Army ROTC Summer for MSI

Mills668

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Dec 16, 2013
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Next year, I'll be a contracted MSI, and I will be under scholarship. For the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, what training opportunities are available to me? Could I go to Airborne or Air Assault?
 
Next year, I'll be a contracted MSI, and I will be under scholarship. For the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, what training opportunities are available to me? Could I go to Airborne or Air Assault?

Airborne and Air Assault will most likely not be available to you. CULP will be available and you can apply in the fall providing you pass the APFT, complete your paperwork and contract in time to apply.
 
Airborne and Air Assault will most likely not be available to you. CULP will be available and you can apply in the fall providing you pass the APFT, complete your paperwork and contract in time to apply.

Is Airborne usually for the summer between Sophomore-Junior years?
 
Technically they are open to MSI thru MSIII.
Reality is that it varies from battalion to battalion.

My son goes to a MJC so they go to the MS-III ECP cadets first then look at the MSII's.

From what I've read, other places offer them to MS-II's as the III's will be doing LDAC and maybe CTLT.

Only a certain number of slots are offered to each battalion so you need to be near the top of your internal OML to have it offered. You must also be in physical condition to handle the schools, which your cadre will determine.
 
Airborne and Air Assault will most likely not be available to you. CULP will be available and you can apply in the fall providing you pass the APFT, complete your paperwork and contract in time to apply.

Jcleppe is correct, though some battalions do make slots available to MS1s. You should set your goal to be at or near the top of your class OML. That means high APFT scores, strong GPA, and participation in battalion activities. Also, with more 3 year scholarships being awarded, your chances as a contracted MS1 would increase.

Don't rule out CULP. A lot of MS1's don't pay attention to this enriching opportunity, which is offered early in the year, and some are still apprehensive about going overseas.
 
Project GO should be considered as well. I have no information to pass along about it. CULP is a great oppurtunity and you get paid for it. Like Jcleppe said you must be fully contracted BEFORE you can apply. Good:thumb: luck.
 
At least at my Battalion (PSU), most of our slots are geared towards the upperclassmen. You'd have to be pretty darn high speed to get those slots. This year we got 4 slots: 1 airborne, 2 air assault, and 1 WHINSEC; excluding the X amount of CULP slots.

And PSU is one of the bigger battalions in the nation; and we got 4 slots - so just imagine how many slots smaler battalions got.

My personal 2 cents, plan on doing CULP more than anything else (summer training related). At least for this year, there were still plenty of CULP slots to go around. Remember that CULP only happens as a cadet; one you commission you will no longer have that opportunity; Airborne and Air Assault School, however, you will have that option even after you commission.

Honestly, don't take this the wrong way - but things change, especially coming from high school and into college. ALOT of people have that mind set of branching infantry and/or serving 20+ years AD. But they get to college, start ROTC, and things change for one reason for another.

Trust me, I was there too. Having been in ROTC for about 1.5 semesters now, my goals/life plans have shifted. I'm going for engineering - specifically to go into small arms development and testing. And to be honest, if I can pull an internship this summer with some one like Magpul, H&K, IWI, Bushmaster, etc - which could very well lead to a job after I graduate, it's a very good possibility that I'll take that job, serve my time in the Guard and whatever happens from there happens. Maybe I might stay in the Guard as a career Guardsman, or I might just do my 8 and turn in the keys.

So I guess, basically if you take anything away from this post - keep an open mind. Don't get tunnel vision. Be flexible; as a future leader of America - a future platoon leader, you may make a plan and it may all go to crap. But what separates a good leader and a great leader isn't necessarily the choice he/she makes, but rather how he/she reacts and responds to that unexpected change. You have to be able to adapt to the situations around you.

Best wishes your MSI year. It will be a great experience/learning curve, trust me on that one!
 
Just to add to this list of opportunities, some MSI cadets at my son's school are going to Mountain Warfare school. I know nothing else about it; I just saw it on the list my son sent me.
 
Just to add to this list of opportunities, some MSI cadets at my son's school are going to Mountain Warfare school. I know nothing else about it; I just saw it on the list my son sent me.

Yes and there is the Special Forces Diving School too. These two just are not really common especially the latter. However, I have seen cadets and new LTs with the SF diving badge here and there.
 
DS graduated from CDQC last summer. He's hearing that cadets will not be allowed at least this year, not sure about going forward.
 
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