Another issue that might be worthy of study since the whole program appears to be up for redesign:
Currently the Branches into which ROTC cadets commission are placed into three logical categories:
I. Maneuvers, Fires, and Effects (used to mostly be called "Combat Arms"): Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Air Defense Artillery, Engineering, Chemical, Aviation, Military Police. Commissioned out of ROTC in 2011: 1,092 2LTs
II. Operations Support (used to be mostly called "Combat Support"): Military Intelligence and Signal Corps. Commissioned out of ROTC in 2011: 581 2LTs
III. Force Sustainment (used to mostly be "Combat Service Support") Adjutant General, Transportation, Quartermaster, Finance, Ordnance). Commissioned out of ROTC in 2011: 810 2LTs
II + III combined: 1,392 2LTs.
Though the majority (56% in 2011) of cadets commissioning out of ROTC do not Branch MFE, it seems the majority of ROTC training (Labs, FTX, STX lanes, especially LDAC, etc.) is geared toward preparing cadets for the tactics and procedures used by MFE bound cadets. The cadet targeting Adjutant General (HR), or Military Intelligence, or Quartermaster (supplies and logistics), or other non-MFE Branches all train as though all cadets are headed for Infantry, but there appears to be no similar training emphasis geared toward ROTC cadets who will serve in Operations Support or Force Sustainment branches. Somebody please correct me if my observations from afar are inaccurate. The majority of cadets will not serve in the MFE Branches, but in the other two. So my impression is that either CC considers these non-MFE Branches to not require targeted training while in ROTC, or MFE is the mission critical training, and the other two divisions are not as critical and can be picked up in a more ad hoc fashion.
Currently the Branches into which ROTC cadets commission are placed into three logical categories:
I. Maneuvers, Fires, and Effects (used to mostly be called "Combat Arms"): Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Air Defense Artillery, Engineering, Chemical, Aviation, Military Police. Commissioned out of ROTC in 2011: 1,092 2LTs
II. Operations Support (used to be mostly called "Combat Support"): Military Intelligence and Signal Corps. Commissioned out of ROTC in 2011: 581 2LTs
III. Force Sustainment (used to mostly be "Combat Service Support") Adjutant General, Transportation, Quartermaster, Finance, Ordnance). Commissioned out of ROTC in 2011: 810 2LTs
II + III combined: 1,392 2LTs.
Though the majority (56% in 2011) of cadets commissioning out of ROTC do not Branch MFE, it seems the majority of ROTC training (Labs, FTX, STX lanes, especially LDAC, etc.) is geared toward preparing cadets for the tactics and procedures used by MFE bound cadets. The cadet targeting Adjutant General (HR), or Military Intelligence, or Quartermaster (supplies and logistics), or other non-MFE Branches all train as though all cadets are headed for Infantry, but there appears to be no similar training emphasis geared toward ROTC cadets who will serve in Operations Support or Force Sustainment branches. Somebody please correct me if my observations from afar are inaccurate. The majority of cadets will not serve in the MFE Branches, but in the other two. So my impression is that either CC considers these non-MFE Branches to not require targeted training while in ROTC, or MFE is the mission critical training, and the other two divisions are not as critical and can be picked up in a more ad hoc fashion.
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