Enlisting in Army

FØB Zero

FØB Zero

Enthusiastically American
Joined
Jul 30, 2019
Messages
205
Howdy Y’all,
I am interested in applying to USNA and USMA. However, I would also like to enlist in the army this year (split op). My recruiter told me if I decided to go USNA, I would first have to finish AIT. Since USNA BCT starts late June, is there any way I can finish my AIT before then? (AIT May-June). Any advice if I should follow through with this if I am on the fence between Army/Navy?

Thank you.
 
There is no guarantee that you will be done. What if you get hurt? Rolled back a class? What is it you want to do? Normally a SA appointment trumps all enlistment documents. What do you think you will get out of attending AIT? Is your goal to be an officer? What happens if you don’t get in to USNA or USMA?
 
NavyHoops said:
There is no guarantee that you will be done. What if you get hurt? Rolled back a class? What is it you want to do? Normally a SA appointment trumps all enlistment documents. What do you think you will get out of attending AIT? Is your goal to be an officer? What happens if you don’t get in to USNA or USMA?
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I will be doing ROTC at the same time, so I will only do training during the summer with them while in ROTC. (My backup)
 
FØB Zero said:
I will be doing ROTC at the same time, so I will only do training during the summer with them while in ROTC. (My backup)
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Enlisting in the Army isn't like getting a monthly gym membership, so I'm curious as to how you came up with the idea that you can enlist, while "doing ROTC at the same time".
 
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I think you need to spend some time looking at old Army ROTC threads. I am no expert on those options. But what a recruiter is telling you and reality may not be the same. I have learned a ton from some of the Long time posters about the nuances of the different Army programs. If you are looking at reserve options with ROTC ensure you know all the details.
 
THParent said:
FØB Zero said:
I will be doing ROTC at the same time, so I will only do training during the summer with them while in ROTC. (My backup)
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Enlisting in the Army isn't like getting a monthly gym membership, so I'm curious as to how you came up with the idea that you can enlist, while "doing ROTC at the same time".
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It’s called the Army National Guard Split Option. I will do summer basic training with the Army and then go back to school. I will then train with my local group 1 weekend/mo. Then I will go to AIT.
 
Exactly. That's being enlisted, in the National Guard. That is not training for four years in the ROTC, graduating with a Bachelor's degree, and ultimately accepting a commission as an officer in The Army. You can do both, but they are mutually exclusive of each other.
 
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Zero: what is your goal?

You are casting a pretty wide net with two service academies, ROTC and an enlisted program.

Joining the military will involve contracts, commitments and lack of flexibility. Its not easy to move between branches and the route you are describing is not a straight line. Has it been done? I suppose so - but the stars would have to line up just right.
 
FØB Zero said:
NavyHoops said:
There is no guarantee that you will be done. What if you get hurt? Rolled back a class? What is it you want to do? Normally a SA appointment trumps all enlistment documents. What do you think you will get out of attending AIT? Is your goal to be an officer? What happens if you don’t get in to USNA or USMA?
Click to expand...

I will be doing ROTC at the same time, so I will only do training during the summer with them while in ROTC. (My backup)
Click to expand...

So you would be in ROTC and National Guard in the SMP program as plan B for commissioning.
That’s not a bad backup, but you do have to be prepared to serve your enlistment contract if the SA and ROTC don’t work out.
I don’t think your split op will work out for BCT timeline though. If you’re accepted to an SA, I don’t believe your AIT will matter, your SA will cancel out any enlistment commitments.
You will not have served long enough to have any real “prior service “, and most likely wouldn’t have time to impress your NG COC to be recommended for an SA.
I would strongly suggest speaking with an officer recruiter as well as an ROTC officer at a nearby school. They will give you the best advice, and layout the best course to help get you into an SA or ROTC program.
Enlisted recruiters, not so much.....
 
Don't just discus this with a recruiter who has a quota to meet. Contact the ROO at one of the units you plan to join and discuss this with them. Also, keep in mind you might get locked into Guard/Reserves vs active duty if you take their scholarship money. ROO's have unique insight into these programs and are not driven by a quota.
 
shock-n-awe said:
I would strongly suggest speaking with an officer recruiter as well as an ROTC officer at a nearby school. They will give you the best advice, and layout the best course to help get you into an SA or ROTC program.
Enlisted recruiters, not so much.....
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Really ? I will never forget the phone call I got from the local USMC recruiter when I was home on Leave between NAPS and Plebe Summer. The recruiter was making blind calls, and when he asked me what I was doing....I kinda played it up, telling him I was just kinda hanging out this summer., chilling. (Recruiter smelled fresh blood in the water, salivating about this young kid with nothing to do during the summer), but then I explained to him that I was a Navy E-2 (NAPS enlistee) heading to Annapolis in a couple weeks, and his response was priceless ... (remembering that southern drawl), something like "Well, that doesn't mean you can't come on down to the station and talk with me about enlisting in the Marine Corps."
 
Even USMC OSO's can be a bit aggressive. Four years ago, after having been turned down by USNA and USMA, my DS enrolled in Army ROTC at State U as a "walk-on" cadet (no scholarship or contract).

Out of the blue, a Marine OSO called him (probably from the USNA or NROTC lists) and asked him about joining the PLC program. My DS told him that he already enrolled in Army ROTC.

The OSO tried to talk him into doing both, on the sly! :confused:
 
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FØB Zero said:
Howdy Y’all,
I am interested in applying to USNA and USMA. However, I would also like to enlist in the army this year (split op). My recruiter told me if I decided to go USNA, I would first have to finish AIT. Since USNA BCT starts late June, is there any way I can finish my AIT before then? (AIT May-June). Any advice if I should follow through with this if I am on the fence between Army/Navy?

Thank you.
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The recruiter is not correct. If you get accepted into a service academy or get an ROTC scholarship your enlistment contract takes a back seat. You do NOT go to AIT. If you drop out of a service academy any unfulfilled enlisted requirements kick in.
 
^^^

Spot on. Where the AIT confusion sets in is that you can’t get an enlisted nomination until you complete AIT. You can receive any other class of nomination but not the prior service enlisted.
 
cptenca said:
^^^

Spot on. Where the AIT confusion sets in is that you can’t get an enlisted nomination until you complete AIT. You can receive any other class of nomination but not the prior service enlisted.
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Correct. But being enlisted, even without an enlisted nomination counts. For something. I’m not sure how much, but it counts. The academies DO count you as an enlisted person for their numbers.
 
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