Pima
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 13,900
Actually dunninla, there are several reasons why, but here are the most popular, and I would believe it would be the same for NROTC if the mid had any inkling to fly as a 17 yr old.
1. Vision. When they take that DoDMERB they will either be PPQ (potentially Pilot Qual) or PQ (Potentially Qual).
They know prior to entering ROTC if this is going to be an issue, and if surgery, such as PRK can be an option.
If they don't have options, many accept this and decide they still want to serve anyway. Hence, they never even apply for the rated board.
2. For AFROTC it is 11-12 yrs commitment after graduation, tell a 21 yr old jr in college that they may have to stick around until they are 34 can make them re-think this option very quickly. They literally see their lives dart before their eyes, and as much as they may say they want to make it a career, it is different when you tell they will make it a career.
AFROTC has @ 6-9 mos+ lag time on casual status prior to going to UPT. Clock for your wings does not start until you are winged, which is 1 yr. of academics/flying. Now you are at 2 yrs in, winged and owe 10 for UPT. placing you hovering @ 12 yrs.
For some they want flying as a way to get into their 2nd career, such as Lockheed, Raytheon, Pratt, etc, in the engineering world. Now it is the get my Masters on TA, and do 5 or 6 (TA includes commitment time that runs concurrent, but near impossible to start it your 1st yr...goes back to when the clock starts) while my AFSC is engineer in the AS.
3. Many get the big clue about heavies and ABM during their yrs in AFROTC. You only get to select your airframe when you are the top of the class, and fighters are not the bulk of the drops, heavies are the majority.
Airframes, that start with a C or a K are gone a lot, it is not uncommon for them to hit the 200+ marker, yr in yr out your entire career. It is in the AF one of the hardest lives to have if you want to have a family life.
ABM's (Air Battle Mgrs) are gone even more than that and have been for the last 2 decades. Worse yet, they are not stationed in the garden spots of the world....Tinker, OK is not typically someone's plea of send me there, send me there, and for some Elmendorf isn't their dream assignment either.
Now if you are told at 21, go this route, be ready for either of these things, not the 35 at Eglin or the 22 at Langley, but the B-52 at Minot, N.D. for 4 yrs, and than to Barksdale, LA for the next 4 when you are from So. Cal, would you re-think it long and hard?
I bet you would. 12 yrs moving, being deployed 6-7 months out of the yr. for me to have my 2nd career as an engineer, or 5 yrs being stationed at 1 or 2 bases, rarely deployed and actually being an engineer...oh which do I choose if my goal is to design the next version of what is now the F35?
Final reason:
Just like AROTC and NROTC which both have rated, they too have unique specialty fields and many cadets/mids are entering with majors to match up with these fields.
~Nursing is being highly recruited by all 3 branches.
~Foreign language is being highly recruited by all 3 branches.
~Criminal Justice and the chance of being a part of the military's CSI (CID) is appealing to many students with the hopes of getting into the FBI.
~ Intelligence for the CIA, FBI, Homeland etc are also big draws when you tell a kid do 4 yrs AD and you are free to go.
~ Computer Science, same thing.
A 21 yr old having the carrot of less time owed before they can go and make the big bucks, plus get their Masters paid for will place this into the equation and for many flying goes lower on their needs list.
This is a good thing because to survive UPT you have to want, not just want it, but need it, desire it, strive 24/7 to get it.
1. Vision. When they take that DoDMERB they will either be PPQ (potentially Pilot Qual) or PQ (Potentially Qual).
They know prior to entering ROTC if this is going to be an issue, and if surgery, such as PRK can be an option.
If they don't have options, many accept this and decide they still want to serve anyway. Hence, they never even apply for the rated board.
2. For AFROTC it is 11-12 yrs commitment after graduation, tell a 21 yr old jr in college that they may have to stick around until they are 34 can make them re-think this option very quickly. They literally see their lives dart before their eyes, and as much as they may say they want to make it a career, it is different when you tell they will make it a career.
AFROTC has @ 6-9 mos+ lag time on casual status prior to going to UPT. Clock for your wings does not start until you are winged, which is 1 yr. of academics/flying. Now you are at 2 yrs in, winged and owe 10 for UPT. placing you hovering @ 12 yrs.
For some they want flying as a way to get into their 2nd career, such as Lockheed, Raytheon, Pratt, etc, in the engineering world. Now it is the get my Masters on TA, and do 5 or 6 (TA includes commitment time that runs concurrent, but near impossible to start it your 1st yr...goes back to when the clock starts) while my AFSC is engineer in the AS.
3. Many get the big clue about heavies and ABM during their yrs in AFROTC. You only get to select your airframe when you are the top of the class, and fighters are not the bulk of the drops, heavies are the majority.
Airframes, that start with a C or a K are gone a lot, it is not uncommon for them to hit the 200+ marker, yr in yr out your entire career. It is in the AF one of the hardest lives to have if you want to have a family life.
ABM's (Air Battle Mgrs) are gone even more than that and have been for the last 2 decades. Worse yet, they are not stationed in the garden spots of the world....Tinker, OK is not typically someone's plea of send me there, send me there, and for some Elmendorf isn't their dream assignment either.
Now if you are told at 21, go this route, be ready for either of these things, not the 35 at Eglin or the 22 at Langley, but the B-52 at Minot, N.D. for 4 yrs, and than to Barksdale, LA for the next 4 when you are from So. Cal, would you re-think it long and hard?
I bet you would. 12 yrs moving, being deployed 6-7 months out of the yr. for me to have my 2nd career as an engineer, or 5 yrs being stationed at 1 or 2 bases, rarely deployed and actually being an engineer...oh which do I choose if my goal is to design the next version of what is now the F35?
Final reason:
Just like AROTC and NROTC which both have rated, they too have unique specialty fields and many cadets/mids are entering with majors to match up with these fields.
~Nursing is being highly recruited by all 3 branches.
~Foreign language is being highly recruited by all 3 branches.
~Criminal Justice and the chance of being a part of the military's CSI (CID) is appealing to many students with the hopes of getting into the FBI.
~ Intelligence for the CIA, FBI, Homeland etc are also big draws when you tell a kid do 4 yrs AD and you are free to go.
~ Computer Science, same thing.
A 21 yr old having the carrot of less time owed before they can go and make the big bucks, plus get their Masters paid for will place this into the equation and for many flying goes lower on their needs list.
This is a good thing because to survive UPT you have to want, not just want it, but need it, desire it, strive 24/7 to get it.