Air Force vs army ROTC learning outcomes?

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ns1234

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I want to do either army or Air Force ROTC. I know people say army ROTC has a huge emphasis on leadership, as well as squad tactics and being in the field. What is Air Force ROTC like? How much does it focus on developing leadership? What are the classes and LLABS like, especially as contrasted with army ROTC?

Thanks!
 
You should be less concerned with what each ROTC program is like and more research should be done on the differences between serving Active Duty in each. Once you commission, ROTC will quickly become a distance memory.
 
I’m leaning towards security forces and military police, and I know that each branch is very similar in this regard. I like both branches, so it really does come down to which ROTC program I would like to spend the next 3 years of my life in! I want to know which will prepare me more as a competent and knowledgeable leader and Officer - as well as which I would enjoy more. I guess I still am not sure which ‘culture’ I would enjoy more, given that both career fields I want to go into are very similar. I’m a little familiar with army ROTC (I audited a class) and I enjoyed it, so I’m wondering how AFROTC compares. All we learned about in army ROTC was squad tactics - which was interesting, and I’d like to learn more, but I would also want to learn other aspects of officership.
 
I am a senior in AFROTC. I will commission as an active duty pilot next year, many of the Army ROTC guys I know will commissioning as a reserve officer. Not sure if all dets are that way, but many of my army friend from around the country will also be in the reserves.

ROTC is all about developing leadership capabilities. Being an officer in any branch of the military requires of you to be level headed, critical thinking, and many other traits. AFROTC has pushed me to be a better leader, but quite frankly you can skate through the program without developing hardly anything. It's about you, and your commitment to better your leadership abilities.

With that all being said, honestly which branch would you rather serve in? ROTC will be nothing but a memory once you're in. You don't really know what it's like being officer until you are one. (Myself included)

TL;DR: Go Air Force
 
Every ROTC program focuses on developing leadership skills. After all, that's what ALL officers are... leaders. Leadership is developed in many ways but the biggest way, in all the programs, is the leadership roles you will assume as part of your participation. You cannot hide amongst all the camouflage. You will be a leader.

You'll find that, regardless of ROTC program, you'll get from it what you bring to it, and what you put into it. It's up to you to turn yourself into a competent leader. There is no magic that Air Force has over Army, and vice versa.
 
Globemast3r said:
I am a senior in AFROTC. I will commission as an active duty pilot next year, many of the Army ROTC guys I know will commissioning as a reserve officer. Not sure if all dets are that way, but many of my army friend from around the country will also be in the reserves.

ROTC is all about developing leadership capabilities. Being an officer in any branch of the military requires of you to be level headed, critical thinking, and many other traits. AFROTC has pushed me to be a better leader, but quite frankly you can skate through the program without developing hardly anything. It's about you, and your commitment to better your leadership abilities.

With that all being said, honestly which branch would you rather serve in? ROTC will be nothing but a memory once you're in. You don't really know what it's like being officer until you are one. (Myself included)

TL;DR: Go Air Force
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply - that’s helpful! What kinds of things did you learn about in your classes and LLAB? Do you feel that what you learned about was Air Force specific, or military in general? Did you mostly learn about airplane/airspace related issues, or did you also learn about broader military/Homeland security things? Did you have field exercises and learn squad tactics like army ROTC? Or do you feel like, as a hopeful security forces officer, would I learn about things that are relevant to me and not simply pilots or intelligence officers?

Thanks!
 
kinnem said:
Every ROTC program focuses on developing leadership skills. After all, that's what ALL officers are... leaders. Leadership is developed in many ways but the biggest way, in all the programs, is the leadership roles you will assume as part of your participation. You cannot hide amongst all the camouflage. You will be a leader.

You'll find that, regardless of ROTC program, you'll get from it what you bring to it, and what you put into it. It's up to you to turn yourself into a competent leader. There is no magic that Air Force has over Army, and vice versa.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I guess since I’m only familiar with leadership or ROTC as learning about being a fire team leader, I have no idea what Air Force ROTC could look like... especially since I’m interested in being a security forces officer, I’m worried that I would learn more about airspace issues than anything else, which wouldn’t be incredibly relevant to my career field! In that case I feel like army ROTC would make more sense - but I’m drawn to Air Force and I’d like to give it a chance!
 
Have you read this? https://www.airforce.com/careers/detail/security-forces-officer
and this? https://www.airforce.com/careers/featured-careers/security-forces

Most ROTC programs do not focus on tactics and fire teams. There may be some exposure, but this stuff is generally taught post commissioning. Each service will teach you all you need to know about doing your job... most of which happens after commissioning. Think of ROTC programs as more of a screening process and teaching you the basic leadership skills... the technical skills needed for the job come later.

You might find this brochure enlightening...
https://artsandsciences.sc.edu/aero/sites/sc.edu.aero/files/attachments/Det 775 Recruiting Brochure - as of 1 May 14 - Copy.pdf

I'm not sure you can be an effective security officer without understanding for what you're providing security. I don't think you will be as focused on airspace issues as you might think in AFROTC. I hope the above brochure will make that clear to some degree. Keep in mind I'm absolutely no expert on AFROTC or even AROTC, but I draw on my experience with my son in NROTC and the Marine Corps. The training in ROTC will provide the basic skills you need to succeed in post commissioning training.

I'll leave similar research on the Army to the reader. I hope other folks will jump on to provide more details on the AFROTC academic and leadership lab work. You might be able to glean more info on academics by going through the course catalog of a college with an AFROTC program. You ought to be able to learn more about Army through the same process.
 
In AFROTC you do not learn specifics on any career field. ROTC is the building blocks of becoming a responsible young officer that fosters many of the skills necessary to succeed in the Air Force no matter what your job is. Forget about learning about security forces things for now, or do so at your own leisure. That is what technical schools are for when you are TRAINED to do your specific job. You are also not guaranteed to be a security forces officer. I have learned nothing about airspace and airplanes (besides their names) in AFROTC. What I have learned is being in a leadership role and having subordinates, being accountable, being the example for my peers, and pushing myself to be the best I can be.

Please do not look into how much ROTC will prepare you for your future job, because you will be TRAINED and will have a chance to excel at your job once you are a commissioned officer. I would be asking which branch/culture would I best fit in?
 
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