Parents - ask me your mom and dad questions

Random mom question - My son is due to leave for his freshman year in a couple weeks. The ROTC program at his university is in a state of flux as they are moving their office on campus and their systems have been disconnected and chaotic so communication has been very sparse to say the least. I have no idea, nor does he, what to expect once he begins the program. He has registered for the Military Science class, he knows he will have morning runs/workouts during the week, but other than that we know nothing. :)

I know each program may be different, but could someone share what a typical/general ROTC year includes? Do they Drill on weekends? Will he have things to do/report to in the evenings? I am a total newbie and am just trying to wrap my head around what his schedule may look like.

Thanks in advance! :)
 
Frozen7 said:
Random mom question - My son is due to leave for his freshman year in a couple weeks. The ROTC program at his university is in a state of flux as they are moving their office on campus and their systems have been disconnected and chaotic so communication has been very sparse to say the least. I have no idea, nor does he, what to expect once he begins the program. He has registered for the Military Science class, he knows he will have morning runs/workouts during the week, but other than that we know nothing. :)

I know each program may be different, but could someone share what a typical/general ROTC year includes? Do they Drill on weekends? Will he have things to do/report to in the evenings? I am a total newbie and am just trying to wrap my head around what his schedule may look like.

Thanks in advance! :)
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Each school's battalion will do it differently, but I would expect the minimum commitments to be:

1. A "Zero" day at the beginning of the semester where the cadets fill out paperwork and get equipment.
2. Morning PT 2x or 3x a week, depending on battalion.
3. In addition to the MS class, a lab one afternoon a week for a few hours.
4. Field Training Exercise (FTX) overnight (1 or 2 nights) one weekend a semester.
5. There are usually different guest leadership development opportunities (such as talks/presentations) during the year.

Best of luck to your son!

Edit: Not sure why I assumed you were asking about AROTC. If not, please disregard!
 
Frozen7 said:
Random mom question - My son is due to leave for his freshman year in a couple weeks. The ROTC program at his university is in a state of flux as they are moving their office on campus and their systems have been disconnected and chaotic so communication has been very sparse to say the least. I have no idea, nor does he, what to expect once he begins the program. He has registered for the Military Science class, he knows he will have morning runs/workouts during the week, but other than that we know nothing. :)

I know each program may be different, but could someone share what a typical/general ROTC year includes? Do they Drill on weekends? Will he have things to do/report to in the evenings? I am a total newbie and am just trying to wrap my head around what his schedule may look like.

Thanks in advance! :)
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Army? Navy? AF?

If your son has not already done this, he should scout every page and drop-down hamburger or dot menu section on the unit’s website hosted on the college site.

In the example I linked below, I found a description of required classes, on-campus training and PT schedule, etc.

armyrotc.umd.edu

On Campus | UMD Army ROTC

armyrotc.umd.edu armyrotc.umd.edu

You may want to arrive a day early, let your son go solo to find the unit in its new spaces, introduce himself, ask questions, even offer to help if they are in need. That would allow him to be proactive in starting to get a feel for what his college/ROTC schedule will look like. The unit is used to getting new cadets or midshipmen every year. They will be given an orientation, schedules, a chain of command to ask questions. There will be upperclass to help. Then he can tell you. The military gets new family members all the time; a year from now he will be helping others.

He gets to wrap his head around it all, find his feet, figure out how it all works and rapidly assimilate, using all the skills you have equipped him with, plus his no doubt fine brain and common sense. You get to relax and let him tell you all about it as a consulting parent on demand, relinquishing the role of active project manager.

As we say around here, you taught him to fly. Now watch him soar.
 
DS was an AROTC four-year scholarship winner. Despite that, there was not the same kind of information flow as DD experienced at USNA. No emails to parents, no orientation session when we dropped him off, no meet-and-greet with battalion leadership. But DS clearly got the info he needed, because he never seemed concerned.

As long as the right intro ROTC course is on the mid’s/cadet’s schedule, and there’s been some initial contact between them and the cadre (not necessarily with parents, mind you), then all should be well.

As mentioned above, the basics of what ROTC entails day-to-day are easily accessible online. Start with the national and campus-specific websites.
 
Thank you all- I forgot to mention that yes, he is AROTC and just seeing an idea of a general schedule and what they do at UMD (TY KingZunzie and Cpt.MJ!) is exactly what I was looking for. The AROTC info on my son's university page is very general with more of a "If you have questions, reach out to us" approach and feel. I'm just nosy and excited - I know he can handle whatever comes his way.

He is also a 4-year scholarship winner, so I believe there is at least a "contracting" that happens pretty quickly? I will poke around and see what I can find out about that. :)
 
Frozen7 said:
He is also a 4-year scholarship winner, so I believe there is at least a "contracting" that happens pretty quickly? I will poke around and see what I can find out about that.
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Typically, there’s indeed a contract signing (administrative) followed by a swearing in (ceremonial).

It doesn’t necessarily happen right away. By some quirk, DS attended his first field exercise before he signed the contract and was sworn in. So there he was in uniform, rappelling off a 50-foot tower, a few days before it was all “official.” The battalion’s IG page had photos of him all roped up, followed days later by photos of him with his right hand raised. It all worked out. 😉
 
MidCakePa said:
Typically, there’s indeed a contract signing (administrative) followed by a swearing in (ceremonial).

It doesn’t necessarily happen right away. By some quirk, DS attended his first field exercise before he signed the contract and was sworn in. So there he was in uniform, rappelling off a 50-foot tower, a few days before it was all “official.” The battalion’s IG page had photos of him all roped up, followed days later by photos of him with his right hand raised. It all worked out. 😉
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That's what I expect will happen in my kid's case too :) haha
 
Frozen7 said:
Random mom question - My son is due to leave for his freshman year in a couple weeks. The ROTC program at his university is in a state of flux as they are moving their office on campus and their systems have been disconnected and chaotic so communication has been very sparse to say the least. I have no idea, nor does he, what to expect once he begins the program. He has registered for the Military Science class, he knows he will have morning runs/workouts during the week, but other than that we know nothing. :)

I know each program may be different, but could someone share what a typical/general ROTC year includes? Do they Drill on weekends? Will he have things to do/report to in the evenings? I am a total newbie and am just trying to wrap my head around what his schedule may look like.

Thanks in advance! :)
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My Son's school has a "Basic week" before classes actually start. He went last year as a Freshman, and they will all be there again this year. The schedule came out shortly before arrival. There will be opportunities for special teams such as Ranger Challenge, Color Guard, 10 Miler etc. Those typically meet outside of regular ROTC hours for practices. His Battalion also required participation at some football games for various things, and there were some community service events. As longs as his Medical Process is complete, you son will be able to contract early on, but we have been told that payments for monthly stipend can be a little delayed, as in maybe October, before those kick in. My son is contracting this August (3 Year Scholarship)
 
Frozen7 said:
Thank you all- I forgot to mention that yes, he is AROTC and just seeing an idea of a general schedule and what they do at UMD (TY KingZunzie and Cpt.MJ!) is exactly what I was looking for. The AROTC info on my son's university page is very general with more of a "If you have questions, reach out to us" approach and feel. I'm just nosy and excited - I know he can handle whatever comes his way.

He is also a 4-year scholarship winner, so I believe there is at least a "contracting" that happens pretty quickly? I will poke around and see what I can find out about that. :)
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Contracting doesn't happen right away. They need to pass a fitness test and meet H/W standards (or pass a tape) before contracting, and then they need the right paperwork from the HRA. That all doesn't happen right away. With all the changes, I'm not sure what standards are being applied for contracting this year. They will begin PT and courses before contracting.
 
MidCakePa said:
When you say “applying AROTC,” do you mean:

For a national scholarship? If so, then no. Those scholarships are decided centrally. Your daughter is eligible to interview at any campus, with any detachment, but there’s really no advantage to doing so at one over the other. I believe it’s best to interview in person, even if that campus/detachment isn’t high on her list.

For entry into a particular battalion? If so, then no. Any student can join ROTC once they’re on campus.
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Yes it’s for the national scholarship. She is a rising HS senior who has completed everything but the interview and PFA for
The application. She will get it scheduled soon and will be making some calls. Thank you!
 
EJF said:
There is a definite timeline on applying for ROTC Scholarships, and they are different for all the branches. Our experience is with Army. There are 3 boards where they review the applications. The first one for Army is in October, the last one is in March. There should be lots of information in this forum if you do some searching, and if he does some googling. The scholarships in Army are tied to specific schools, my son put his top 3 choices and was awarded a 3 year to all of them. I can't recall if you can put more than 3. If he does early decision and does not get his scholarship to that school then he'll have a problem. My son was not able to choose his school until early April last year because his award did not come out until late March. He applied for the second board, but was not picked up until the 3rd board. It's a long process and he should get started on figuring it all out and how to be most competitive on his application. There is also the process of getting cleared through DODMERB, the medical review board, no scholarships will begin until they are medically qualified. I don't think you can go through that process with ROTC until you have been awarded your scholarship. That can take some time too.
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I know you posted this a while ago, but I came across it and have a question. You said your son received a scholarship to all 3 schools on his list? I thought it's school specific. Can you help me understand this? My son is trying to put his schools in order, but worried that if he puts a reach school as his #1, and doesn't get in, that transferring the scholarship (of course, IF he gets one) wouldn't be guaranteed.
 
bethf said:
I know you posted this a while ago, but I came across it and have a question. You said your son received a scholarship to all 3 schools on his list? I thought it's school specific. Can you help me understand this? My son is trying to put his schools in order, but worried that if he puts a reach school as his #1, and doesn't get in, that transferring the scholarship (of course, IF he gets one) wouldn't be guaranteed.
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@bethf which branch is your son pursing to train and serve in?

As the poster noted, applicants for the Army scholarship list a number of schools according to the application requirements, and if a scholarship is awarded, it can be awarded for use at 1,2, or 3 (some self report sometimes 4 but I've only seen 3) schools from that list - and the candidate selects which school to accept the scholarship at, among that shorter list they were offered. the navy national scholarship applicants also list a number of schools according to the requirements and the scholarship is typically awarded at one of those schools. Some candidates have success in getting their request to transfer the scholarship to another school than what was awarded- but not all. As others noted above, some schools "fill up" and scholarship awardees cannot use the scholarship there- Class of '27 at ERAU for example had people who wanted to use the awarded scholarship there for Navy, but cannot as they are full/ taken. Air force HSSP scholarship recipients can use the awarded scholarship at any AFROTC detachment, but presently most AFROTC scholarships are awarded as ICSP scholarships to existing program participants from a specific detachment.
 
Herman_Snerd said:
@bethf which branch is your son pursing to train and serve in?

As the poster noted, applicants for the Army scholarship list a number of schools according to the application requirements, and if a scholarship is awarded, it can be awarded for use at 1,2, or 3 (some self report sometimes 4 but I've only seen 3) schools from that list - and the candidate selects which school to accept the scholarship at, among that shorter list they were offered. the navy national scholarship applicants also list a number of schools according to the requirements and the scholarship is typically awarded at one of those schools. Some candidates have success in getting their request to transfer the scholarship to another school than what was awarded- but not all. As others noted above, some schools "fill up" and scholarship awardees cannot use the scholarship there- Class of '27 at ERAU for example had people who wanted to use the awarded scholarship there for Navy, but cannot as they are full/ taken. Air force HSSP scholarship recipients can use the awarded scholarship at any AFROTC detachment, but presently most AFROTC scholarships are awarded as ICSP scholarships to existing program participants from a specific detachment.
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Thank you for your reply. My DS is applying to 3 SA's and 3 branches of ROTC. His first choice is Army (I'd say Beat Navy, but it makes my husband grumpy. My DS would be the 4th generation in the Navy...). But his ultimate goal is military leadership, and knows casting a large net will give him the biggest (hopefully) chance. Whoever gives him the opportunity, he will happily take as his new first choice. Long range thinker. I appreciate learning about this selection process. He has read a lot but doesn't lay it all out for his old mom as clearly as I'd like, so I have to ask all my friends here, lol. Looks like he should list his schools with his true #1 that he very reasonably can be admitted to, a safety, and throw a reach into the mix as well. Best of luck to all those applying this cycle. 🇺🇸
 
bethf said:
I know you posted this a while ago, but I came across it and have a question. You said your son received a scholarship to all 3 schools on his list? I thought it's school specific. Can you help me understand this? My son is trying to put his schools in order, but worried that if he puts a reach school as his #1, and doesn't get in, that transferring the scholarship (of course, IF he gets one) wouldn't be guaranteed.
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Hi! I believe that someone already answered your question, but with Army they can be awarded scholarships to all their choices, but it is school specific. Each school on my son’s list reached out to him after the scholarships were given. His top choice was an out of state school. His top two choices also offered him money for the first year before his national scholarship kicked in this year. The other branches are different so I really can’t comment. I would say he should put his choices in order of what he really wants and see what happens!
 
tgtl said:
I am the proud parent of a newly commissioned Army officer who had a very successful 4 years in ROTC. I was new to all of this 4 years ago and admittedly anxious, but I have learned a lot and am happy to answer any questions you may have (from a parent’s perspective).
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HI- Can you tell me how scholarship payments are made? Also, it says it covers tuition and fees- does the Army just send a specific amount or do we need to send them a list of applicable fees? I saw that health insurance looks like it's a covered fee, but I already waived it because my daughter is covered out of state- does that matter?
 
rotcmom2022 said:
HI- Can you tell me how scholarship payments are made? Also, it says it covers tuition and fees- does the Army just send a specific amount or do we need to send them a list of applicable fees? I saw that health insurance looks like it's a covered fee, but I already waived it because my daughter is covered out of state- does that matter?
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It's all handled through a portal now, if AROTC. Just make sure business office or bursar knows the moneys is coming. They covered insurance and all fees. Nothing will be paid until they contract.
 
rotcmom2022 said:
thank you!

thank you
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As a further clarification, it can take a little while for the money to process after contracting, which also takes some time. My son as been at school for 3 weeks now, and just signed his contracting paperwork. We were also told that AROTC does not cover Program Fees, which is a small amount charged by the different classes they are taking, like Engineering program fees, Business program fees etc, it's in the $350 range this semester. It doesn't quite make sense to me, but that's how it is I guess...He's not expecting his Stipend until sometime in October, hopefully not later, and in the meantime the Finance Office is still waiting for payment, but we have been told they would be notified it was coming by AROTC.
 
EJF said:
As a further clarification, it can take a little while for the money to process after contracting, which also takes some time. My son as been at school for 3 weeks now, and just signed his contracting paperwork. We were also told that AROTC does not cover Program Fees, which is a small amount charged by the different classes they are taking, like Engineering program fees, Business program fees etc, it's in the $350 range this semester. It doesn't quite make sense to me, but that's how it is I guess...He's not expecting his Stipend until sometime in October, hopefully not later, and in the meantime the Finance Office is still waiting for payment, but we have been told they would be notified it was coming by AROTC.
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DS was the only one in his platoon on scholarship. He can be a worrier at times. He would see the bill from the college and screenshot it to his mom. I would just say "they know they will get their money."

This year there are 5-6 scholarships and they all ask him WHEN WHEN. From what I remember it was around October.

I check the bank we just got a notice (joint owner) he is getting his book and regular monthly stipend on the 15th.
 
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