ROTC in college and no commission

magtalas192

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I recently recieved information from a fellow friend of mine, he said that even though you do ROTC during college you are not guaranteed a commission as an officer when you get out. He told me that the only colleges that do guarantee commission to all cadets were the 6 SMC and the Academies. Is this information true? If it is about how many actually do get commissioned as officers from regular universities?
 
...he said that even though you do ROTC during college you are not guaranteed a commission as an officer when you get out.
Sure seems like either some very expensive enlisted training or a great replacement for school loans. Did he mention whether the military wanted their scholarship grads to serve as enlisted or just keep the money?
 
some do not get commissioned, but it's not the norm. DoDMERB issues are usually the reason. There are a few that don't make the cut. PMS said it's rare but can happen.
 
It's not so much that you are not guaranteed a commission as you are not guaranteed active duty over the reserves. SMC and Academy grads are guaranteed active duty.
 
CadetMom is correct. Graduates of West Point and SMC's are guaranteed a commission into the Regular Army - Active Duty.

ROTC grads must compete for an Active Duty commission. If they want and don't get an Active Duty commission they will commission into the Reserves or Guard. I suppose it might be possible for some to serve their commitment in the IRR (if the Army were to draw down) but not likely nowadays. The reserves and guard are very short of officers.
 
ROTC grads must compete for an Active Duty commission. If they want and don't get an Active Duty commission they will commission into the Reserves or Guard.
How does this competition work? My understanding is that a college ROTC scholarship recipient must agree to 4 years AD and 4 years IR after graduation. I'd be interested in knowing under what circumstances the military is going to pay for four (or 3,2) years of college and then decide the college graduate was not competitive for a AD commission.
 
It is my understanding that the old "Regular vs Reserve" commission situation no longer exists. I believe everyone coming out of the Academies as well as the ROTC Schoalrships kid are all being commissioned as "Reserve" officers and compete at 0-4 for the "Regular" title. See below.
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Reserve vs. Regular Officers

Many folks are confused about the differences between a "Reserve Officer" and a "Regular Officer." Being a Reserve Officer does not mean the officer is serving in the Reserves. In the "old days," graduates of the service academies were commissioned as Regular Officers, while those commissioned under ROTC or Officer Candidate School (called Officer Training School in the Air Force), were commissioned as Reserve Officers, who then "competed" later during their careers to be appointed as Regular Officers.

Being a Regular officer means a better chance of being promoted, protects against RIFs (reduction in force), and allows an officer to serve longer.

These days, all officers (including Academy graduates) are initially commissioned as Reserve Officers, and compete among themselves for appointment to regular officer at the time they are considered for promotion to major (O-4). Major-selects who also win appointment to Regular status receive the advantages of being a Regular Officer. This means:
 
From the NROTC site:

Upon graduation, NROTC Scholarship Program midshipmen are commissioned as Ensigns in the Naval Reserve or Second Lieutenants in the Marine Corps Reserve. Midshipmen without scholarships may also receive a commission through the College Program. College Program midshipmen must serve at least three years of active duty service if they accept a commission. The service commitment times vary according to what community in which the graduate has selected to serve.
 
How does this competition work? My understanding is that a college ROTC scholarship recipient must agree to 4 years AD and 4 years IR after graduation. I'd be interested in knowing under what circumstances the military is going to pay for four (or 3,2) years of college and then decide the college graduate was not competitive for a AD commission.

This is for ARMY only!!!
You agree to serve - however you may not get active duty. Like I said, during a drawdown or peacetime - many will not get active duty. This happened in the 90's - back then it was very difficult to get AD out of AROTC.
The Army indeed, has scholarships specifically for Reserves. They are available for the taking from what I understand. It is called the Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty Scholarship. They will pay two or three years of college for you to agree to go Reserves (or Guard).

The competition is merit - same as branch and post. Each year there is a point cut off. Those who don't make the cut off will be commissioned in Reserves and serve their commitment there.
I would think the majority of scholarship students these days would get AD since you need a 2.5 to keep your scholarship - remember though not all ROTC cadets are on scholarship.
 
I would think the majority of scholarship students these days would get AD since you need a 2.5 to keep your scholarship - remember though not all ROTC cadets are on scholarship.
So to answer the OPs question:
"that even though you do ROTC during college you are not guaranteed a commission as an officer when you get out"
When would you NOT get a commission....either reserve or AD?
And to clarify: If an AROTC recipient is on scholarship and he/she completes both college and their AROTC program successfully, then what circumstances are required to NOT be commissioned either AD or Reserve?
 
My question to the OP: what do you mean by "do ROTC"? Does that mean a scholarship, or does that mean affiliating with the ROTC unit for your service of choice at your college (without a scholarship), as I believe you can do?
 
In most cases if you "do ROTC" for 4 years you will have contracted. Cadets normally contract at the end of the second year.

I did read once about a college where you can take AF ROTC for 4 years and not contract - only because the college requires all courses to be open to all students. In that case, you will not commission since you didn't contract and did not fulfill all of the ROTC requirements.
This may be true of some other schools where you can just take the class for 4 years for credit.

I don't know for sure but I think if the service was in a serious draw down they could buy you out or relieve you of your contract.
 
commission

I recently recieved information from a fellow friend of mine, he said that even though you do ROTC during college you are not guaranteed a commission as an officer when you get out. He told me that the only colleges that do guarantee commission to all cadets were the 6 SMC and the Academies. Is this information true? If it is about how many actually do get commissioned as officers from regular universities?

In our experience, if a student accepts a scholarship to a university, that student must serve in that branch of the military for the number of years a scholarship is accepted, especially if that student graduates on an ROTC scholarship. At that time the student is a 2nd Lt.
 
In most cases if you "do ROTC" for 4 years you will have contracted. Cadets normally contract at the end of the second year.

If you are in the CoC at one of the 6 Senior Military Schools, I believe you are required to affiliate with one of the ROTC units on campus (Army, Navy, whatever is available, your choice) even if you are not on scholarship..isn't that correct? However you are not required to accept a commission at the end. (at least that is what I gleaned from our tour guide at VT who was in the CoC but not going to accept a commission)

That is what I was thinking of w/r/t "do ROTC".
 
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