Is it feasible for me?

wk05

5-Year Member
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Nov 6, 2012
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Hi everybody! I've been a long time reader, but haven't posted that much. Im in an interesting situation, and thought maybe I could bounce around some ideas with you guys so that I could have a bit more info before speaking with detachments and/or recruiters.

First off, this past year I attended a school without any technical degrees, ROTC, etc. Essentially, nothing to offer in the category of professional development. I am transferring this year to a state school that has a small AROTC detachment, and my preferred degree - Construction Management. I busted my *** this past summer and the summer before, and if I complete an internship next summer, I will graduate a year early. Working and going to school full time, I have maintained a 3.87+ GPA (not trying to sound like an ***, but I just want to see if this opens up any additional options).

Now, here is my situation. I know that AROTC is possible in two years, however - I am carrying 18 credit hours this coming semester, and MS II Courses will fit my schedule.

Additionally, I am not tied down to the Army for options, I am open to the Air Force and Navy as well. Unlike many others, I am also equally open to the idea of the NG/Reserves too.

Looking at my options, I know they are limited. Considering I am starting what is essentially my Junior year, would it be appropriate for me to contact Officer Recruiters (not ROTC)? Is there any way I can make ROTC work?

Any suggestions would be great, and I appreciate your help in advance!
 
Hi everybody! I've been a long time reader, but haven't posted that much. Im in an interesting situation, and thought maybe I could bounce around some ideas with you guys so that I could have a bit more info before speaking with detachments and/or recruiters.

First off, this past year I attended a school without any technical degrees, ROTC, etc. Essentially, nothing to offer in the category of professional development. I am transferring this year to a state school that has a small AROTC detachment, and my preferred degree - Construction Management. I busted my *** this past summer and the summer before, and if I complete an internship next summer, I will graduate a year early. Working and going to school full time, I have maintained a 3.87+ GPA (not trying to sound like an ***, but I just want to see if this opens up any additional options).

Now, here is my situation. I know that AROTC is possible in two years, however - I am carrying 18 credit hours this coming semester, and MS II Courses will fit my schedule.

Additionally, I am not tied down to the Army for options, I am open to the Air Force and Navy as well. Unlike many others, I am also equally open to the idea of the NG/Reserves too.

Looking at my options, I know they are limited. Considering I am starting what is essentially my Junior year, would it be appropriate for me to contact Officer Recruiters (not ROTC)? Is there any way I can make ROTC work?

Any suggestions would be great, and I appreciate your help in advance!


I recommend finishing school early then looking at NG OCS, some states have a lot of slots. Once you start your junior year, ROTC really isn't an option. If you had talked to the cadre in the spring I bet they could have squeezed you into a LTC slot (makes up for the first two years) this summer.
 
I tend to agree with Aglahad. At the same time, come this spring, if it look like your college experience will be extended for another year, or you decide you want to extend it yourself, then it would make sense to speak to the cadres at that time. If you decide for some reason you want to extend to three years now, then go ahead and speak to the cadre now.

Squeezing in a ROTC program while carrying 18 hours would be very difficult, but it's not impossible, especially during your first semester of ROTC (I would think) while you're not holding any leadership positions.
 
I also agree from an AF perspective it might be bast to go OCS. OCS grads go ADAF just like ROTC or AFA grads.

Our friends DS is currently at Maxwell going through OCS. He decided as a jr. he wanted to go into the AF, the AFROTC det. at his college told him it was a better route for him to go OCS. He spent his spring jr. semester studying for their tests, because he wanted to go rated. Met the July board as a rising sr., was picked up in Aug as a CSO.

AFROTC basically demands 3 semesters as a POC., which for you would mean it would be the same as our friend, extending your graduation by at least a semester. Plus, risking that you won't get selected for SFT, and never becoming a POC, thus dis-enrollment out of AFROTC, equaling no commission.

FWIW, for AF there are 2 different OCS boards. Rated and non-rated. They meet 2x a yr. Jan. and July.
 
The question you have to answer is, how important is graduating early to you? The way I understand it your a full year ahead in your studies and are now a Junior so you just graduated hs last year...correct me if I'm wrong in in believing you are a rising 2nd yr w/ Junior academic classification. If that's not the case, then I agree OCS would be best. But if it is, you can do the AF or army 3 yr program. I'm a rising 200 in AFROTC, but my academic classification is a Junior (graduated last yr also). I would have graduated a yr early too, but when I added in ROTC and language classes, I was back to 4 yrs. Trust me, if you add in ROTC you won't be doing the load you are currently scheduled to do. Sure, you can still take 18 hrs, but two of them need to be from ROTC. From my experience, taking 18 hrs including ROTC is hard enough, but taking 18 hrs of core work PLUS the 2 ROTC classes is...well not impossible, but pretty close to it. In ROTC, you have to fill out a Form 48 (AF) or 104-R(Army) that maps out your academic plan. Speaking for AFROTC, there are only 7 spaces to put classes each semester, two of which must be ROTC classes, that leaves you a max of 5 core classes per semester which is fine since most college students only take about 5 classes per semester anyways. And as a 3yr program student, AFROTC calls them 250s, you would double up on 1st yr and2nd yr classes. There is possibly a way to get around this, though why anyone would want to would be beyond me.

I am explaining this so that you can see how adding in ROTC and stretching out your course load some can extend your graduation date a year, thereby satisfying the 3yr minimum requirement for both Army and AF. So if you are willing to graduate on time, you can do ROTC. But if graduating early is more important to you, then I agree with the advice given about perusing OCS.
 
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That's the route I was thinking. Air Force OTS / AMS (for the NG). Also, with my major, I spoke with an officer accessions recruiter briefly not long ago about my possibilities, and he said with my background in finance (my past major and minor) that I would also be eligible for a direct commission into a position in Facilities Management / Construction Management for Air Force Hospitals.

PIMA, would you mind asking your friend about their son's timeline from when he talked to the recruiter to going to OCS? I would greatly appreciate it and if possible, love to talk to them about their experience.
 
I would love to pick up a slot as a CSO or an ALO. Is it possible to go in directly as an ALO without being rated first? The ANG website says it is, but I was under the impression that you had to be rated (Pilot, CSO, ABM) to be one. If you can go directly into that, it would be excellent.
 
I would love to pick up a slot as a CSO or an ALO. Is it possible to go in directly as an ALO without being rated first? The ANG website says it is, but I was under the impression that you had to be rated (Pilot, CSO, ABM) to be one. If you can go directly into that, it would be excellent.

Yes, it is possible without being rated. The AF made the ALO a separate career field, and not just an Alpha tour ("non-cockpit" tour for rated guys) in 2011. The other benefit of being a career ALO vice a rated guy on a 2 or 3-year assignment is that you are more likely to get JTAC qualified.
 
wk05,

Our friend's DS is currently at OCS. I don't think he is far out enough to have a true perspective.

As I said earlier, he started the process in the spring of his junior yr. and met the board in @3 months. He received his OCS date in the spring of his sr. yr. prior to his graduation. He reported the beginning of July for OCS at Maxwell. He will commission in Sept. I do not know how much casual status time he will have between IFS and OCS, and IFS and UNT.
~~~~ That is not necessarily an OCS thing, but more rated school dates.

Talk to the AFROTC det. They also know some of the OCS process. They may have an officer that was OCS, or a connection to assist you regarding the process. Our friend is in the process, his hands are a little full currently trying to get through it.
 
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