AROTC 4-yr National Scholarship Recipient and SMP?

[myDDnotme]

DD is a current MSII and 4-yr AROTC National Scholarship Recipient. She has some interest in doing SMP her junior and senior years for drill pay and has been told you get OML points. She is interested in military intelligence, which she knows is highly competitive, so she is looking for any opportunity to increase her OML points.

If she does SMP, does this affect or negatively impact her scholarship in any way? When she graduates, is her only option then to do National Guard or is regular Army still an option? What are additional pros and cons she should be considering (assuming this would not impact her scholarship because if doing SMP affects the scholarship she would not do SMP)?

Thank you for any insight you might have!

 

[JohnMcLane]

SMP has no legal impact on whether the active duty Army assesses her for AD or RC. It is not a commitment to any component.

It's generally a good experience and gives E5 pay one weekend a month. Sometimes you can even do two weeks annual training. I got to build roads in Panama with an engineer unit.

I don't think it impacts your branch selection but it doesn't hurt. RC units are a mixed bag S far as how much useful branch-specific training and experience you getbecause they train on cycles. You might do nothing but individual training while in the unit or you might deploy to a premier training event like an NTC rotation.

It does not commit you to RC or a specific branch. You also are not deployable with your unit unless you joined in other than an SMP status.

It also starts your "time in service for pay purposes" which can add up to a lot over time. SAs don't give this benefit.

I'm glad I was an SMP and would recommend it. This doesn't mean don't do your homework and get stuff in writing.

 

[AROTC Parent]

DD is a current MSII and 4-yr AROTC National Scholarship Recipient. She has some interest in doing SMP her junior and senior years for drill pay and has been told you get OML points. She is interested in military intelligence, which she knows is highly competitive, so she is looking for any opportunity to increase her OML points.

If she does SMP, does this affect or negatively impact her scholarship in any way? When she graduates, is her only option then to do National Guard or is regular Army still an option? What are additional pros and cons she should be considering (assuming this would not impact her scholarship because if doing SMP affects the scholarship she would not do SMP)?

Thank you for any insight you might have!

@myDDnotme - Have your daughter reach out to their ROO - recruiting ops officer or their MSII Cadre. Does she want to commission Reserves/NG rather than AD?

@clarksonarmy might be able to provide some insight as to whether 4 year National Scholarship recipients can formally participate in SMP. Generally SMP is limited to enlisted participants in a NG or Reserve unit but the ROO would know.

Here is the an OML breakdown... get a PT job, play an intramural sport, improve GPA... do academic research... have her ask Cadre to confirm the activities she is going to participate in are relevant to OML. OML