Branching - How are the branches different?

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Precise101

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I am looking for some information regarding how the army branches are different. I can find a lot of information online describing the branches but after my DS graduates and he goes to his branch what will he really do? For example is a graduate who is assigned finance immediately working on finance related tasks and are the graduates who are assigned infantry immediately training to fight? OR ... are they all doing the same thing, being a squad leader, initially and then train for their specific branch later?
 
Someone who knows more feel free to chime in and correct me… but after graduation one is slotted to attend BOLC, or Basic Officer Leadership Course, for their branch. For instance, someone who branches Armor would head off to Fort Moore (formerly Benning) to do Armor BOLC learn about operating and leading tanks. From there I believe they’re sent to whatever unit they chose on post night to be a platoon leader (depending on branch), though they may do additional training before then like Airborne School.

One caveat is that most BOLCs are apparently quite backed up right now… a good number of OCS graduates right now end up either heading back to their recruiting stations to work temporarily or are sent to various training opportunities like Ranger School while they wait for a slot. I’m not sure if the same thing is going on with USMA graduates but USNA is in a similar situation… a few ‘22 graduates are working in the admissions office while they wait for training.

Hope I didn’t give too much misinformation!
 
There are several caveats (Aviation, Cyber, Medical School, etc.), but the simple answer is that he will attend an officer basic course for his branch after graduation from USMA before reporting to the assignment selected during branch night. That course will vary in length by branch, but will be about 4 - 5 months, and completion will make him branch qualified and able to assume duties as a 2nd Lieutenant in that branch, usually as Platoon Leader. All branch courses will have some common material with the differences being material specific to the assigned branch.

Anyone accepting an appointment to West Point should be prepared to serve in Infantry, Armor, and Field Artillery. There are minimum percentage requirements for each class to fill combat arms slots and those three have the largest allocations. Also, many who choose and get non-combat arms branches such as Finance, Military Intelligence, Quartermaster, etc. are "detailed" to serve their first tour in a combat arms branch. Although it can vary greatly by year and branch, you should expect about half of each non-combat arms branch to be detailed into a combat arms branch.

Aviation and Cyber have much longer courses and follow-on assignments are made during those courses rather than during branch night at West Point. As Charlie mentioned, a new officer may also attend other military schools - especially Ranger school for Infantry officers. West Point grads usually get priority on BOLC dates and normally get to their first assignment 6 - 12 months after graduation for most branches - Aviation and Cyber longer.
 
jl123 said:
There are several caveats (Aviation, Cyber, Medical School, etc.), but the simple answer is that he will attend an officer basic course for his branch after graduation from USMA before reporting to the assignment selected during branch night. That course will vary in length by branch, but will be about 4 - 5 months, and completion will make him branch qualified and able to assume duties as a 2nd Lieutenant in that branch, usually as Platoon Leader. All branch courses will have some common material with the differences being material specific to the assigned branch.

Anyone accepting an appointment to West Point should be prepared to serve in Infantry, Armor, and Field Artillery. There are minimum percentage requirements for each class to fill combat arms slots and those three have the largest allocations. Also, many who choose and get non-combat arms branches such as Finance, Military Intelligence, Quartermaster, etc. are "detailed" to serve their first tour in a combat arms branch. Although it can vary greatly by year and branch, you should expect about half of each non-combat arms branch to be detailed into a combat arms branch.

Aviation and Cyber have much longer courses and follow-on assignments are made during those courses rather than during branch night at West Point. As Charlie mentioned, a new officer may also attend other military schools - especially Ranger school for Infantry officers. West Point grads usually get priority on BOLC dates and normally get to their first assignment 6 - 12 months after graduation for most branches - Aviation and Cyber longer.
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Thank you for making this easier to understand. So on branch night even those who are assigned a support branch such as quartermaster, finance, etc., may be switched to a combat branch after they do their quartermaster, finance, etc., training? For example someone who branches quartermaster may get sent for 5 months to Ft wherever quartermasters go, and then to the base they got before they left WP ex. Ft. Carson to do something combat based? Am I getting this or way off?
 
Charlie W said:
Someone who knows more feel free to chime in and correct me… but after graduation one is slotted to attend BOLC, or Basic Officer Leadership Course, for their branch. For instance, someone who branches Armor would head off to Fort Moore (formerly Benning) to do Armor BOLC learn about operating and leading tanks. From there I believe they’re sent to whatever unit they chose on post night to be a platoon leader (depending on branch), though they may do additional training before then like Airborne School.

One caveat is that most BOLCs are apparently quite backed up right now… a good number of OCS graduates right now end up either heading back to their recruiting stations to work temporarily or are sent to various training opportunities like Ranger School while they wait for a slot. I’m not sure if the same thing is going on with USMA graduates but USNA is in a similar situation… a few ‘22 graduates are working in the admissions office while they wait for training.

Hope I didn’t give too much misinformation!
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Thank you. IDK about WP but I do know someone, ROTC, right now who spent 6 months working at a recruiting center and is now in Ranger school.
 
Precise101 said:
Thank you for making this easier to understand. So on branch night even those who are assigned a support branch such as quartermaster, finance, etc., may be switched to a combat branch after they do their quartermaster, finance, etc., training? For example someone who branches quartermaster may get sent for 5 months to Ft wherever quartermasters go, and then to the base they got before they left WP ex. Ft. Carson to do something combat based? Am I getting this or way off?
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It is a very complicated system, but the simplified overview of how it works:
  1. Cadet ranks every branch in order of preference
  2. Each branch rates Cadet as one of three categories - Most Preferred, Preferred, Least Preferred
  3. Branching uses those inputs, class rank, and whether or not Cadet is willingness to BRADSO for a specific branch (commit to extra years of service) to make the branch assignment.
  4. On Branch Night Cadet receives an envelope with primary branch assignment and branch detail (if detailed to another branch for initial assignment).
  5. If Cadet receives primary branch with no detail, Cadet attends Post Night for that branch and chooses initial assignment with other Cadets in that branch in order of class rank. After commissioning Cadet attends BOLC for primary branch.
  6. If Cadet receives a primary branch with detail to another Branch, Cadet attends Post Night for the detail branch. After commissioning Cadet attends BOLC for detail branch. After initial tour, Officer attends a transition course of about two weeks before beginning Captains Career Course for primary branch.
This is a simplified explanation. There are many caveats and nuances in the actual process.
 
jl123 said:
It is a very complicated system, but the simplified overview of how it works:
  1. Cadet ranks every branch in order of preference
  2. Each branch rates Cadet as one of three categories - Most Preferred, Preferred, Least Preferred
  3. Branching uses those inputs, class rank, and whether or not Cadet is willingness to BRADSO for a specific branch (commit to extra years of service) to make the branch assignment.
  4. On Branch Night Cadet receives an envelope with primary branch assignment and branch detail (if detailed to another branch for initial assignment).
  5. If Cadet receives primary branch with no detail, Cadet attends Post Night for that branch and chooses initial assignment with other Cadets in that branch in order of class rank. After commissioning Cadet attends BOLC for primary branch.
  6. If Cadet receives a primary branch with detail to another Branch, Cadet attends Post Night for the detail branch. After commissioning Cadet attends BOLC for detail branch. After initial tour, Officer attends a transition course of about two weeks before beginning Captains Career Course for primary branch.
This is a simplified explanation. There are many caveats and nuances in the actual process.
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This makes it make a lot more sense thank you. I'm concluding getting a detail to another branch is not a choice so it's probably a good idea for cadets to select branches they are best suited for as their top choices.
 
Precise101 said:
This makes it make a lot more sense thank you. I'm concluding getting a detail to another branch is not a choice so it's probably a good idea for cadets to select branches they are best suited for as their top choices.
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It can occur as a choice or not. One option when indicating preferences is to seek a base branch with a branch detail.
 
Precise101 said:
I do know someone, ROTC, right now who spent 6 months working at a recruiting center and is now in Ranger school.
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Not unusual and not a bad gig. It is active duty with full salary and benefits.

Ranger School, on the other hand, cold, from scratch, with no prior training..that's a different matter.
 
cb7893 said:
Not unusual and not a bad gig while waiting for a BOLC slot to open. It is active duty with full salary and benefits.

Ranger School, on the other hand, cold, from scratch, with no prior training..that's a different matter.
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Precise101 said:
What does that mean?
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Cadet wants to branch MI. In order to increase the likelihood of that, Cadet could list MI as his first choice branch, could list MI with a BRADSO as his second choice, and list MI with a branch detail to Infantry as his third choice. Of course, he might even list MI with the Infantry branch detail as a first choice. Lots of possible approaches to branch preferences exist.
 
If you are curious about researching the different branches, check out vbo.army.mil. You do not need a military credential to access it. You will have a ton of opportunities to learn about the branches while here. X out of the pop up box that asks you to login--that is just for live presentations done by the branches.
 
jl123 said:
It is a very complicated system, but the simplified overview of how it works:
  1. Cadet ranks every branch in order of preference
  2. Each branch rates Cadet as one of three categories - Most Preferred, Preferred, Least Preferred
  3. Branching uses those inputs, class rank, and whether or not Cadet is willingness to BRADSO for a specific branch (commit to extra years of service) to make the branch assignment.
  4. On Branch Night Cadet receives an envelope with primary branch assignment and branch detail (if detailed to another branch for initial assignment).
  5. If Cadet receives primary branch with no detail, Cadet attends Post Night for that branch and chooses initial assignment with other Cadets in that branch in order of class rank. After commissioning Cadet attends BOLC for primary branch.
  6. If Cadet receives a primary branch with detail to another Branch, Cadet attends Post Night for the detail branch. After commissioning Cadet attends BOLC for detail branch. After initial tour, Officer attends a transition course of about two weeks before beginning Captains Career Course for primary branch.
This is a simplified explanation. There are many caveats and nuances in the actual process.
Click to expand...
Has it changed in the last few years with branch detail? What can a cadet branch detail into, any combat arms from a non-combat arms? Example: bracn detail into FA from AG? Can a cadet branch detail into the Engineers? There are few branches that do not need a junior LT but may need a captain down the road such as MI.
 
We called AG the Shield of Shame as a goof when I worn it as a staff officer! Buddy did Finance for awhile and had a few good slang terms for that Branch also.
 
banjoppd said:
Has it changed in the last few years with branch detail? What can a cadet branch detail into, any combat arms from a non-combat arms? Example: bracn detail into FA from AG? Can a cadet branch detail into the Engineers? There are few branches that do not need a junior LT but may need a captain down the road such as MI.
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Certain branches are designated "Donor" branches and "Recipient" branches. Donor meaning that a specific number of those who select that branch will be detailed out to a recipient branch for their first tour. Not every branch gets such a designation - for example Aviation and Cyber will not be a donor or recipient.

You can count on Infantry, Field Artillery, Armor, and Chemical (a small number) to be recipient branches every year. Military Intelligence, Transportation, Quartermaster etc. will usually be donor branches. I have not known Engineers to ever have been a recipient branch, but have seen it be a donor branch for a small number of slots.

The numbers will essentially be driven by what is needed in any given year versus how many are interested in what branches. There are two ways to get detailed - voluntary and forced. Some cadets look at their class rank and branch choices and estimate the chances they will get detailed. They may decide to volunteer for the recipient branch they prefer most rather than risk getting detailed into a branch they really don't want. When there are detail slots remaining after volunteers have been detailed, the remaining slots are filled with no-volunteers (forced).

There is a lot of gamesmanship involved in the detail process and branch selection overall. That is why I prefer the old system where every selection is determined by merit (class rank).
 
The purpose of the branch detail process is to meet the needs of the Army. Generally speaking the Combat arms branches need more platoon leaders and the support branches need more Field Grade Officers.
 
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