Air Force ROTC: What Does it Take?

ThePilot18

The most Texan American you'll ever meet
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I will be doing AFROTC once I begin college and I am wondering- what does it take? I know enough about the physical, academic, and integrity requirements, but I am talking about things other than that, such as time management, etc. If anyone has experience about AFROTC that they'd like to share that would be great. I know it is kind of a vague question but I am looking for anything, seriously, anything, that will help me to succeed in the program.
 
Others with direct experience will weigh in. But let’s start here: time management and discipline. Many say they want to do ROTC because it allows them to experience more of the typical college life, without the constant time demands and discipline of the SAs.

And there-in lies the issue. The SAs have many built-in time management aspects and heavy discipline that, in general, keep you on track. Those aren’t present in civilian schools, so you’ll need to dig within yourself to create them. You’ll be on your own to figure out what to do when, or maybe not at all.

Your ability to manage time smartly and enforce self-discipline will go a long way to ensuring that you successfully juggle ROTC obligations with myriad college distractions, and achieve the merit standing that allows you the best possible path into active duty.
 
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+1 to Midcake. I'm sure folks more familiar with AFROTC will chime in and discipline is key.

First semester is easy... show up for AFROTC academic class, lab, and PT. Typically (at least in NROTC) you may start assuming responsibilities in your second semester of freshman year. Much of that will be passing word up and down the chain of command, keeping track of the people you are responsible for, and doing evaluations of them. Over time you will be in charge of larger groups and holding larger responsibilities, which takes.... yup, more time. At some point you'll probably have a Staff billet - CO, XO, Physical Training Instructor, Planning Officer, Medical Officer, etc etc... which takes even more of your time. Sometimes you might have two billets instead of one.

For NROTC DS was spending 8 hours per week first semester freshman year attending PT, lab, and Navy classes. He had a billet each semester after that with one exception second semester of Junior year. By the second semester of Senior year he was spending 20-25 hours per week on NROTC stuff, while holding 2 billets, Marine Option training and company XO. Nominally my son majored in History but really majored in NROTC; but then he embraced it and threw himself into it. It was the most important aspect of college to him, although he certainly had plenty of fun times each week and weekend. One can get by spending a lesser amount of time but you'll get out of the program what you put into it.

I can't imagine AFROTC being much different. The roles will change but the same things need to be accomplished - word needs to pass, people need to be lead and evaluated, folks need to plan and be in command. I'm sure it varies a bit by unit and even season as well (eg the unit cleans the football stadium after home games making autumn a little more busy). It's a fun ride if you embrace it and you can still do well academically and have fun if you apply yourself.
 
If my idiot son :benny monkeysmilies: can commsion through AF Rotc with a pilot spot, rush through Arnold Air, go to fraternity parties and graduate in four years, I am sure you can too
LOL. The dial tone for my kid was a machine-like voice saying "An idiot is trying to reach you on your cellular device". And while we're at it, the wife's dial tone was the "Imperial March" from Star Wars. You know... Darth Vader's theme song...

We now return this thread to it's original topic.
 
And while we're at it, the wife's dial tone was the "Imperial March" from Star Wars. You know... Darth Vader's theme song...

We now return this thread to it's original topic.
Brave man! I suppose the saving grace was that she was never near enough to hear it when she called you!
 
LOL. The dial tone for my kid was a machine-like voice saying "An idiot is trying to reach you on your cellular device". And while we're at it, the wife's dial tone was the "Imperial March" from Star Wars. You know... Darth Vader's theme song...

We now return this thread to it's original topic.
I am not kidding, but i have the exact same ring tone for my wife. Imperial March" from Star Wars. You know... Darth Vader's theme song... People always laugh when i say its my wife
 
I am not kidding, but i have the exact same ring tone for my wife. Imperial March" from Star Wars. You know... Darth Vader's theme song... People always laugh when i say its my wife
Ha! Ha! That's my husband's ring tone for me, too!
 
As others have said time management is key.

Like @kinnem stated as you continue through the program you will be assigned jobs that take more and more time.
~ IE something like a flight cadet commander, you will have to write reports on those cadets within your flight, which could be 25+ cadets (large dets). You will have to attend additional meetings. They are not going to say, I understand you have a 5 page term paper due that day and a test too, so we will let you submit them the day after that. No, they are going to say, that is the drop date just like your term paper or exam, no if, ands, or buts.

Two things I would add to what does it take are:
1. Don't be "that" guy/gal
~ IOWS if you were in JROTC, don't come in like a gang buster to "prove" you got this. JROTC is nothing like ROTC. In the fighter world they would say to young lts. straight out of UPT at their 1st op base...shut up and color. IOWS, listen and learn how this world works, because UPT (aka in your case JROTC) is not the same as operational (aka ROTC)
~ Our DS was not in JROTC, but his Dad flew F15Es. He was an AF BRAT born and raised. His Dad drilled that in his mind. IE: Don't think because you moved 11 times, and your Dad was in the AF, that you know squat about the AF. None of his ROTC friends knew for about a yr., that he was an AF Brat. It was not that he was not proud of his heritage, he was and is, but he didn't want to appear to be "that" guy.
2. Get involved with things ROTC offers outside of Lab and PT.
~ Great dets will have things like GMC nights. This is usually held 1 night a week for AS100/200/250 inn the det. lounge @6:00. They will order in pizza, subs, etc. for these cadets. Many det lounges will have foosball, Xbox, big screen tv, etc. in the lounge. A PMS will hang there too.
~~ This is great because you start to create friendships within ROTC, just like if you joined Arnie Air, Silver Flight, Angel Flight, or Honor Guard. Friendships that will understand your balancing act as a freshmen. Friendships that understand the stress of a STEM class course load and carrying a 3.0. Friendships that understand how ticked you are that your roommate doesn't get the fact you had to be up at O'Dark thirty for PT and they played video games until 1 a.m. That 1st semester is hard.
~ Like Humey, my DS was in Arnie Air.
~~ Arnie Air is a military fraternal organization. Same as Silver, Angel or Honor Guard.
~~~ You will create bonds that will last for a lifetime. My DH is an AFROTC grad. He too was in Arnie Air. 30+ yrs later and he still is friends with those members. These organizations are just a glimpse of the brethren you will feel in the ADAF.

Just like the operational world, the more you put in, the more you will get back. If you think that you will never see them again once you graduate so it is not worth the time to build/forge these relationships, you are wrong and it might come back to bite you.
The AF is small.
Our DS attended a large det. (200+ cadets). He went to GMC nights. He was in Arnie. He was involved. Heck, He went to UPT upon commissioning.
~ At GMC night as a 100 he met a 200. They became friends. That 200 went on to UPT too, but a yr before my DS. UPT is 54 weeks. DS got that same UPT base. He arrived knowing at least 1 person at the base, albeit that person was close to winging, but still he knew someone there on day 1. That person was able to give him insight from personal experience regarding what he was going to face. FFWD that person got a C130 J just like my DS would get a yr later. They both got assigned to Abilene, different squadrons. DS was able to contact him and say: coming to Dyess, where should I buy a home? FFWD 5 yrs later. DS got orders to Little Rock. That same friend was assigned there one yr earlier, again a different squadron, but again, he could call them up and ask advice.
~~ Had DS not gone to GMC night he would have probably not created that friendship. He went AAS and the other went Honor Guard.

Sorry for the novella. I just hope it illustrates how it is not just about now as a cadet, but later on. I hope it shows that the more you put in the more you will get out of it. I hope it also illustrates to do it all, you need to have the ability to manage your time to achieve it all.
 
On the serious side - No one knows what the Air Force commission needs will be 4 years from now when you will be competing for active duty and branch assignments - against all contracting students nationally. I just got off a zoom call with several upper class cadets giving incoming 4th class cadets advice on the first year experience. Most were AROTC, and NROTC MO, but one was a rising Senior with an Air Force contract - she has submitted her branch choices and will find out in September of Senior year if she is competitive for her 1st choice Cyber Operations. Her advice - GPA 1st year can either make or break your standing. It is tough to make up a poor freshman year so study study study. Next is PT - you cannot afford to slack off 2 and 3 class year. Your majornand GPA plus maxing your PT are the key metrics that will determine where you land on the order of merit - in compeition across all contracting students nationally - for active duty slots in the branch of choice. She is a double major - computer science and German and minor in cyber operations, Judo Club, AF Bn leadership 3,2,1 class years, and voluntered in her AF ROTC BN whenever opportunity presented itself. There will be lots of peer pressure to slack off during that first year away fron home - her advice "don't do it." 4 years will go by very fast. Best of luck
 
Great post glen. My son was awarded an NROTC MO scholarship his sophomore year. He did all these things you mention because he was competing for that in-school scholarship that he was determined to EARN. By the time he was awarded the scholarship they were all ingrained habits. If you enter the program with a scholarship one needs the discipline and determination to continue to earn it every day.
 
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