Options After Graduation

Hudson Haley

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Mar 17, 2015
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Ignoring everything that happens in the 4 years before graduation, what is the benefit of graduating from USMA rather than an ROTC program as far as my Army career is concerned? I would like to serve as an active duty infantry officer.
 
Guaranteed AD is a big one. Also my DD has found it very beneficial to have a larger network of people she knows as she is just starting her career. She knows people on every post, in every branch, etc and this has proven beneficial to her numerous times.
 
At ROTC you probably won't have as much meaningful summer opportunities as you would at WP.


2019 WestPoint class appointee

Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
 
There are lots of threads about SA vs ROTC. Guaranteed Active Duty is probably the biggest one. It all comes down to what is best for you, where you will thrive best and the opportunities you take advantage of. Great officers come both sources. It is all a matter of embracing the situation and really take the opportunities that exist. Lots of Pros to each source. West Point - guaranteed Active Duty, surrounded by like minded folks with same goal, lots of interaction with officers and enlisted daily, training opportunities, very robust Alumni network that really helps while on Active Duty and once out of Service. ROTC - More majors available based upon schools you are looking at, detachments can be very personal, normal college life. It all depends what you are looking for and what would make you happiest.
 
NavyHoops - Can you confirm this point? Graduating from the USNA gives you a higher lineal listing for promotion vs your NROTC peers who graduate in the same year. So as a junior officer you will be promoted just ahead of the ROTC officers. (at least this was how I remember it in the USMC years ago)

If I have it correct, and if this applies to the other branches, then this would be another early advantage for academy grads.
 
Not when I was in the Marine Corps. For those who graduated in the spring time, we were all given the same date of rank as USNA grads. Once we got to TBS that established our lineal #. Not sure how it works for the Army.
 
OK... maybe my memory is foggy but what I remember was that the commissioning date was part of the calculation and USNA always had an earlier date. Maybe, in those days, the USNA grads went to TBS first and got a jump that way. Or... I just don't remember the details correctly!

My assumption was that it would apply to all academy grads within all branches. If I was off, I apologize.
 
USMCGrunt, I believe that used to hold true, but not anymore. I think they changed things when they started giving everyone including USNA grads USMCR commissions. I think some universities were speeding up commissioning ceremonies from what I heard to, so I think that is why everyone sort of gets baselined to one date. They have gotten rid of the USMCR commission thing again and are going to career designation boards (augmentation for us older folks).
 
NavyHoops - Can you confirm this point? Graduating from the USNA gives you a higher lineal listing for promotion vs your NROTC peers who graduate in the same year. So as a junior officer you will be promoted just ahead of the ROTC officers. (at least this was how I remember it in the USMC years ago)

Something similiar, in old days West Point graduates were comissioned into the Regular Army, wherease as ROTC cadets are commissioned into the Army Reserves even if they were going on activ duty. And after 8 years of Reserve comission converted to Regular Army commision. I believe now even West Point graduates commissioned into the Army Reserves.
 
At ROTC you probably won't have as much meaningful summer opportunities as you would at WP.


2019 WestPoint class appointee

Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.

Be careful when stating probably about something you know next to nothing about. I'm not saying you're completely wrong, but there are some pretty unique opportunities for both sides, and many courses/schools/internships etc. are done together. Especially when you use the word meaningful.

Edit to add: the most unique opportunities I've seen cadets (both USMA and ROTC) go to tend to go to those who seek them out. There are a bunch of really cool opportunities that you hear cadets doing, but they find and get them because they are determined to, not usually because of their school or commissioning source.
 
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Something similiar, in old days West Point graduates were comissioned into the Regular Army, wherease as ROTC cadets are commissioned into the Army Reserves even if they were going on activ duty. And after 8 years of Reserve comission converted to Regular Army commision. I believe now even West Point graduates commissioned into the Army Reserves.

Not countering your point, just wanted to add on for the curious lurkers. Currently, ROTC cadets get reserve commissions and those going AD convert to RA commissions the day their orders start. So I have two oaths of office in my MPRJ.
 
Be careful when stating probably about something you know next to nothing about. I'm not saying you're completely wrong, but there are some pretty unique opportunities for both sides, and many courses/schools/internships etc. are done together. Especially when you use the word meaningful.
you're right, my apologies,
I should have used "May not be as many" instead of "probably". I was saying this purely from reasoning that you won't be going to CBT or Buckner but will still get the chance to go to other schoolings/training a like CULP or Airborne.


2019 WestPoint class appointee

Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
 
Civic: I was going to pile on with Bull but was glad to see your quick response.

I would suggest, however, that "may not be as many" is really not all that useful of a comment.
 
you're right, my apologies,
I should have used "May not be as many" instead of "probably". I was saying this purely from reasoning that you won't be going to CBT or Buckner but will still get the chance to go to other schoolings/training a like CULP or Airborne.


2019 WestPoint class appointee

Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.

I still understood what you meant, and as a whole I partially agree since all USMA cadets attend something, though it is changing with some things ROTC is adding. I was referring to things much more unique and "cool" than Beast, Buckner, or Airborne school. ROTC cadets can, or atleast I had the option to (and its pushing 5 years since I had that option so it could have changed), attend Buckner. Also, there were USMA cadets (and foreign cadets) with us at LDAC, an ROTC course.

Meaningful is more of in the eye of the beholder. I know people who have done a lot of summer training, but still aren't worth a damn with the skills they learned, and others that are the exact opposite.
 
I still understood what you meant, and as a whole I partially agree since all USMA cadets attend something, though it is changing with some things ROTC is adding.

I think the difference is that USMA cadets are required to, wherase ROTC cadets have less requirements. USMA cadets are required to do the following during the summer: 1st year - Cadet Basic Training, 2nd Year - Cadet Field Training and addtional training (this is what the Supe briefed, I might have misunderstood. When I was a cadet, the cadet field trianing was it), 3rd year - training at West Point and trainig outside West Point, and 4th year - training at West Point and trainig outside West Point. So USMA cadets a required to do 7 summer "opportunties." What are ROTC cadets required to do?

p.s. thanks for the update on the new commissioning process.
 
I think the difference is that USMA cadets are required to, wherase ROTC cadets have less requirements. USMA cadets are required to do the following during the summer: 1st year - Cadet Basic Training, 2nd Year - Cadet Field Training and addtional training (this is what the Supe briefed, I might have misunderstood. When I was a cadet, the cadet field trianing was it), 3rd year - training at West Point and trainig outside West Point, and 4th year - training at West Point and trainig outside West Point. So USMA cadets a required to do 7 summer "opportunties." What are ROTC cadets required to do?

p.s. thanks for the update on the new commissioning process.

In addition to CFT, this year's Plebes signed up for Air Assault or Airborne (with majority going to AA; fewer spots available in AB), PIAD or AIAD. Some may also be doing a summer class. I haven't heard of any doing 3 training sessions. Have heard a few grumbles (from parents) that some athletes are doing a PIAD instead of a MIAD.
 
I think the difference is that USMA cadets are required to, wherase ROTC cadets have less requirements. USMA cadets are required to do the following during the summer: 1st year - Cadet Basic Training, 2nd Year - Cadet Field Training and addtional training (this is what the Supe briefed, I might have misunderstood. When I was a cadet, the cadet field trianing was it), 3rd year - training at West Point and trainig outside West Point, and 4th year - training at West Point and trainig outside West Point. So USMA cadets a required to do 7 summer "opportunties." What are ROTC cadets required to do?

p.s. thanks for the update on the new commissioning process.

I agree
 
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