CULP advice

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NCmom23

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DS has completed CULP application but is struggling to choose a region. Leaning towards Europe with pacific and south being next choices. Anyone with CULP experience have a recommendation as to "best" region? He doesn't want Moldova because 2 fellow cadets had awful experiences there. Would LOVE Spain, Germany or Portugal. Very interested in mil-mil experience. Advice?
 
NCmom23 said:
DS has completed CULP application but is struggling to choose a region. Leaning towards Europe with pacific and south being next choices. Anyone with CULP experience have a recommendation as to "best" region? He doesn't want Moldova because 2 fellow cadets had awful experiences there. Would LOVE Spain, Germany or Portugal. Very interested in mil-mil experience. Advice?
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Based on what I've seen in the past, assignments have been random and preferences for region have often been ignored. Otherwise everyone would choose the lush Riviera and nobody would opt for destitute Ruritania. If your son is fluent in a foreign language, that could make a difference but not necessarily.

Not sure why Moldova was a dud for his colleagues, but most cadets have had enriching experiences wherever they went. With Russia's current policy of interference and intimidation, any planned Moldova mission may very well be excised, as trips to Mali and Ukraine have been in recent years.
 
/\ I agree

I don't think anyone in my son's battalion ever received a CULP mission that was remotely close to what they listed as a preference. He should still list where he would like to go but be flexible.
 
If CULP selection is based on the OML (Cadet’s GPA & PFT) MS1s are not even midway through first semester. How will they have a GPA?

Is there a list of countries for 2015? My googl search came up lacking.

thanks in advance.
 
Vista123 said:
If CULP selection is based on the OML (Cadet’s GPA & PFT) MS1s are not even midway through first semester. How will they have a GPA?

Is there a list of countries for 2015? My googl search came up lacking.

thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

When my son was a MS1 and applied, the PMS said to just put down the GPA he listed on his scholarship application. Not sure how other battalions do it but that's what he was told. Son's CULP application was turned in before college midterm grades. If they haven't had an official APFT then just put down the highest diagnostic test score to date, if the battalion has not had a diagnostic test then just list the APFT score he received for his contracting APFT.
 
Same as Jcleppe. Last year as a MSI, DS used his scholarship GPA for CULP application. He was contracted in Sept. so he used that first official PFT score.

I also agree with others. I've never heard of any cadet with a horrible experience (unless it was their fault, ex. not following instructions, getting in trouble, etc) DS wanted potluck. He was given Mongolia but ended up going to Romania and had an excellent time. Totally recommend it to everyone.
 
DS did mil-mil in Romainia last yr as an MSI and had a good time. Look on the Cadet Command website for stories about CULP.
 
Vista123 said:
If CULP selection is based on the OML (Cadet’s GPA & PFT) MS1s are not even midway through first semester. How will they have a GPA?

Is there a list of countries for 2015? My googl search came up lacking.

thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

As others have stated, application says if you are a MSL 1, use your high school cumulative GPA.
 
NCmom23 said:
DS has completed CULP application but is struggling to choose a region. Leaning towards Europe with pacific and south being next choices. Anyone with CULP experience have a recommendation as to "best" region? He doesn't want Moldova because 2 fellow cadets had awful experiences there. Would LOVE Spain, Germany or Portugal. Very interested in mil-mil experience. Advice?
Click to expand...

Like others have said, it is really a crap shoot on what you get. But a lot of people do in fact get the region they hoped for, so definitely list everything in the order he prefers it.

If he likes Europe and wants mil-to-mil, the Georgia CULP mission this past year had cadets going to the Georgia mountain warfare school. The Czech (Im pretty sure it was Czech) did some cool stuff with the Czech Navy, Army, and Air Force. Spain is obviously going to be a fun trip, especially if he's already attended airborne.

I don't know too much more about all of the EUCOM trips, as I went to Africa and AFRICOM was my region of choice.
 
-Bull- said:
Like others have said, it is really a crap shoot on what you get. But a lot of people do in fact get the region they hoped for, so definitely list everything in the order he prefers it.

If he likes Europe and wants mil-to-mil, the Georgia CULP mission this past year had cadets going to the Georgia mountain warfare school. The Czech (Im pretty sure it was Czech) did some cool stuff with the Czech Navy, Army, and Air Force. Spain is obviously going to be a fun trip, especially if he's already attended airborne.

I don't know too much more about all of the EUCOM trips, as I went to Africa and AFRICOM was my region of choice.
Click to expand...

The Czechs have a Navy???? :confused: Well I'll be damned.... so they do!
 
NCmom23 said:
DS has completed CULP application but is struggling to choose a region. Leaning towards Europe with pacific and south being next choices. Anyone with CULP experience have a recommendation as to "best" region? He doesn't want Moldova because 2 fellow cadets had awful experiences there. Would LOVE Spain, Germany or Portugal. Very interested in mil-mil experience. Advice?
Click to expand...

My advice would be to pick PACCOM first, I have yet to meet a Cadet who didn't enjoy their CULP Deployment there. Plus, the region is only going to get more and more important as time wears on.
 
Mongolia is the only true mil-mil. Would definitely recommend. You get to participate in Operation Khaan Quest
 
Does cadre occasionally do application instead of cadet? I think some battalions do it differently for selection.
 
Cadre does not do the application. The cadet completes the application. I believe Cadre/PMS forwards with either a recemmendation or not. Bull, BAMA or Clarkson can speak to exactly what the internal process is. DS did Romainia last year and had fun, made some friends with other cadets from around the country and generally lived like a rock star while over there.
 
Granted, my situation was different than the average CULP applicant, but other than a cadre member at my school calling Ft Knox to ensure they pulled me into his CULP mission as his XO, the process was done 100% by myself.

I don't even recall if there is a portion where the cadre input anything into the application. You should just go to the website, fill out everything and submit it. It's a national process that is centralized with the International Programs Division at Cadet Command HQ. They do all of the selecting and rejecting of cadets.

Edit to add: I just went back to the web portal and "Started a New Application". It does not show anything that requires cadre input into the application. The application asks basic information questions, whether you are airborne qualified, a member of the Green-to-Gold program, SMP, have applied for a security clearance, if you speak any foreign languages, your academic GPA and ROTC GPA (and guidance for those MS1's that might not have either available, and what region and type of deployment you would like to go on.

I guess I'm in a really giving mood tonight, but here are the application instructions: https://rotc.blackboard.com/bbcsweb...App 3- CULP COTM APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS.pdf

I also saw a list of this summers countries selected for CULP deployments if anyone without access to the portal is interested.

And here they are:
BURKINA FASO
BURUNDI
CABO VERDE
MALAWI
MOROCCO
RWANDA
SENEGAL
TANZANIA
ALBANIA
BOSNIA
BULGARIA
CROATIA
CZECH REP
GEORGIA
HUNGARY
KOSOVO
LITHUANIA
MACEDONIA
MOLDOVA
POLAND
ROMANIA
SERBIA
SLOVAK REP
SLOVENIA
TURKEY
USA-DLI-ESL
CAMBODIA
INDONESIA
KOREA
MONGOLIA
PHILIPPINES
THAILAND
VIETNAM
BARBADOS
CHILE
EL SALVADOR
GUYANA
PARAGUAY
 
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Bull-thanks for posting ive been looking for this!

Dangir-thanks for directing me to this!
 
I'm not sure how excited I would be to have my cadet in Turkey right about now!!!
 
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