Any rumors on Cadet BRANCHING timeframe?

TrpRMom

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I'm just wondering if any of you 'insiders' are hearing rumors on when the branching notifications for our Army ROTC seniors will be released. Thanks!
 
Next week

I'm just wondering if any of you 'insiders' are hearing rumors on when the branching notifications for our Army ROTC seniors will be released. Thanks!

Yesterday DS was told by his Colonel that packets would be released to them on 11/13, which is next Thursday. They have a special time and place that all will meet and then open their packets together. Could it change? Sure, but that's the plan within the last 24 hours.
 
Yesterday DS was told by his Colonel that packets would be released to them on 11/13, which is next Thursday. They have a special time and place that all will meet and then open their packets together. Could it change? Sure, but that's the plan within the last 24 hours.

Thanks for the update.
 
Yesterday DS was told by his Colonel that packets would be released to them on 11/13, which is next Thursday. They have a special time and place that all will meet and then open their packets together. Could it change? Sure, but that's the plan within the last 24 hours.

11/13 is the same date that is being pushed by my brigade as well.
 
They have a special time and place that all will meet and then open their packets together. Could it change? Sure, but that's the plan within the last 24 hours.

So the cadets will not know whether they have received Active Duty or what Branch they received before they all get together. When they all open their packets, they will all be together and this will be the first time they find out?

Ouch, I have heard of a few battalions that do this, it can be pretty awkward, could be even more so with a fewer number getting AD.

Best of luck to your son.
 
So the cadets will not know whether they have received Active Duty or what Branch they received before they all get together. When they all open their packets, they will all be together and this will be the first time they find out?

Ouch, I have heard of a few battalions that do this, it can be pretty awkward, could be even more so with a fewer number getting AD.

Best of luck to your son.

I think with our previous PMS they used to do it this way at their weekly MS4 class time and had like a pizza party or something. In the past few years with our new PMS its just been an individual phone call from the PMS to the cadet as soon as the PMS got the list. Granted, during these past couple of years our brigade has also held a leadership conference for the PMS's and SMI's when the results were released so the PMS wasn't even in the same state as the MS4's.

It definitely differs from school to school and how much emphasis the PMS puts on branching. Our current PMS, an infantry guy from the Ranger Regiment, doesn't make it a huge deal on what branch a cadet receives (he also isn't one to push a cadet towards a specific branch) and simply stresses that regardless of branch you're going to be an officer in the U.S Army and you will have a sworn duty to protect the constitution.

It can get awkward for some people if they don't get what they were anticipating.
 
Agreed. My son was told Nov.13th by his cadre more than a month ago. They have class at 7:30, so I hope packets are ready that early. He has a heavy load of other classes on Thursdays, and any later appointments would be conflicts, or take away prep time for those classes.

He is not expecting surprises for anyone in their relatively large batallion. He knows he is on the cusp, about 45% ish...It will depend on how many use BRADSO and bump him down. Don't think his branch ADSO will come into play. EDIT: I do realize that some of those above him have intentionally chosen the USAR/Guard option, and hopefully this will keep him above the AD cutoff...EDIT

Either way, I just want him to have the answer, since finding/getting hired for a full time career job, with convenient travel distance to a Reserve unit that has his desired branch vacancy, in an area of the country he has never lived in before will not be a quick or easy process...but then, he has always had a magnetic draw to taking the indirect, bumpy road with everything he does. I am so proud of his perseverence and quiet determination...

27 weeks to Commissioning!!! Good luck to all the 2015 cadets. May their dreams come true.
 
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It will depend on how many use BRADSO and bump him down. Don't think his branch ADSO will come into play. EDIT: I do realize that some of those above him have intentionally chosen the USAR/Guard option, and hopefully this will keep him above the AD cutoff...EDIT

Funny story. I had a friend a couple of years ago who was an MSIV and was right around the cut-off line too (he was preparing for either scenario). When the results came out, he was initially told he was being forced Guard/Reserves. Within a few days, I guess some more changes had occurred and he was told he was Active Duty, with the same branch he intended to do in the Reserves. I think he said he was the very last guy in his branch to get active duty after the change, so I think he was exactly on the cut off mark which makes it interesting to wonder how much it actually fluctuates right around the cut off point. That discussion could probably go all day. Great guy (just not stellar GPA or PT) and he's now doing just fine as a company XO supporting deployments to west Africa.

The thing I have seen more so now than in the past few years is that even cadets who you would generally say are comfortable in making the AD line and getting one of their branches of choice are even nervous. But that could just be not knowing the outcome nerves.

Hopefully everything works out in everyones favor.
 
Agreed. My son was told Nov.13th by his cadre more than a month ago. They have class at 7:30, so I hope packets are ready that early. He has a heavy load of other classes on Thursdays, and any later appointments would be conflicts, or take away prep time for those classes.

He is not expecting surprises for anyone in their relatively large batallion. He knows he is on the cusp, about 45% ish...It will depend on how many use BRADSO and bump him down. Don't think his branch ADSO will come into play. EDIT: I do realize that some of those above him have intentionally chosen the USAR/Guard option, and hopefully this will keep him above the AD cutoff...EDIT

Either way, I just want him to have the answer, since finding/getting hired for a full time career job, with convenient travel distance to a Reserve unit that has his desired branch vacancy, in an area of the country he has never lived in before will not be a quick or easy process...but then, he has always had a magnetic draw to taking the indirect, bumpy road with everything he does. I am so proud of his perseverence and quiet determination...

The last paragraph of this quote is what I have a questions about. Lets say a cadet chooses reserve. After graduation and commission they then eventually go to BOLOC and then off to their respective branch schools correct? Is it safe to say that after they get their reserve option and branching ( while still in school) they then start laying the gound work and finding a reserve unit in the geograplical area they intend to pursue their civilan work in? I'm trying to wrap my head around the step by step process invloved specifically the reserve option. Thanks.
 
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The thing I have seen more so now than in the past few years is that even cadets who you would generally say are comfortable in making the AD line and getting one of their branches of choice are even nervous. But that could just be not knowing the outcome nerves.

I think a lot of the nerves are due to the changes in the process by Cadet Command.

When my older son branched things were more transparent, cadets knew what their OMS was and knew where they were on the OML and whether they had made the AD cutoff before the branching process began. There was a lot less nerves when it came to branching because most cadets knew where they stood.

Now that CC does not make any of this information public, the cadets find out whether they get AD, and what branch they get all on the same day without knowing where they are on the list from the beginning.

Add to this the Special Branching Program, now there will be cadets that by virtue of their OMS they are above the AD cutoff. Once the number of cadets that were below that mark take advantage of this new program, there will be cadets that are above the cutoff that will be forced Reserves/NG to make room for the cadets below the line that took advantage of this new program.

Take into account not knowing how much the Army will cut the number of AD slots and it's no wonder the cadets are more nervous now then they were in the past.
 
The last paragraph of this quote is what I have a questions about. Lets say a cadet chooses reserve. After graduation and commission they then eventually go to BOLOC and then off to their respective branch schools correct? Is it safe to say that after they get their reserve option and branching ( while still in school) they then start laying the gound work and finding a reserve unit in the geograplical area they intend to pursue their civilan work in? I'm trying to wrap my head around the step by step process invloved specifically the reserve option. Thanks.

First, to clear one thing up. BOLC and Branch Training School are the same thing, they are not separate schools. Once the cadet graduates and commissions they will attend their Branch specific BOLC.

It works different when a cadet is selected for Reserves/NG. The cadet first will decide whether they want Army Reserves or National Guard. Once they decide they will then look at where they want to Drill, then they look at what branches are available at that unit. If the branch they want is not available at that unit they can start to look for other units that have an available slot for a 2LT in that branch. A lot will depend on what's available and how far they want to travel for drill. They can also just try and find a unit that has the branch available that they want and then move close to that unit to find civilian employment. The best thing for these cadets is to keep their options open.
 
I think a lot of the nerves are due to the changes in the process by Cadet Command.

When my older son branched things were more transparent, cadets knew what their OMS was and knew where they were on the OML and whether they had made the AD cutoff before the branching process began. There was a lot less nerves when it came to branching because most cadets knew where they stood.

Now that CC does not make any of this information public, the cadets find out whether they get AD, and what branch they get all on the same day without knowing where they are on the list from the beginning.

Add to this the Special Branching Program, now there will be cadets that by virtue of their OMS they are above the AD cutoff. Once the number of cadets that were below that mark take advantage of this new program, there will be cadets that are above the cutoff that will be forced Reserves/NG to make room for the cadets below the line that took advantage of this new program.

Take into account not knowing how much the Army will cut the number of AD slots and it's no wonder the cadets are more nervous now then they were in the past.

I agree with this very much.
 
First, to clear one thing up. BOLC and Branch Training School are the same thing, they are not separate schools. Once the cadet graduates and commissions they will attend their Branch specific BOLC.

It works different when a cadet is selected for Reserves/NG. The cadet first will decide whether they want Army Reserves or National Guard. Once they decide they will then look at where they want to Drill, then they look at what branches are available at that unit. If the branch they want is not available at that unit they can start to look for other units that have an available slot for a 2LT in that branch. A lot will depend on what's available and how far they want to travel for drill. They can also just try and find a unit that has the branch available that they want and then move close to that unit to find civilian employment. The best thing for these cadets is to keep their options open.

Jcleppe, great info. Exactly what I was looking for. :thumb:
 
Anxiously waiting on the results... crazy to think 3 and a half years later, the day is finally almost here.

I'm a female who got an E at LDAC, ranked 11/32 on my school OML, 300 on all APFTs, plenty of extra curricular activities/job, and earned CULP points for taking Mandarin Chinese. I also attended CTLT and received outstanding reviews from my commander and sponsor alike. My Achilles heel here is my GPA... an outstanding 3.0. My top three branches are Chemical Corps, Field Artillery, and Ordnance (EOD interview completed at LDAC), and I ADSO'ed for Chem, as well as duty station (Ft. Hood). I volunteered for branch detail as well. Any thoughts on how this all might play out for me? Praying the ADSO for a branch like Chem will do the trick...
 
Anxiously waiting on the results... crazy to think 3 and a half years later, the day is finally almost here.

I'm a female who got an E at LDAC, ranked 11/32 on my school OML, 300 on all APFTs, plenty of extra curricular activities/job, and earned CULP points for taking Mandarin Chinese. I also attended CTLT and received outstanding reviews from my commander and sponsor alike. My Achilles heel here is my GPA... an outstanding 3.0. My top three branches are Chemical Corps, Field Artillery, and Ordnance (EOD interview completed at LDAC), and I ADSO'ed for Chem, as well as duty station (Ft. Hood). I volunteered for branch detail as well. Any thoughts on how this all might play out for me? Praying the ADSO for a branch like Chem will do the trick...

If you make Active Duty you should have no issue in getting Chem Corps, my feeling is that you won't need the ADSO.

What was your college major, was it one that meets the requirements for the Special Branching Program in Chem Corps, if so then you should be fine.
 
If you make Active Duty you should have no issue in getting Chem Corps, my feeling is that you won't need the ADSO.

What was your college major, was it one that meets the requirements for the Special Branching Program in Chem Corps, if so then you should be fine.

Unfortunately, my major isn't going to help with the branching program.
 
Unfortunately, my major isn't going to help with the branching program.

Nobody really has a clue to how many will make Active Duty this year, my son is waiting along with you.

Even with the diminished points for LDAC this year, your E should help and your APFT is great.

Did you attend any summer training other then CTLT?

Best of luck to you.
 
Any thoughts on how this all might play out for me?

Play out over the course of your career? Other than miserable, nah, I think you'll be fine.

All in jest, but I think you will be fine, and if you get AD I don't think you'll need the ADSO for Chem.
 
Nobody really has a clue to how many will make Active Duty this year, my son is waiting along with you.

Even with the diminished points for LDAC this year, your E should help and your APFT is great.

Did you attend any summer training other then CTLT?

Best of luck to you.

CTLT and LDAC were it for me, unfortunately.

Best of luck to your son as well! Only 7 days and a wake up!
 
Thanks everyone for the info. It seems like yesterday that I was checking this site every few hours (minutes!) to see if the scholarship notifications had gone out.
Now we are waiting to hear what the Army plans to do with our DS/DD.

My DS is hoping for the Infantry - he has ADSO-ed for that to help his chances. He's done well (not the top of the top, but well), and has been told that he will likely get AD, but he is anxious about the branch. He really wants to go "high speed" (a term I didn't know 3 1/2 years ago!) - so he will be disappointed if he gets a more support type branch. (Mom might not mind so much!) I know that whatever happens, he will adjust, accept and excel!

What are your DS/DD hoping for?
 
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