Hi all,
This is my first post on this forum. I'm a high school senior set on UC Davis as an Electrical Engineering major. Long story short I was approached by recruiting officers who wanted me to join the Army Reserve during college. I have no prior knowledge whatsoever about any college programs offered by the Army, so even after the exhausting 3 hour interview I was still left confused. Here is how they marketed the Reserves to me. Correct me if I'm wrong.
1. The Army Reserve is a great stepping stone for people who want to have an advantage in civilian careers.
2. The military offers financial assistance for me. (Drill Pay, GI Bill/Kicker) Something like 40k altogether.
3. I need to take BCT and AIT which will result in a 1 year deferment of school.
4. Alternatively, I can choose to apply for the SMP which exempts me from AIT, but excludes me from the GI Bill/Kicker benefits. However, I become an officer after graduation and get better drill pay.
5. I have to work a weekend every month in a specialized field (engineering for me)
6. I have to stay in the Reserves for few years.
I'm attracted towards the SMP more right now since I would rather not miss 1 year of school doing AIT. Financial aid seems pretty bad. My family can afford to pay for college without the stipends. My mother is concerned about the potential of deployment. All in all it seems like a pretty good deal, but I still have a vague understanding of my obligations. I have a few questions.
1. How long do I stay in the Reserves after graduating?
2. For the SMP, besides doing BCT, ROTC, and working a weekend a month, is there anything else I have to do after graduating from college?
3. If I'm specializing in STEM work for my part time job, what am I going to do?
4. Are there better programs offered? I heard about an SMP offered by the National Guard. Is it better?
The officers were trying very hard to get me to say yes on the spot, so I want to get more opinions. Thanks for any help.
This is my first post on this forum. I'm a high school senior set on UC Davis as an Electrical Engineering major. Long story short I was approached by recruiting officers who wanted me to join the Army Reserve during college. I have no prior knowledge whatsoever about any college programs offered by the Army, so even after the exhausting 3 hour interview I was still left confused. Here is how they marketed the Reserves to me. Correct me if I'm wrong.
1. The Army Reserve is a great stepping stone for people who want to have an advantage in civilian careers.
2. The military offers financial assistance for me. (Drill Pay, GI Bill/Kicker) Something like 40k altogether.
3. I need to take BCT and AIT which will result in a 1 year deferment of school.
4. Alternatively, I can choose to apply for the SMP which exempts me from AIT, but excludes me from the GI Bill/Kicker benefits. However, I become an officer after graduation and get better drill pay.
5. I have to work a weekend every month in a specialized field (engineering for me)
6. I have to stay in the Reserves for few years.
I'm attracted towards the SMP more right now since I would rather not miss 1 year of school doing AIT. Financial aid seems pretty bad. My family can afford to pay for college without the stipends. My mother is concerned about the potential of deployment. All in all it seems like a pretty good deal, but I still have a vague understanding of my obligations. I have a few questions.
1. How long do I stay in the Reserves after graduating?
2. For the SMP, besides doing BCT, ROTC, and working a weekend a month, is there anything else I have to do after graduating from college?
3. If I'm specializing in STEM work for my part time job, what am I going to do?
4. Are there better programs offered? I heard about an SMP offered by the National Guard. Is it better?
The officers were trying very hard to get me to say yes on the spot, so I want to get more opinions. Thanks for any help.