AROTC commissioning.....then what?

Vista123

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My son, who gets relatively bothered when I ask too many questions...and then gives five word answers when 20 would have done better, is commissioning in fiscal yr2018. Id like some basic knowledge before he comes home for Thanksgiving so I can ask some educated questions.

.....also I have already looked online but I am seeking clarification from those who may be more current than an outdated web page

If he branches MI does he go to Fort Huachuca automatically for BOLC? Do all MI go there? How long does that last?
From there he listed the two places he is considering. Are those your duty stations? What does your duty station signify. In other words if you pick South Korea vs Ft Bragg what does that mean long term?

Thanks in advance
 
You gotta love those short 5 word answers....or my favorite "Yep" and "Nope". Luckily they seem to much more talkative once they leave school.

I assume he put MI as his #1 choice, there is a good chance that he could be detailed, meaning he will get MI but detailed to another branch for about three years such as Infantry or Armor. If this happens then he will be given a date for the detailed BOLC, the duty station he requested won't matter if he is detailed, they will assign a station at BOLC. After doing the 3 years in the detailed branch he would then go to MI BOLC.

If he happens to get MI without a detail then yes he would go to Fort Huachuca for BOLC then after graduation he would go to his duty station he was assigned, there he would spend about 3 years, Korea could be shorter.

One thing to remember is that he may not go to any BOLC right away, they can go as early as a week or two after commissioning, and up to 7 plus months after commissioning. They won't get a date for BOLC until late next Spring before they commission, sometimes even later.
 
Thanks Jcleppe (as always!) -

More questions....
He automatically gets his #1 top choice and his #1 duty station. Does that mean he can still be detailed if it is automatic? The detailing is confusing to me. I have looked it up but it is so different from Navy that I cant figure it out. Also what will they do for the up to seven months before BOLC? My Navy son got a TDA (coaching the navy hockey team-seriously-how fun and it counts towards his time) --Does army do that?

Also how does the location you pick (IE Ft Bragg or S Korea) make a difference?

What effects when you go to BOLC (right away or months later)?
 
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My son, who gets relatively bothered when I ask too many questions...and then gives five word answers when 20 would have done better, is commissioning in fiscal yr2018. Id like some basic knowledge before he comes home for Thanksgiving so I can ask some educated questions

Thanks in advance
Are our sons related? :)
 
My son, who gets relatively bothered when I ask too many questions...and then gives five word answers when 20 would have done better, is commissioning in fiscal yr2018. Id like some basic knowledge before he comes home for Thanksgiving so I can ask some educated questions

Thanks in advance
Are our sons related? :)

They all (mine too) share the common genetic trait known as hypermillennialopathy.
 
Never heard of anybody "automatically" getting his 1st choice in branch and 1st choice of duty station. Is your last name Mattis?

As fas as BOLC, it's up to your son what he wants to do to fill the void in time. Some kids travel, some get a job, my son was the Gold Bar Recruiter at his college and like your Navy son, that started his enlistment clock ticking. I don't know if there is any rhyme or reason as to who goes to BOLC soonest.
 
My son, who gets relatively bothered when I ask too many questions...and then gives five word answers when 20 would have done better, is commissioning in fiscal yr2018. Id like some basic knowledge before he comes home for Thanksgiving so I can ask some educated questions.

.....also I have already looked online but I am seeking clarification from those who may be more current than an outdated web page

If he branches MI does he go to Fort Huachuca automatically for BOLC? Do all MI go there? How long does that last?
From there he listed the two places he is considering. Are those your duty stations? What does your duty station signify. In other words if you pick South Korea vs Ft Bragg what does that mean long term?

Thanks in advance
So glad to hear other parents in the same boat. My DS will be comissioning in 2018 as well. So I appreciate the helpful insight
 
Never heard of anybody "automatically" getting his 1st choice in branch and 1st choice of duty station. Is your last name Mattis?

LOL no, Mattis thats funny.
He does automatically get his 1st choice in branch and 1st choice of duty station based on OML.

But it would be wayyyyyy more fun if our last name was indeed Mattis.

(of course I could be wrong about that, I'm not sure he actually told me that, I think I read it, and of course "needs of the military" and all that---I am interested in if I am wrong about this)
 
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Never heard of anybody "automatically" getting his 1st choice in branch and 1st choice of duty station. Is your last name Mattis?

If he finished in the top 10% of the Active Duty OML then he is guaranteed his #1 choice of Branches, or of course the last name of Mattis might work as well.
 
Thanks Jcleppe (as always!) -

More questions....
He automatically gets his #1 top choice and his #1 duty station. Does that mean he can still be detailed if it is automatic? The detailing is confusing to me. I have looked it up but it is so different from Navy that I cant figure it out. Also what will they do for the up to seven months before BOLC? My Navy son got a TDA (coaching the navy hockey team-seriously-how fun and it counts towards his time) --Does army do that?

Also how does the location you pick (IE Ft Bragg or S Korea) make a difference?

What effects when you go to BOLC (right away or months later)?

If he is in the top 10% then he should be able to get MI without a detail if that's what he listed as his #1.

Location doesn't really effect branching, what duty station he gets will have more to do with where the Army needs new LTs in that particular branch. He could get one of his choices or something completely different. Not sure if being in the top 10% helps but I would assume he'll have a better shot at getting one of his post choices.

There has been some talk that the higher the cadet is on the OML the faster he can get to BOLC, not really sure if that's always the case. A lot will have to do with slots available at BOLC. The cadet can apply for Gold Bar Recruiter, volunteer to be cadre at Advanced Camp (Sometines they are "Voluntold" to go to Advanced camp.) If he does none of these then he is basically free to do what he wants until he has to report to BOLC. My younger son had to wait nearly 8 months to go to Flight School, he got a job for most of that time.
 
Never heard of anybody "automatically" getting his 1st choice in branch and 1st choice of duty station. Is your last name Mattis?

LOL no, Mattis thats funny.
He does automatically get his 1st choice in branch and 1st choice of duty station based on OML.

But it would be wayyyyyy more fun if our last name was indeed Mattis.

(of course I could be wrong about that, I'm not sure he actually told me that, I think I read it, and of course "needs of the military" and all that---I am interested in if I am wrong about this)

I know about getting your 1st choose of branch when you're in the top 10% on OML. What caught me was the part about branch *AND* 1st choice of duty station which I've never heard as a guaranty though some people get lucky I'm sure.
 
I commissioned in 2016 and to be honest I don't even remember putting choices of duty station. I do know that it is much more likely to get your first choice of branch than post, I have never met someone that got post choice where it wasn't an explicit adso. Just has to do with the fact that 90% or more of new 2LT's will likely go to a FORSCOM post/unit, in a BCT or Sustainment Brigade, just because that is where Junior Officers go per how the army is organized to function.
 
I commissioned in 2016 and to be honest I don't even remember putting choices of duty station. I do know that it is much more likely to get your first choice of branch than post, I have never met someone that got post choice where it wasn't an explicit adso. Just has to do with the fact that 90% or more of new 2LT's will likely go to a FORSCOM post/unit, in a BCT or Sustainment Brigade, just because that is where Junior Officers go per how the army is organized to function.

Omg I didn't understand so much of what you posted LOL!
Son is top ten (not top ten percent)
And I could be totally wrong about location being guaranteed. He did not tell me that, I just thought it.

I didn't understand:
FORSCOM post/unit, in a BCT or Sustainment Brigade, just because that is where Junior Officers go per how the army is organized to function.

But now I have more to look up.

Sorry if my confusion confused others.....
 
jcleppe, your son got a civilian job while waiting to go to BOLC? This sounds silly I'm sure but do they start getting paid when they graduate or when they attend BOLC?
 
jcleppe, your son got a civilian job while waiting to go to BOLC? This sounds silly I'm sure but do they start getting paid when they graduate or when they attend BOLC?

BOLC....unless they pick up a Gold Bar Recruiter position as K2 described.
 
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