An introduction

[Curyea]

Hello, this forum has been great reading. I think we may be starting things a bit later than some. My son will be a senior this year and he is just now starting the process to apply, ask for letters of recommendation, etc.... We visited VMI and The Citadel this summer - both great visits. We have not had the opportunity to visit any academies yet.
I haven't seen any posts about recruiters, air national guard, that sort of thing. Please point me in their direction if they are on here. The "search" feature didn't show any for me. The reason I'm asking is b/c a friend's father is talking to my son about the air national guard and so is a recruiter. I would rather he did not go that route, but I really have no information. Of course promises are made and I think we've all heard stories along those lines. Ack!
Any tips on how to stay organized through this? I know senior year will be busy as it is.
Thank you so much! Back to reading the forums.......

 

[Spud]

Organization is a lot easier when your son knows what he wants to do, otherwise it is a chaotic pile of information you will wind up collecting on a bewildering array of military programs. Here's a suggestion to eliminate the fluff and fill----go through this logic tree and it may illuminate a path he can concentrate on. First off, because he is looking at colleges, I assume he wants to be an officer versus an enlisted trooper. This is important as the difference between the two fields is profound-----one kicks in doors, pulls triggers, fixes machinery, and the other leads a group, plans their operations and is responsible for their success. He should investigate the differences, especially if a recruiter (enlisted) is talking to him.

1.Do I want to be an officer? (leads 20-30 enlisted troopers and is responsible for their training, welfare, and performance. Their performance directly reflects on him.)
2. What job do I want to have as an officer to do this? (driving a ship, leading a platoon, flying an aircraft, diving a sub, shooting artillery, driving a tank, etc.)
3. What military services use this field?
4. How do I become a military officer in this field and in this service?
5. Do I want Active Duty guaranteed upon graduation? (Academies are guaranteed, ROTC and National Guard are not depending on the needs of the service at that time. A part-time status is given but full time Active Duty may not be. There are some exceptions to this I am sure other posters will chime in about.)
6. Which path will give me what I want? (Academy, ROTC, National Guard, Officer Candidate School. There are enlisted-to-officer programs in each service and all piggy back on the programs previously listed. All are time consuming, difficult in terms of more requirements to meet, more chances to be denied, and not recommended for a recent high school graduate.)
7. If my chosen path is blocked at some point, what is my backup plan?

Good luck to him!