NROTC Vs AROTC

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Worriedparent2

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Oct 22, 2019
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DS has thankfully received 4 year offers from AROTC and an offer from NROTC.(3-year offer for army tho to Harvey-mudd college). Ds also is applying to academies and has noms but is not banking on getting in due to competitive district. He has been accepted to Purdue SOE, and over there they have both NROTC and AROTC. We were both wondering what makes one better than the other. What do most people prefer, and what are some upsides of either of them. Also is space limited in AROTC, for instance, can DS transfer an AROTC scholarship like NROTC.
 
Does your DS want to serve in the Army or the Navy? Don't compare the short term differences between the two offers. This is a multi-year commitment by your DS. Your DS will get the 1st year free with no commitment, meaning he can leave after his first year and not owe a dime. After that he is committed and will either commission into the respective service or pay uncle sam back the cost of his education (through enlistment or payment). You cannot transfer an AROTC scholarship to NROTC. If your DS decided after the 1st year he prefers AROTC over NROTC (or vice versa) he would have to re-apply and roll the dice. These are tough decisions, but a great problem to have. Congrats to you and your DS for a job well done. Now the hard part starts...
 
EEBTTF said:
Does your DS want to serve in the Army or the Navy? Don't compare the short term differences between the two offers. This is a multi-year commitment by your DS. Your DS will get the 1st year free with no commitment, meaning he can leave after his first year and not owe a dime. After that he is committed and will either commission into the respective service or pay uncle sam back the cost of his education (through enlistment or payment). You cannot transfer an AROTC scholarship to NROTC. If your DS decided after the 1st year he prefers AROTC over NROTC (or vice versa) he would have to re-apply and roll the dice. These are tough decisions, but a great problem to have. Congrats to you and your DS for a job well done. Now the hard part starts...
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Can ds transfer a scholarship from school to school(AROTC). And it is tough because DS just wants to serve in any branch.
 
@Worriedparent2 - Are you referring to transferring an AROTC scholarship to a school not listed in his award notification? If so, you would need to email Cadet Command (instructions listed on the portal) and request a transfer. I know you mention that your DS "just wants to serve", but he has very different options with the AROTC and the NROTC. Just make sure he researches both options.
 
One plays in the water and the other in the sand.

That being said your son really needs to think about which service he sees himself serving for at least 4 years, what are his interests and what jobs interest him the most. Don't choose a branch of the service based on the ROTC programs, neither is a complete reflection on life in active duty.
 
The sand, the jungle, urban environments...Agree 100% with @Jcleppe. This is not a scholarship to just pay for school. It is a choice that will have tremendous impact on the future of your son. Don't go in to this blind. This forum has a HUGE amount of knowledge and perspective. Continue to ask questions and more importantly, get your DS posting and asking questions.
 
Besides the differences in the jobs, cultures and off duty lives between the two branches, another difference is that all NROTC graduates commission to active duty. AROTC may commission to active duty or reserves/national guard.
 
@ProudDad17 - good points on the active duty - forgot about that!

Army vs Navy is like Football vs Soccer - which one do you like and want to play
 
Both Army and Navy web sites describe the jobs available to officers in that service. Your son should review them to make a decision. He should also ask himself if there are other jobs that would suit him if he didn't get his first choice, or perhaps even his second choice.

Just curious, is he a Marine Option?
 
As other posters have noted, your son should do the research on post-commissioning career fields.

It’s not a matter of which is better, but the best fit for him. Which service career paths interest him? What can he see himself doing? What can he NOT see himself doing, ever?

In the Navy, you will be doing things under the water, on the water or over the water, for long periods of time, often out of sight of land, for significant chunks of the time in service. Even the Marines get their chances at a “float on the boat.” That is not everyone’s cup of tea. Leadership means leading your sailors as you fight your warfare platform (ship, sub, aircraft) as a cohesive, technically savvy team. That’s a very broad brush.

Army missions, gear, culture, leadership style are different, not better or worse, just different.
 
kinnem said:
Both Army and Navy web sites describe the jobs available to officers in that service. Your son should review them to make a decision. He should also ask himself if there are other jobs that would suit him if he didn't get his first choice, or perhaps even his second choice.

Just curious, is he a Marine Option?
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He is a Navy option.
 
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