2012-13 branching

Aglahad said:
We got word today, lots of branch details so far.
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One of our cadets got Signal branch detail Chemical.

I didn't even know that was possible - I know Signal is a donor branch, but didn't know that Chemical was even on the branch detail recipient list. AFAIK it was all combat arms branches, but go figure.

Did your guys get anything like that?
 
khergan said:
One of our cadets got Signal branch detail Chemical.

I didn't even know that was possible - I know Signal is a donor branch, but didn't know that Chemical was even on the branch detail recipient list. AFAIK it was all combat arms branches, but go figure.

Did your guys get anything like that?
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Not this year but I always knew chemical was a borrower for the other donor branches.

Here is a quick outline of the detail program for any guests that are looking. The page is a little dated, but after a quick glance it looks like the info is still relevant.

http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/MayJun01/MS651.htm
 
khergan said:
One of our cadets got Signal branch detail Chemical.

I didn't even know that was possible - I know Signal is a donor branch, but didn't know that Chemical was even on the branch detail recipient list. AFAIK it was all combat arms branches, but go figure.

Did your guys get anything like that?
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Possibly the worst branch/detail combination ever. Ouch.
 
I took these data from the Purdue Accessions briefing deck. It appears to reflect the combined Donations of 2LTs from the three Accessions sources: ROTC, USMA, and OCS. http://www.purdue.edu/armyrotc/_f/currentcadets/accessions_briefing_11_apr_2011.pptx. Click on the link, then click to download the slide deck.


On the left are the five Donor Branches. Across the page is the number of 2LT "lent" in 2011 to the four Receiving branches.

FY11 Branch Detail Mission
Donors (5)////Receiving Branches (4)

/////// AR//// CM/// FA/// IN//// Total
AD //// 2 //// 1 //// 2 //// 4 ///// 9
AG /// 15 /// 25 /// 13 /// 8 //// 61
FI ///// 5 //// 2 //// 5 //// 11 /// 23
MI //// 54 /// 23 /// 44 // 111 /// 232
SC /// 29 //// 11 /// 24 /// 60 /// 124

Total/105/////62/////88////194////449

Legend:
AD = Air Defense Artillery
AG = Adjutant General (HR)
FI = Finance
MI = Military Intelligence
SC = Signal Corps

AR = Armor
CM = Chemical
FA = Field Artillery
IN = Infantry

The seven Branches that do not appear to have Donated or Received in 2011 were: Medical Specialist, Engineering, Military Police, Aviation, Ordnance, Transportation Corps, and Quartermaster.

You see from the above that Military Intelligence was the biggest Donor in 2011. MI donated 232 out the combined 400 2LTs coming out of USMA, OCS, and ROTC in 2011. That's 58%.
 
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dunninla said:
I took these data from the Purdue Accessions briefing deck. It appears to reflect the combined Donations of 2LTs from the three Accessions sources: ROTC, USMA, and OCS. http://www.purdue.edu/armyrotc/_f/currentcadets/accessions_briefing_11_apr_2011.pptx. Click on the link, then click to download the slide deck.


On the left are the five Donor Branches. Across the page is the number of 2LT "lent" in 2011 to the four Receiving branches.

FY11 Branch Detail Mission
Donors (5)////Receiving Branches (4)

/////// AR//// CM/// FA/// IN//// Total
AD //// 2 //// 1 //// 2 //// 4 ///// 9
AG /// 15 /// 25 /// 13 /// 8 //// 61
FI ///// 5 //// 2 //// 5 //// 11 /// 23
MI //// 54 /// 23 /// 44 // 111 /// 232
SC /// 29 //// 11 /// 24 /// 60 /// 124

Total/105/////62/////88////194////449

Legend:
AD = Air Defense Artillery
AG = Adjutant General (HR)
FI = Finance
MI = Military Intelligence
SC = Signal Corps

AR = Armor
CM = Chemical
FA = Field Artillery
IN = Infantry

The seven Branches that do not appear to have Donated or Received in 2011 were: Medical Specialist, Engineering, Military Police, Aviation, Ordnance, Transportation Corps, and Quartermaster.

You see from the above that Military Intelligence was the biggest Donor in 2011. MI donated 232 out the combined 400 2LTs coming out of USMA, OCS, and ROTC in 2011. That's 58%.
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Medical Service, not specialist.

Aviation is never a donor or receiver branch.
 
which sort of begs the question:

Why don't the "Receiving Branches" simply get allocated the Mission Set they need, rather than Under-Allocating and then borrowing from other Branches? The only thing I can conclude from this current Lending process is that the Donor Branches (MI, FI, AD, AG, SC) actually want their future LTs to have field experience in CM, IN, AR, and FA... that is makes them better officers in their Donor branch when they return.

But then you have to ask... why don't the other non-Donating Branches... TC, QM, MS, ENG, MP, OD similarly want their future Officers to have experience in CM, IN, AR, and FA? I get that Aviation is a completely different training issue. I can also see the OD and ENG are probably serving next to those four already. But what about Quartermaster and Transportation? If the lending system is beneficial, wouldn't those two want to have their future LTs also get lent out?
 
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Dunninla - I think it's simply a function of which branches have a greater need for junior officers, and which have a greater need for field grade.
 
dunninla said:
which sort of begs the question:

Why don't the "Receiving Branches" simply get allocated the Mission Set they need, rather than Under-Allocating and then borrowing from other Branches? The only thing I can conclude from this current Lending process is that the Donor Branches (MI, FI, AD, AG, SC) actually want their future LTs to have field experience in CM, IN, AR, and FA... that is makes them better officers in their Donor branch when they return.

But then you have to ask... why don't the other non-Donating Branches... TC, QM, MS, ENG, MP, OD similarly want their future Officers to have experience in CM, IN, AR, and FA? I get that Aviation is a completely different training issue. I can also see the OD and ENG are probably serving next to those four already. But what about Quartermaster and Transportation? If the lending system is beneficial, wouldn't those two want to have their future LTs also get lent out?
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Many TC/QM/OD officers do not spend their time in branch-specific units (i.e. a QM platoon in a Distro Company in a Brigade Support Battalion). Many spend their formative years in forward support companies attached to IN/AR/AV/FA units. If the goal in branch detailing to MFE branches is to give them experiences that will make them more effective at supporting MFE units when they return to their support branch, that is more easily accomplished by putting them in those attached positions to begin with.
 
Jcc123 said:
Dunninla - I think it's simply a function of which branches have a greater need for junior officers, and which have a greater need for field grade.
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Yes, I see that's it. I have since read in a bunch of posts that describe how MI, SC, etc. are management inverted pyramids, where the need for O3 and above is greater than the need for O1 and O2. So, they lend out their future O3s to MFE Branches who need a lot more O1 and O2 than they do O3 and above. Makes sense. My googling led me on the first page to a paper written in 1995 about Branching and Detailing, and various computer models (probability, queing theory, etc.) that describe the best way to optimize the flow and use of junior officers during the first few years of their service.... but it cost $99, so I'm just going to imagine what's in it!
 
Question for all of you...DS has been offered a language school (Russian or Chinese) prior to going to IBOLC. He's not sure if he wants to go...said he's pretty tired of school & wants to start his infantry training.

#1. If he goes to language school for 4 mos, does he start drawing AD pay at that time?
#2. Is there a benefit to this training prior to IBOLC & Ranger Schools?

I'd like to give him the best information possible, so I am posting here:thumb:
 
infantry12mom said:
Question for all of you...DS has been offered a language school (Russian or Chinese) prior to going to IBOLC. He's not sure if he wants to go...said he's pretty tired of school & wants to start his infantry training.

#1. If he goes to language school for 4 mos, does he start drawing AD pay at that time?
#2. Is there a benefit to this training prior to IBOLC & Ranger Schools?

I'd like to give him the best information possible, so I am posting here:thumb:
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He would start drawing AD pay when he reports to the school.

I can certainly understand the idea of wanting a break from school. My son started his Aviation Branch 13 days after graduation. He put it this way, He said he feels he has studied more since being at Flight School then he did in his 4 years of college, I'm sure it at least seems that way.

From what I have heard it is harder to get to language school once they complete training and report as a PL.

Any extra training they can get prior to IBOLC would be a leg up for him, he will finish IBOLC and Ranger School and already have language school under his belt.

I guess he just needs to weigh the difference between a few months off prior to IBOLC or jumping right in with both feet, I'm sure a break sounds real good about now.

One thing to consider is that if he doesn't take the language school he could still get an early report date to BOLC, so he still may not have that break. A cadet from this board that graduated last year went to IBOLC about a week after graduation, you just won't know until spring when they get their report dates.
 
Actually, he graduates in December. He's supposed to let his Cadre know this week if wants language school. He's actually hoping for IBOLC in Jan or Feb...
 
infantry12mom said:
Actually, he graduates in December. He's supposed to let his Cadre know this week if wants language school. He's actually hoping for IBOLC in Jan or Feb...
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Sorry, I remember now that you said he was a December Grad.

You have to love those "We need an answer now" questions in the Army, this sure won't be the last one.

That's a tough choice, on one hand you get a short break, on the other hand you get the language school done early.

One thing to consider, if he does it now it will be at a time when he is not settled in to his new station and job. Once he completes IBOLC and Ranger School he will PCS to his permanent station, there is no telling how long it would be before he would get the opportunity again. When he does he would need to seal up his residence and head out to school for 4 months. Whatever doors the language school could open for him would come a lot sooner if he goes now, what those doors are I can't be sure.

Has his cadre given him any indications as to the benefits of going to the school now instead of trying later.

The school would push back his BOLC date which will also push back the start of his Service Obligation, but 4 months is not a long time compared to the early training opportunity.

I wish him the best of luck in whatever he chooses.
 
Advantage of Language School

Starting with the premise of "who knows when he would get IBOLC"... there is always the advantage of getting PAID! That's as opposed to mooching off Mom and Dad (some more) :rolleyes: Also, I imagine after a "long" Christmas break of 2 - 3 weeks he might feel more like getting back into the game. Also, you might ask him, does he really want to hang out with Mom and Dad for a few months? I expect the answer will be no, as much as he loves you and your company. (It would be if he were my kid anyway... he's into being on his own now... if only he truly were). If he does intend to be off on his own, how will he pay for it?

Just some random thoughts I had.
 
infantry12mom said:
Actually, he graduates in December. He's supposed to let his Cadre know this week if wants language school. He's actually hoping for IBOLC in Jan or Feb...
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There is I believe a period of weeks between Ranger School and reporting to assigned division. I dont know if a recycle time at IBOLC or ranger school eliminates this time. Usually the 2Lt will take a course such as Mechanized Leader, Airborne or Helicopter assault and maybe language. I think, during this time, they are also reportable for whatever the BOLC base needs for 2Lts on their non class workdays. That can be anything.

I think the language school seems like an opportunity. My DS says you should not say NO because they may stop asking. I think he may be right. DS was supposed to start in October and got pushed up to May. He said sure and thanks. DS reported 5 days after graduation. He has not had too many days off since spring break. He has never complained. It is what he wanted.
 
I'm by no means close to an expert on branching or reporting, but one thing I would think about since I've had friends talk about it when they were getting ready to head to BOLC. What will his free time look like at this language school? An important thing to think about is staying in great shape before reporting to IBOLC and Ranger school. You don't want to get out of shape in that four months and not be ready for IBOLC and RS. But on the other hand, those four months may give him ample time to get his body ready to report to Benning.
 
That's a good point about staying in shape.

I can't imagine the Language School would be more time consuming then Flight School, my son still finds time to get to the Gym everyday, that's basically his one hour of free time a day during the week.
 
Wow, jcleppe, flight school students get only about a hour of free time each day? I knew it was time consuming, to say the least, but...well, I never even thought about free time they had. I thought maybe they had two hours, instead of one :wink:.
 
Jcleppe said:
I can't imagine the Language School would be more time consuming then Flight School, my son still finds time to get to the Gym everyday, that's basically his one hour of free time a day during the week.
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I definitely agree, but you also have to think of those soldiers who aren't quite as self-motivated to work out on their own.
 
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