Branching Advice

[bobthebuilder]

I am finishing up my first year of Army ROTC and I am starting to think about what I should focus on for my branch choice. I realize that I don't choose this until later in my MS-3 year, but want to be on top of things so I know I will be competitive for what ever choice I go with. I am an older cadet, and will be 30 by the time I commission, so I am wondering if I will stay in my prime long enough to weather through a combat arms branch to hit Major, at which point it seems an officer is doing less on the front line. I am a journeyman plumber, majoring in mechanical engineering,and have construction experience, so my first choice would be Engineering. Since there has to be a combat arms branch in my top three, I would pick either Armor, or Infantry, and I hear that these branches have the best chances of promotion to higher ranks. I want to make a career of being an officer, so I wonder would it be best for me to go into a field I actually have skills and expertise in, or into something like infantry? A couple of my other choices would be Aviation, or possibly adjutant general, as I find law interesting, and I heard the Army will allow you to go get your doctorate. Where would an older Officer with life experience be more useful to the Army and be able to make a career? I've heard that combat arms wreck the bodies of younger soldiers, let alone soldiers in their 30's.

 

[GoArmy22]

I can't PM you because you're a new member nor can I answer your question because I am only a high school student, but would you mind sharing your experience regarding your first year of ROTC? I am enrolling in ARMY106 next year so if you have any information/experiences you'd like to share, please do. I apologize as I cannot answer your question!

 

[USMA 1994]

You need to look at where you interest lies and what you what to do in the service, not necessarily what someone may say has the most opportunities for promotion. There are more combat arms units so there will be more senior level positions available for officers in those branches but after your company grade assignments, there are many different options that are not branch specific.

Your first seven or so years will most likely be leading troops regardless of your branch. In todays modern Army, the differences between an armor officer or a transportation or quartermaster officer are far less than anytime in the past.

You will get exposure to the branches as your progress through ROTC and you should also have discussions with the cadre in your unit about what they have seen. Your senior NCOs can probably help just as much as the officers.

Many young cadets think being an engineer would lead to designing and building great structures. Reality is that a brand new Engineer 2LT is more like a infantryman with a shovel than some world famous architect.

 

[UHBlackhawk]

The rules constantly change, but I think you might be too old for aviation. If you are prior service, however, this knocks some years off the age. Again, check the current regulations.

As others will say, do what your heart tells you. However...

I'm not going to lie to you. You are hardly over the hill and have many good years ahead of you. Much of your physical well being is in your control. But much of it is in the hands of genetics and time.
Though hardly Ranger school material I consider myself fairly fit, go to the gym and run several times a week. But when I went to combat at the age of 43 it was grueling. Flying combat missions for 6+ hours/day, 120-degree heat with no air conditioning, wearing chicken plate, day after day with no break was exhausting. I was popping "Army candy" (800 mg Motrin), before and after every mission. After a few long missions, the crew chief had to help me out of the cockpit. While us older pilots had better skills than the younger pilots, the chronic fatigue effects were more pronounced on the older pilots. A few suffered stress fracture injuries and had to be sent to Germany for surgery.
I could not imagine being front line infantry at that age. Have you been to Ranger school? If not you will be going at the age of 30. Not impossible. I think the oldest graduate was a British soldier in his mid 40's. But that is something you must look at yourself and decide. If you are not positive that you can do it, I would not go infantry. Sure, you can make it as an infantry officer without a Ranger tab... but it's tough. My wife is a military orthopeadic surgeon, and she has commented that the stress on the body endured by SF soldiers is similar to that experienced by pro football players. Infantry is probably not as bad, but similar.
Again, however, much depends on your genetics and your mind. What do you REALLY want to do. Don't go infantry just because you have a better shot at a career.
Brings me to a final piece of advice. Try to pick what you love, not what is good for your career. If you do that, you will never work a day in your life. One of the best generals I know has been saying he is getting out of the Army since I knew him as a 1LT. He kept getting cool assignments, however, and stuck around. Another went a track that pretty much guaranteed he would never get a star. But you know, I think he's cool with that.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...rough-space-station-crewmates-return-to-earth

 

[kittkatt]

To the OP: FWIW, the Engineer Branch is a combat arms branch.

 

[cb7893]

I am finishing up my first year of Army ROTC... I am a journeyman plumber, majoring in mechanical engineering and have construction experience.

It is a fair assumption that you are comfortable with all things math/science related, you like being active and like seeing the fruits of your labor. This was a description of my DS, a 1Lt. in the Signal Branch. He thought neither in terms of 5 and dive nor serving 20 years. It was always serving until it was no longer fun and "what will I be qualified to do when I leave--at whatever age?"

Signal does not get the respect (for lack of a better term), of other branches. It is associated more with the pocket protector crowd so you have to have the technical skills. However, if you are a practical, can do type with good communication skills and can PT like a mother, then you can differentiate yourself and become a valuable commodity for the combat arms branches. You can even do some cool guy stuff. As with any branch, one's duty station can make a whole lot of difference to your level of satisfaction. My son's first duty station was/is a place where he is constantly being asked to solve problems and direct soldiers in executing plans. His soldiers tend to be a little more educated and/or technically skilled.

He commented recently that this is the first time in his life his intellect and skills are not just being recognized, but also being specifically called upon. In other words he is very happy.

 

[UHBlackhawk]

When I deployed I was with a National Guard Aviation BN, so our CO had some leeway on extra personnel. He took extra signal/comms personnel. One of the best decisions he made.
The signal personnel were in constant demand. Not just with the radios/secure gear in our BN, but outside our BN doing everything from laying down SIPR/NIPR NETS, normal phone lines, radios... you name it, they had to do it.

 

[cb7893]

When I deployed I was with a National Guard Aviation BN, so our CO had some leeway on extra personnel. He took extra signal/comms personnel. One of the best decisions he made.
The signal personnel were in constant demand. Not just with the radios/secure gear in our BN, but outside our BN doing everything from laying down SIPR/NIPR NETS, normal phone lines, radios... you name it, they had to do it.

Heck. If you're lucky you may even get command of a John Deere Gator.

 

[bobthebuilder]

I can't PM you because you're a new member nor can I answer your question because I am only a high school student, but would you mind sharing your experience regarding your first year of ROTC? I am enrolling in ARMY106 next year so if you have any information/experiences you'd like to share, please do. I apologize as I cannot answer your question!

I don't want to violate forum rules and take this thread off topic, so feel free to discuss this with me at this link, where I posted some of my experiences.

https://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/my-first-year-army-rotc-experience.56233/

 

[bobthebuilder]

You need to look at where you interest lies and what you what to do in the service, not necessarily what someone may say has the most opportunities for promotion. There are more combat arms units so there will be more senior level positions available for officers in those branches but after your company grade assignments, there are many different options that are not branch specific.

Your first seven or so years will most likely be leading troops regardless of your branch. In todays modern Army, the differences between an armor officer or a transportation or quartermaster officer are far less than anytime in the past.

You will get exposure to the branches as your progress through ROTC and you should also have discussions with the cadre in your unit about what they have seen. Your senior NCOs can probably help just as much as the officers.

Many young cadets think being an engineer would lead to designing and building great structures. Reality is that a brand new Engineer 2LT is more like a infantryman with a shovel than some world famous architect.

Roger. That is an interesting revelation that many Officer jobs end up being similar. I understand that there are different jobs in the Engineer branch and I could end up branching combat engineers, and end up digging out and setting up positions and so on. I am not too concerned with the prestige aspect of designing structures, but rather having the ability to get in there and get the job done. I heard there is a Captain's career course that allows an Officer to develop professionally, and eventually perhaps this could turn into a gig with the Army Corps of Engineers.

 

[UHBlackhawk]

Captain's Career Course- PowerPoint Ranger School.

 

[bobthebuilder]

The rules constantly change, but I think you might be too old for aviation. If you are prior service, however, this knocks some years off the age. Again, check the current regulations.

As others will say, do what your heart tells you. However...

I'm not going to lie to you. You are hardly over the hill and have many good years ahead of you. Much of your physical well being is in your control. But much of it is in the hands of genetics and time.
Though hardly Ranger school material I consider myself fairly fit, go to the gym and run several times a week. But when I went to combat at the age of 43 it was grueling. Flying combat missions for 6+ hours/day, 120-degree heat with no air conditioning, wearing chicken plate, day after day with no break was exhausting. I was popping "Army candy" (800 mg Motrin), before and after every mission. After a few long missions, the crew chief had to help me out of the cockpit. While us older pilots had better skills than the younger pilots, the chronic fatigue effects were more pronounced on the older pilots. A few suffered stress fracture injuries and had to be sent to Germany for surgery.
I could not imagine being front line infantry at that age. Have you been to Ranger school? If not you will be going at the age of 30. Not impossible. I think the oldest graduate was a British soldier in his mid 40's. But that is something you must look at yourself and decide. If you are not positive that you can do it, I would not go infantry. Sure, you can make it as an infantry officer without a Ranger tab... but it's tough. My wife is a military orthopeadic surgeon, and she has commented that the stress on the body endured by SF soldiers is similar to that experienced by pro football players. Infantry is probably not as bad, but similar.
Again, however, much depends on your genetics and your mind. What do you REALLY want to do. Don't go infantry just because you have a better shot at a career.
Brings me to a final piece of advice. Try to pick what you love, not what is good for your career. If you do that, you will never work a day in your life. One of the best generals I know has been saying he is getting out of the Army since I knew him as a 1LT. He kept getting cool assignments, however, and stuck around. Another went a track that pretty much guaranteed he would never get a star. But you know, I think he's cool with that.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...rough-space-station-crewmates-return-to-earth

Thank you for that motivating story and for your service. I am not prior service, so yes, I would be going to Ranger school at 30. Going Infantry without getting the Ranger tab is probably a bad idea. I need to work on my running which is dragging me down, as I am currently at a 253 on my PT score. I have focused this year on conditioning myself, so that I don't develop shin splints are other overuse injuries. I will see how it goes over the next year or so. I plan on maxing out the PT test come fall, and I'm going to be doing the Army Ranger Workout Prep over the summer http://www.benning.army.mil/tenant/...ment and Selection Program Training Plan2.pdf. As of now, I feel good, and I am going to be pushing myself. I feel like the other consideration would be personality type, because while I am assertive I'm not the most aggressive guy out there. It seems like most Infantry Officers are pretty big strong guys and I'm not sure if I fit the bill, at 5'11" 167 pounds.

 

[bobthebuilder]

It is a fair assumption that you are comfortable with all things math/science related, you like being active and like seeing the fruits of your labor. This was a description of my DS, a 1Lt. in the Signal Branch. He thought neither in terms of 5 and dive nor serving 20 years. It was always serving until it was no longer fun and "what will I be qualified to do when I leave--at whatever age?"

Signal does not get the respect (for lack of a better term), of other branches. It is associated more with the pocket protector crowd so you have to have the technical skills. However, if you are a practical, can do type with good communication skills and can PT like a mother, then you can differentiate yourself and become a valuable commodity for the combat arms branches. You can even do some cool guy stuff. As with any branch, one's duty station can make a whole lot of difference to your level of satisfaction. My son's first duty station was/is a place where he is constantly being asked to solve problems and direct soldiers in executing plans. His soldiers tend to be a little more educated and/or technically skilled.

He commented recently that this is the first time in his life his intellect and skills are not just being recognized, but also being specifically called upon. In other words he is very happy.

You have me spot on your assessment of what I like. I want to be active in the field, taking a hands on approach. I feel like picking a branch where I have expertise would allow me to be a better officer, have more of a passion for what I am doing, which translates into actually making a positive difference to where I will be assigned. I've heard that after Captain your career is pretty much in your own hands, so it seems like finding a niche and excelling at it may be the way to go.

 

[MabryPsyD]

I'm not going to lie...

My green-tab years in the INF BDE ruined my back (506th INF REG). I was a MEDO, so it's not the branch that breaks your body; it's the assignment(s).

 

[USMA 1994]

Roger. That is an interesting revelation that many Officer jobs end up being similar. I understand that there are different jobs in the Engineer branch and I could end up branching combat engineers, and end up digging out and setting up positions and so on. I am not too concerned with the prestige aspect of designing structures, but rather having the ability to get in there and get the job done. I heard there is a Captain's career course that allows an Officer to develop professionally, and eventually perhaps this could turn into a gig with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Maybe I could have been a little more clear in my post. What I was trying to convey is that the first 5-7 years of your time in the service will most likely be leading troops in a line unit. Most of these roles are very similar regardless of the branch and will involve leading soldiers while they are deployed. In today's modern world, the duties are not that dis-similar.

Once you hit the 7 Year mark, there are other options in terms of career progression that you mention. Your more senior officers in your ROTC detachment can advise how those work.