Commissioning

cadet44

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Sep 29, 2018
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Are you more likely to receive an active duty or reserve/NG commission in Army ROTC?
 
Right now, active duty...in 4 years, no one knows. As long as you get good grades, are physically fit, and are active in ROTC at a good program you will get active duty. Of our 13 graduating seniors all but one got the component they wanted.
 
Right now, active duty...in 4 years, no one knows. As long as you get good grades, are physically fit, and are active in ROTC at a good program you will get active duty. Of our 13 graduating seniors all but one got the component they wanted.

My son definitely prefers active duty. Question...how do we know if he has chosen a "good program"?
 
As I understand it, the cadets get placed on an Order of Merit List (OML) based on a scoring system that includes a whole host of scoring metrics that include academics, PFT scores, athletics/ECs, leadership in and outside of ROTC, training performance etc. This list then dictates who is offered active duty and the top of the list cadets have the best chance of also getting their location of choice.
 
The best assurance as Clarkson Army stated above is to do well in a good program. Even in a bad program, if you have a solid GPA, excel on the APFT and follow the curriculum you have a very good chance of receiving the Active Duty component. You just have to score high enough on the National Order of Merit.

One way to substantially increase the odds of active duty is to participate in Army ROTC in a Senior Military College. Federal law states that so long as an Army ROTC cadet passes the ROTC program, graduates in good standing and is approved by the Army PMS, a SMC graduate is assured of Active Duty. *

Again, "slackers" have been known to not be signed off on by the PMS.

Here is the Federal statute:
  1. U.S. CodeTitle 10Subtitle APart IIIChapter 103 › § 2111a
(e)Assignment to Active Duty.—
(1)
The Secretary of the Army shall ensure that a graduate of a senior military college who desires to serve as a commissioned officer on active duty upon graduation from the college, who is medically and physically qualified for active duty, and who is recommended for such duty by the professor of military science at the college, shall be assigned to active duty.


My DS chose to attend a non-SMC and finished solidly in the middle of the Order of Merit, got good grades and last month was notified that he received Active Duty component.
 
If you graduate from a SMC, can you still receive a NG or Reserve commission in your home state?
 
If you graduate from a SMC, can you still receive a NG or Reserve commission in your home state?

@cadet44...

If I recall, you are already an AROTC cadet at an SMC. Have you asked your cadre about NG/Reserves in your home state? They would be the best authority on this.

I'm also confused.

Is your goal to commission AD or reserves/NG? Please clarify.
 
Last edited:
My son attends an SMC and many cadets commission in the guard.
In the last few years no one who wanted guard has been forced to AD. It has happened in the past.
The current PMS will not recommend under the OML cutoff for AD.
Last year a few who were not recommended were given AD anyway.
 
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