Ask An Aggie Cadet

[JAGman]

Howdy!

As the rising Commanding Officer of an outfit within the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, I wanted to make myself available to any questions prospective Aggie Cadets/Parents might have.
So...With that I'll open the floor to any and all questions there may be

 

[army2021]

Not A&M specific however more generally for SMCs, what do you wish you knew before you arrived, what is something you wish you did different, and do you have any uncommon advice that isn't typically heard?

 

[charlestonmom5]

My DS will be applying OOS! He has hopes for a pilot slot, will be applying for ROTC scholarship...what major?!

 

[JAGman]

Not A&M specific however more generally for SMCs, what do you wish you knew before you arrived, what is something you wish you did different, and do you have any uncommon advice that isn't typically heard?

I'll try to do my best to answer this generally, but my experience lies with A&M so that will color anything I say.

What I wish I knew: I wish I had known that the upperclassmen really do care about the freshmen. Going to them with some of my struggles, mainly academically, would have made fish year a little less strenuous.

What I Wish I Did Differently: Keep my mouth shut. I had a tendency as a fish to think I knew better than my upperclassmen. In most cases I didn't.

Uncommon Advice: Don't be so serious. Freshmen are way too serious about the Corps and it gets them pretty wound up. Relax and have fun. You are in college!

 

[JAGman]

My DS will be applying OOS! He has hopes for a pilot slot, will be applying for ROTC scholarship...what major?!

If you're asking me my major I'm Industrial Distribution.

 

[metsycats]

What is really happening with the corps leadership? Are there really going to be huge changes in the fall? Who was pushing integration of formerly all-male outfits so hard - does the corps actually want to be fully integrated or is it the university who wanted it?

 

[army2021]

Not A&M specific however more generally for SMCs, what do you wish you knew before you arrived, what is something you wish you did different, and do you have any uncommon advice that isn't typically heard?

I'll try to do my best to answer this generally, but my experience lies with A&M so that will color anything I say.

What I wish I knew: I wish I had known that the upperclassmen really do care about the freshmen. Going to them with some of my struggles, mainly academically, would have made fish year a little less strenuous.

What I Wish I Did Differently: Keep my mouth shut. I had a tendency as a fish to think I knew better than my upperclassmen. In most cases I didn't.

Uncommon Advice: Don't be so serious. Freshmen are way too serious about the Corps and it gets them pretty wound up. Relax and have fun. You are in college!

Thanks for taking the time to do this!

 

[metsycats]

Also - why do you think so many fish have punched this year?

 

[TexanBison1998]

Is Blinn Team looked unfavorably upon in the Corps? I hope to join E-2 and already completed a SNWCC back in October

 

[TexasSoccerMom]

How hard is it to balance the obligations of the Corps with an engineering major?

 

[JAGman]

Also - why do you think so many fish have punched this year?

I'm going to respond to both of your questions. Sounds like you or someone you know is in the Corps. Both of those are loaded questions but here is the simple answer at the end of the day. The United States of America is changing culturally. The Senior Military Colleges, not just A&M, are having to adjust to those cultural changes. The military is changing their approach and policies on certain issues to come more in line with 21st Century America. You can hate it, you can love it. At the end of the day it doesn't matter, that's what is happening.

In regards to A&M specifically. The Corps experience the Class of 202X has will be different from the Class of 1980 just as mine, Class of 2018, will have been different. But we will all have had a "Corps Experience".

Our attrition rate is at 18.4% right now. I can't give you a concrete reason and tell you why that is. But attrition rates fluctuate. The Class of 2018 had the highest attrition on record to that point. The Class of 2019 had one of the lowest attrition rates on record. There is no magic thing going on behind the scenes to cause those differences.

 

[JAGman]

Is Blinn Team looked unfavorably upon in the Corps? I hope to join E-2 and already completed a SNWCC back in October

Not at all. I have a few fish who are on Blinn Team this year. The new First Sergeant of E-2 was Blinn Team.

 

[JAGman]

How hard is it to balance the obligations of the Corps with an engineering major?

A large portion of the Corps of Cadets is in some sort of STEM major. I'm a STEM major and the majority of my outfit is as well. It takes some balancing but I would argue that's more just because freshmen don't know how to "college" the right way yet. I have more than enough time to relax now that I've been in college for three years.

Just to make sure you know, though, the average freshman engineer at Texas A&M posts about a 2.7 GPA in the first semester. It's typically higher for cadets in the Corps, our average GPA as a Corps is a 3.06, but I do always want to let prospective engineers know that it is not easy.

 

[conrack]

AF is mostly interested in STEM majors at present, 80% of the ROTC scholarships are reserved for them and without one chances for pilot slot are slim and none.

 

[Bulldog27]

As a cadet in the Corps of Cadets while in ROTC, are you strictly placed with other members of your ROTC detachment or do you room with/train with/associate with the cadets from other branches?

 

[TexasSoccerMom]

How did you select your group? Son is at a loss. He is just looking at descriptions on the web page and most of them sound similar.

 

[JAGman]

AF is mostly interested in STEM majors at present, 80% of the ROTC scholarships are reserved for them and without one chances for pilot slot are slim and none.

They're loosening up their requirements because of their personnel shortage. They actually sent an email out asking people to apply for contracts

 

[JAGman]

As a cadet in the Corps of Cadets while in ROTC, are you strictly placed with other members of your ROTC detachment or do you room with/train with/associate with the cadets from other branches?

You will initially be placed into a unit that is affiliated with your ROTC. The Corps of Cadets is divided into Brigades (AROTC), Wings (AFROTC), and Regiments (NROTC). As the years go on, though, people within your unit will most likely move around ROTCs as they try to win a contract. Then through other Corps organizations you'll be able to interact with cadets from all the different ROTCs. Also keep in mind that only 40% of the Corps commissions so 6/10 cadets you know will be going into the private sector and not affiliated with any ROTC by junior year

 

[JAGman]

How did you select your group? Son is at a loss. He is just looking at descriptions on the web page and most of them sound similar.

I got a phone call from the cadet CO of an outfit and he recruited me to that one. If you could PM me I'd be more than happy to talk to your DS

 

[TexasSoccerMom]

Son has a few emails and calls from squadrons offering to reserve him a spot. How does that work?