Speeding Ticket an ROTC

taymcg12

taymcg12

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Joined
Apr 21, 2015
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I am a ROTC scholarship/Academy hopefull, and I recieved a speeding ticket a few months ago. It was not reckless or anything like that, just a ticket. I am currently trying to get it deffered. If I do not get it deffered, will it hurt my chances at the Marine NROTC scholarship or any other ROTC scholarships? Anyone who can tell me about it affecting each specific, different scholarship (Marine NROTC, NROTC, AROTC, AFROTC) would be greatly appreciated. Also how much does it hurt me if I get the ticket taken off my record? I am worried because I read that one cannot have a civil charge and apply for the Marine NROTC scholarship, so I am scarred that this will either hurt my chances or put me out of the picture completely.
 
I don't think you have anything to worry about (except how it might affect your insurance rates!)

When you fill out the NROTC application there will be a section that asks you "if you have ever been arrested, convicted, or fined for any violation of the law." It asks for court, nature of offense, etc. I suppose it would have to be mentioned here.

Others can weigh in on this but from where I sit this should be a non-issue.
 
That is a big relief. I will just have to explain in the essay how it has helped me learn and become a better person (which it has!). Thank you for your input!
 
Take a deep breath....If the ticket is under $250 it should be a non-issue for AROTC.
 
That is great since my ticket is way under $250. I guess that means I'm good to go for AROTC! Thank you for letting me know!
 
My son got one his senior year. He just made the statement declaring he got a ticket along with the basic details of the ticket. Received the Marine Option scholarship with no problem.
 
It may be unpopular to voice this but frankly, I don't think we want our officer corps to be so squeaky clean that they have never done anything wrong in their lives. I am not advocating speeding, reckless driving or breaking the law but... calculated risk taking and pushing limits is part of the personality that makes the best officers. Make a mistake? Own up to it; take your punishment and learn from your mistake. Hopefully you won't do anything egregious or illegal. Its a fine line but I just think that sometimes we make this look like any infraction makes you unfit to be an officer and I don't believe that is the case.
(stepping off of soap box now...)
 
rocatlin said:
My son got one his senior year. He just made the statement declaring he got a ticket along with the basic details of the ticket. Received the Marine Option scholarship with no problem.
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Congratulations to your son! Hopefully I can join him!
 
USMCGrunt said:
It may be unpopular to voice this but frankly, I don't think we want our officer corps to be so squeaky clean that they have never done anything wrong in their lives. I am not advocating speeding, reckless driving or breaking the law but... calculated risk taking and pushing limits is part of the personality that makes the best officers. Make a mistake? Own up to it; take your punishment and learn from your mistake. Hopefully you won't do anything egregious or illegal. Its a fine line but I just think that sometimes we make this look like any infraction makes you unfit to be an officer and I don't believe that is the case.
(stepping off of soap box now...)
Click to expand...
If it means anything coming from someone as young as a high school senior, I believe that you are exactly right. It is better to make mistakes now and learn from them then when you are in the military and it really means something. As you said, the military also needs officers who are risk takers. The world doesn't need anymore daisy pushers who are scared of every little thing that comes their way!
 
With the current state of how ROTC programs are politically, wouldnt it be better to have a crystal clear record and be very well rounded to stay in the running? I get you mean that experience is gained, but I think that this isnt right for this time period in life

one of my teachers told me this, word for word - "there was once a time where if a student had to be chosen and one was a B students but was social and had experiences whereas the other was a A student, the B student would be chosen. But now it is the A student. No question."
 
I see your point, but it isn't like I could have gone through something like this early in life (lack of drivers license) and once you get through a couple years of ROTC, they become stricter. So you run the risk of getting kicked out. If I was going to make a mistake like this, I feel that it was best that I did it at this point in my life. (Although to your point, it would be best to never make this mistake at all)
 
sheriff3 said:
Take a deep breath....If the ticket is under $250 it should be a non-issue for AROTC.
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I'd be surprised if the fine amount is relevant since every jurisdiction has different fine amounts for various violations. Here in San Diego County, *NO* moving violation is less than $250......Red Light $521, Stop Sign $450, Carpool Lane Violation $400+ and my all time favorite Throwing a lit cigarette out on to the roadway from your vehicle $521 PLUS (8) hours of community service!!

To the OP, don't worry about it, you're good!!
 
harqur said:
With the current state of how ROTC programs are politically, wouldnt it be better to have a crystal clear record and be very well rounded to stay in the running? I get you mean that experience is gained, but I think that this isnt right for this time period in life

one of my teachers told me this, word for word - "there was once a time where if a student had to be chosen and one was a B students but was social and had experiences whereas the other was a A student, the B student would be chosen. But now it is the A student. No question."
Click to expand...

Probably 100% true and why we have such crappy leaders. Being book smart has zero to do with being an effective leader...
 
USMCGrunt said:
It may be unpopular to voice this but frankly, I don't think we want our officer corps to be so squeaky clean that they have never done anything wrong in their lives. I am not advocating speeding, reckless driving or breaking the law but... calculated risk taking and pushing limits is part of the personality that makes the best officers. Make a mistake? Own up to it; take your punishment and learn from your mistake. Hopefully you won't do anything egregious or illegal. Its a fine line but I just think that sometimes we make this look like any infraction makes you unfit to be an officer and I don't believe that is the case.
(stepping off of soap box now...)
Click to expand...

"Take me to the brig...... I want to see the real Marines"..... Chesty Puller
 
Son received ticket for speeding his senior year...25 miles over the speed limit on the way to high school practice. Told the officer he was late for practice.....wrong thing to say...and he received the maximum points. Insurance continues to be $1000/ year higher. To make things worse when he got to practice, very late, the coach made him run extra laps.
No issue with his AFROTC scholarship or USAFA, where he is today. He is still a daredevil but not in the car as we believe he learned his lesson.
 
You might want to hire an attorney. The reason why is exactly what RedDragon stated...insurance premiums.

I got a ticket a few years back and called an attorney. The attorney charged me 275. The fine would have been 150. I paid it because my insurance would have increased by more than the 125 difference for 3 years due to the amount of points on my license. In the end it saved me money.

I still laugh on how they got me from 17 miles over the speed limit to a non-moving violation.

I agree with others a speeding ticket is not something I would freak out over. Now if you said it was drinking underage that is something I would say you need to worry about.
 
k2rider said:
I'd be surprised if the fine amount is relevant ...To the OP, don't worry about it, you're good!!
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Then be surprised. In AROTC, the fine amount is very relative, and $250 is the hard cut-off for action to be taken. OP should be fine if he's below $250, but in the current climate, nothing is a given.

k2rider said:
Probably 100% true and why we have such crappy leaders. Being book smart has zero to do with being an effective leader...
Click to expand...

Fine opinion you have there of our military leadership.
 
I agree Jcc123 regarding the fine amount. I believe for AFROTC it is 250. At 251 you need to get a waiver.
 
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