Chances of Active Duty?

[rotcdonde]

Apologies if this has been the topic of another thread (I couldn't find one)

I've been hearing more and more recently that after ROTC, chances of going active are very low, and most cadets end up in the reserve for their commitment. Can anyone give me an approximate percentage of ROTC cadets who end up active, or what I should do to have the best chances of active duty? (i'll be going to a small school with a small rotc battalion, if that makes any difference)

 

[Centhea]

I can't give you any percentages, but here is some experience from my (long ago) ROTC scholarship days. 1) To increase your chances of going active duty, apply for a Regular Army commission as opposed to a Reserve Commission. That puts you in the same status as USMA grads. 2) Pick a branch that is in high demand for active duty, like Infantry, Armor, MP. Avoid going to branches like ADA, Medical Service Corps. 3) Work on being the best cadet you can be, aim for Distinguished Military Graduate, go to Airborne School, Ranger School, seek leadership positions. 4) Talk to your cadre and be sure they know you want to be on active duty. Listen, take their advice.

That being said, it is the RESERVE Officers Training Corps. Some folks will go Reserve and some may even be put in IRR (Individual Ready Reserve), especially while waiting for OBC/branch courses. But there are a lot of opportunities to go to and remain on active duty, so I wouldn't stress over it too much.

 

[Jcleppe]

A couple of things that I have learned since my son started AROTC in 2008. You no longer apply for a Regular Army Commission, Congress changed that a few years back. My son has not heard anything about any large reduction in Active Duty Slots. You can Google for information as to how many cadets went active last year and how many went reserve, I know there is not a lot of info out there but you can also talk to your PMS and just ask how many went active from your school this year. Since my son has been at school all those who commissioned over the last two years who wanted Active Duty got it. I'm sure you are aware of the OML. When you have completed your Junior year and attended LDAC you will complete your accession packet. Once everything is complete you will be put on the National OML. During this time there will be many cadets across the country that will request Reserves. Once their names are removed from the list they will assign a number for the Active Duty Cutoff Line. If you are above that number you will get Active Duty, below you will get Reserves. Once the active Duty OML is set then they start to assign Branches. The poster said something about which Branches to choose. One thing to remember is that unless you are in the top 10% you are not guarenteed your selection. You make a list starting with your top 3 choices and on to include all 16 branches. It can be a crap shoot sometimes.

The best thing you can do is keep your GPA up as far as you can and be as active as you can. PT will also play a big part as well as how you do at LDAC. You asked whether being at a smaller battalion would be a benefit. My son is at a smaller university and my younger son is looking at attending there as well. They were both told that it is an advantage, you will have more opportunities to have a leadership positions. Some of the cadets have held several before graduating. Your chances of making the Ranger Challenge Team is also better in a smaller battalion. There are fewer cadets to compete with and a better chance of attending summer schools such as Airborne or Air Assult. All of these things will help move you up the OML and give you a better chance at both Active Duty and the Branch you want.

As far as a precentage of those that go Active Duty, it can change from year to year. In the 90's most ROTC cadets went reserve. Over the past few years everyone that wanted Active got it. The best thing you can do is work hard, do your best, and oh yeah...run a lot and max your PT.

 

[havana brown]

That being said, it is the RESERVE Officers Training Corps. Some folks will go Reserve and some may even be put in IRR (Individual Ready Reserve), especially while waiting for OBC/branch courses. But there are a lot of opportunities to go to and remain on active duty, so I wouldn't stress over it too much.

Holy Cat, I just had a duh! moment. I don't know why, but it never dawned on me that ROTC means you go into the reserves. I guess I figured it was military training in college and then you could go active duty. Boy, do I feel like a maroon!

 

[awhin3]

Holy Cat, I just had a duh! moment. I don't know why, but it never dawned on me that ROTC means you go into the reserves. I guess I figured it was military training in college and then you could go active duty. Boy, do I feel like a maroon!

Not everyone goes into the reserves. For example, of the 22 cadets commissioned last year at Ohio State 15 of them went active duty.