Some questions on AROTC from a clueless mother......

Bluepit

Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2017
Messages
19
I have been following a couple of forums and this one seems like the friendliest and most knowledgeable so I thought I would post my questions here.

I have some general questions about the AROTC program. My son was awarded a 4 year AROTC scholarship and will start at college in August. He will be studying Engineering and is super excited as it has been his dream to be an Officer in the Army since he can remember, and of course I am very proud.

I live outside the USA so I am just trying to judge timing when I will get to see him over the next 4 years (not thinking beyond). He has been talking to me about the whole process but I have a hard time following (can’t keep up with the acronyms) and have lost track. I know I won’t win any mother of the year awards this year but I’m trying to follow – not being from a military background I find it overwhelming.

My questions are:
1. At the end of his freshman year does he go on a camp in the summer and what is the acronym for this camp? Is it for the whole summer?

2. Does he go on a camp/training every summer? If so is it for the whole summer? Are they different camps each year i.e.: what are the acronyms?

3. He mentioned a cultural exchange program – is that in the summer or part of his degree?

4. On other college breaks (spring/winter etc) does he have the time off or can he come home?

5. After he finishes his degree does he have time off or does he go direct in active duty?

6. As he is leaving friends and family want to buy him farewell gifts, can you suggest anything that would be useful they could buy that may help him with AROTC. Not big ticket items but things like training gear, torch, sox etc. I really have no idea but potentially things that he would not have to buy himself.

Thank you for your help.
 
Great Questions. I'm fairly certain the summer after their junior year they all must got to Advance Camp in Fort Knox KY for four weeks.

I've added a few more questions. My DD is AROTC / nursing.

7.) Can someone comment on the typical summers a nursing cadet could experience?

8.) Do the MS* courses count as elective course credit?

If you have a FB account follow

**REMOVED**

Also if your DS's college has a local FB site that would be useful to follow.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
1. At the end of his freshman year does he go on a camp in the summer and what is the acronym for this camp? Is it for the whole summer?

Basic Camp (formerly known as CIET) is now primarily for those cadets who joined AROTC late, typically sophomore year. Basic camp "catches up" these cadets with those who began as freshmen. That said, some battalions will still send some cadets in the summer after their freshman year, if they have the available slots.

Basic camp is 4 weeks long. There are multiple sessions or "regiments" through the summer, so there is no telling when a cadet will go. They do receive a paycheck for the time at camp.

Here are a couple links about basic camp.
http://ciet.futurearmyofficers.com/about/
http://ciet.futurearmyofficers.com/

2. Does he go on a camp/training every summer? If so is it for the whole summer? Are they different camps each year i.e.: what are the acronyms?

Not necessarily, although many do attend some sort of ROTC summer program. These can include CULP, or Summer Training such as Airborne, Air Assault, Mountain Warfare, etc.
In the summer after junior year, Advanced Camp is required (This used to be called CLC). (there is a an Acronym guide on the toolbar of the forum).

3. He mentioned a cultural exchange program – is that in the summer or part of his degree?
CULP or Cultural Understanding Leadership Proficiency, is an optional summer program for cultural exchange usually involving the cadet working with a friendly nation's military force.
Here is more info:
http://www.cadetcommand.army.mil/culp/

4. On other college breaks (spring/winter etc) does he have the time off or can he come home?
This depends on the college he is attending, but most breaks such as Winter and Spring breaks, my cadet has come home. Field training exercises (FTX) are conducted during school usually on weekends.

5. After he finishes his degree does he have time off or does he go direct in active duty?
After graduating and commissioning, there can be a delay before he or she reports to BOLC (Basic officer Leader's Course). The delay can be a few weeks or several months, depending on his military branch selection. Each BOLC is specialized (Infantry, Armor, Aviation etc.).

6. As he is leaving friends and family want to buy him farewell gifts, can you suggest anything that would be useful they could buy that may help him with AROTC. Not big ticket items but things like training gear, torch, sox etc. I really have no idea but potentially things that he would not have to buy himself.
An inexpensive but very rugged watch (Casio G-shock), a multi-tool/knife, a waterproof notebook, would be good ideas. There are many threads on this forum that cover gift items for Army cadets.
 
Last edited:
Congrats to your son. His journey is just starting. You both should become familiar with this forum and its search function as that will help you both (especially you) immensely.
1) The name of the camp is CIET. Usually 30 days in Ft. Knox , Kentucky. He may be able to request when he goes but it is up to the Army in the end. He may want to apply for CULP as well. If accepted those 2 items will eat up jos entire summer.
2) Things are changing all the time but the summer between his MS1 and MS2 is usually free. His last summer in school he will be going back to Ft. Knox for CLC for 30 days.
3) CULP is outside of school and not part of his degree. Great program, my son went to Romania.
4)All school breaks are his to do as he pleases.
5) Depends on when his BOLC has a slot open for him. Some wait for week and even months before going AD, my son graduated on a Saturday and had to report to FT Knox by Wednesday
6) Casio G shock watch ( have him look up what is authorized), Sunglasses ( look up what is authorized). Most everything he needs will be provided.
 
[5. After he finishes his degree does he have time off or does he go direct in active duty?

6. As he is leaving friends and family want to buy him farewell gifts, can you suggest anything that would be useful they could buy that may help him with AROTC. Not big ticket items but things like training gear, torch, sox etc. I really have no idea but potentially things that he would not have to buy himself.

Thank you for your help.[/QUOTE]

5. Keep in mind that there is no guarantee that he will be selected for active duty. About half of those commissioned through ROTC go into the reserves. There would still be a gap between college graduation/commissioning and the reporting date for his BOLC. This will not be known until the spring of his last year. (I don't know if this varies for 5-year engineering programs)

6. Good running shoes, replaced on a regular basis, are helpful. Also, although as a contracted scholarship awardee he will be issued boots, many prefer to purchase their own boots. Make sure they are regulation. He can get suggestions from the upper class students when he is on campus.
 
Last edited:
Great Questions. I'm fairly certain the summer after their junior year they all must got to Advance Camp in Fort Knox KY for four weeks.

I've added a few more questions. My DD is AROTC / nursing.

7.) Can someone comment on the typical summers a nursing cadet could experience?

8.) Do the MS* courses count as elective course credit?

If you have a FB account search for U.S. Army Cadet Command (ROTC).


Also if your DS's college has a local FB site that would be useful to follow.


8. The MS courses typically counts as general elective credit. It varies by school.
 
Great Questions. I'm fairly certain the summer after their junior year they all must got to Advance Camp in Fort Knox KY for four weeks.

I've added a few more questions. My DD is AROTC / nursing.

7.) Can someone comment on the typical summers a nursing cadet could experience?

8.) Do the MS* courses count as elective course credit?

If you have a FB account search for U.S. Army Cadet Command (ROTC).


Also if your DS's college has a local FB site that would be useful to follow.

I am a nursing cadet going into my senior year. Typically summer training is the same as everyone else with the exception of NSTP (Nurse Summer Training Program) which is typically done summer going into senior year. NSTP is 4 wks in length.
 
I am a nursing cadet going into my senior year. Typically summer training is the same as everyone else with the exception of NSTP (Nurse Summer Training Program) which is typically done summer going into senior year. NSTP is 4 wks in length.

Thanks. Do you do NSTP in place of, or in addition to Advance Camp?
 
Thank you all so much. I am much clearer now - it really is like AROTC for Dummies...... although those acronyms are like learning a new language!!

Will hang around this forum and check out the links provided.

Thanks again
 
Thank you all so much. I am much clearer now - it really is like AROTC for Dummies...... although those acronyms are like learning a new language!!

Will hang around this forum and check out the links provided.

Thanks again

I really love this forum - I've learned a lot - when to chill, when to get concerned. I wish I'd known about it when DS was doing his applications, we would have learned a bunch... Anyways, welcome!
 
@Bluepit Make sure your son keeps the receipt for his plane ticket or mileage with per diem to school. Four year scholarship recipients are supposed to have their travel to school the first time paid for/reimbursed by the military. This would be from Home of Record or place of entry to ROTC. He will have to fill out a travel voucher when he gets to his ROTC unit.

If not immediately sent to active duty upon commissioning he will also be authorized a ticket home or mileage prior to BOLC. A large number of four year scholarship cadets do not submit the vouchers for this benefit and some ROTC Cadre may not be not aware of this benefit.

This benefit is only for national four year scholarship recipients, not college based or 3 year advance designee even if upgraded to 4 year at the school.
 
It's now called Basic Camp...no longer CIET. Unless your Cadet is going to a service academy or senior military college he is going to be a normal college student 90% of the time, especially if he is studying engineering.you should remind him of that. You should see him on most breaks and during the summer, apart from a couple four week stints.
 
Gift - Kids unless they have been on track teams and parents can think a running shoe is a running shoe. I did but when I was looking up 'how to get faster' tips I found they kept coming back to how important shoes are. One had links to real runner stores not your Payless store. These stores have treadmills set up with video cameras and computer analysis of gait and foot fall to provide best fit shoe styles/brands. Some charge while others do it as part of their service. The change DS said he felt when running in the new shoes was huge. With him changing schools first thing I looked up was runner stores with the analysis so he can get new shoes at the transfer 'camp' a few weeks before school starts so he can break them in before those all important initial APFTs. If allowed here is the store finder from Runner's World http://www.runnersworld.com/store-finder And the shoes can vary but are actually not that much more expensive than the random 'cool' sneakers they may be using now. Since it is a highish price item maybe everyone can buy gift cards for the store he will go to for the fitting.
 
Great Questions. I'm fairly certain the summer after their junior year they all must got to Advance Camp in Fort Knox KY for four weeks.

I've added a few more questions. My DD is AROTC / nursing.

7.) Can someone comment on the typical summers a nursing cadet could experience?

8.) Do the MS* courses count as elective course credit?

If you have a FB account follow

**REMOVED**

Also if your DS's college has a local FB site that would be useful to follow.

I will focus on the nursing question since all others have been covered really well. There are requirements for nurses as stated above, but timing depends on the school this is something that your daughter will learn about. Here is the schedule for my DD, she will be a sophomore this year.
Summer after freshman year:
Nothing required, basic camp was optional and nurses were offered spots at her school where other MS1 cadets were not. She applied for ProjectGo (intensive language program) but was not selected. She passed on the basic camp slot and came home to work. She had wanted to do something with the Army during the summer but the reality hit in that it was probably her last summer to come home and have the summer off.
Sophomore year and summer 2:
At her school nurses are MS3 as a sophomore, for classes and leadership responsibility. Nursing students at her school are required to go to advanced camp summer between sophomore/junior year we she is also going to try to do CULP but that will be dependent on acceptance and timing.
Junior year/summer3:
For MS class purposes she will be with the MS2's as she starts her clinicals for nursing. Her nursing school is a 5 semester program starting junior year which means they do not get a summer break (which is why they do advanced camp sophomore year). She will also do NSTP during her short break between summer and regular school and she will be able to use those hours toeards her schools required clinical hours.
Senior year, she will be with the M4s for classes and after graduation will study for and take the NCLEX before commissioning.

Again, while every nurse does adnaced camp and NSTP, the timing could be different based on ththe school.
 
Gift - Kids unless they have been on track teams and parents can think a running shoe is a running shoe. I did but when I was looking up 'how to get faster' tips I found they kept coming back to how important shoes are. One had links to real runner stores not your Payless store. These stores have treadmills set up with video cameras and computer analysis of gait and foot fall to provide best fit shoe styles/brands. Some charge while others do it as part of their service. The change DS said he felt when running in the new shoes was huge. With him changing schools first thing I looked up was runner stores with the analysis so he can get new shoes at the transfer 'camp' a few weeks before school starts so he can break them in before those all important initial APFTs. If allowed here is the store finder from Runner's World http://www.runnersworld.com/store-finder And the shoes can vary but are actually not that much more expensive than the random 'cool' sneakers they may be using now. Since it is a highish price item maybe everyone can buy gift cards for the store he will go to for the fitting.
Really good points!!! Getting properly fitted is super important for how often These kids use their running shoes!
 
Back
Top