting ride for sure.
 
... I was okay with everything until you said standardized testing.

Did you DS say anything about those in STEM majors? No offense to anyone, but I'm going to find it unfair if I'm doing engineering and the next guy down the line is majoring in underwater basket weaving, and I don't get any sort of leg up compared to said guy ...

Side note: I'm really surprised that things have changed this fast. You'd think an organization (ie: Army) this big, that change would be much more slower and gradual as others have said.
 
...Did you DS say anything about those in STEM majors? No offense to anyone, but I'm going to find it unfair if I'm doing engineering and the next guy down the line is majoring in underwater basket weaving, and I don't get any sort of leg up compared to said guy...

What sort of "leg up" do you think you deserve just for choosing engineering? It's not as if that will make you a better officer than someone who majors in history, etc.
 
What sort of "leg up" do you think you deserve just for choosing engineering? It's not as if that will make you a better officer than someone who majors in history, etc.
For the same reason it exists in the current system.
 
Yes, but if they reduce the focus on GPA, and it sounds as if they are, doesn't that work in your favor if you're unable to maintain a good GPA due to your major choice? The additional OML point for STEM is to offset the lower GPA due to a harder curriculum. If GPA is no longer worth 40%, you don't really need the help, do you?
 
No not really haha. If sheriff's word is true that GPA is being replaced by standardized testing - I'm screwed. I'm a terrible test taker; my highest combined SAT (Math/Reading) was less than 1200. So it was advantageous to me to use GPA vs standardized testing.
 
I doubt that any Standardized testing the Army adopts will be exactly like the SAT's. I believe they are testing a sample of cadets at LDAC to come up with a baseline for the test.

No matter what method they use there will always be some that feel they're getting the short stick. The cadet with a low GPA and tests very well, and then the vice versa. Some will feel the battalion evals may be political. In the end all these cadets can do is do their best and play the game even with the current game change.
 
Considering some colleges use grade inflation (ie: Harvard) and some colleges curve (IE: DS' school :rolleyes:) GPA is less of a apples to apples comparison than a standardized text. IMHO


two sides to every coin.


and thompson, ive read many of your posts, you'll do very very very well regardless!
 
Haha; thanks Vista. We'll see in a few years I suppose. Then again, the branch I'm looking at shouldn't be too hard to get (OD).
 
I doubt that any Standardized testing the Army adopts will be exactly like the SAT's. I believe they are testing a sample of cadets at LDAC to come up with a baseline for the test.

No matter what method they use there will always be some that feel they're getting the short stick. The cadet with a low GPA and tests very well, and then the vice versa. Some will feel the battalion evals may be political. In the end all these cadets can do is do their best and play the game even with the current game change.

An earlier thread mentioned using the GREs which are very similar to SATs. Yes, they do smooth the differences between schools and grading systems but they also do not really test anything the Army needs. The GREs were specifically developed to test a students ability to do well in graduate school.

I hope that GPA still figures into the formula in some way. A cadet with great test scores but who just floats by with the minimum GPA to stay contracted isn't likely to make a better officer than one who doesn't test well but who works hard to get the best grades possible.

And in the interest of full disclosure, my DS would be one that would get the short end of the stick. He's a dean's list student who takes challenging classes but who was never that great with the SATs. He did better with the ACTs but there isn't a corresponding alternate to the GREs. I certainly can't advise him to focus on test prep instead of grades, especially since it looks like there will be proportionately fewer AD commissions and GPA will be important for life outside the Army if he ends up in the reserves.

It makes AD and OML placement (playing the game) more of a roll of the dice than something a cadet can systematically work toward.
 
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