I'm torn b\w Airforce and Navy ROTC.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Packer, the last I know it is now 11 for UPT after winging, I think 7 for CSO.

People forget for rated, every branch worries about commercial airlines. They can change yrly regarding the commitment.

Bullet entered and in 5 yrs it went from 7 to 9 to 10 to 8. Grads that signed for 10 couldn't re-sign for 8.

Honestly, it really doesn't matter if it is 12 or 13. I would say to anyone and everyone going rated, expect to do 20. Bonuses, promotions, PCS's, PME's will make it close to impossible to leave at 12 or 13 yrs. We haven't even discussed kids, and mtgs.

There is a poster here, that commissioned in 10, in 08 he was at our house and thought I was just "old" and a wife, I was exaggerating. He was at our house 6 weeks ago, and he now acknowledges 15 yrs is his truly his 1st out. Problem is how do you walk away form 50% retirement the rest of your life for 1 more tour?

He will be like the majority...he will do 1 more tour.

That has been my point all along. Don't walk in an think I do X amount of yrs. and I leave. Life gets in the way.

Take TA for grad, and now you are in until you hit 6 yrs. YR 5 they send you to AK for 3 yrs. (Overseas), now you are in until yr 11 because you accepted a return stateside. YR 10 they promote you to O4, you accept, now you are in until YR 13. YR 12 they send you to PME in residence. Now you are in until 15. Are you really going to not take 1 more tour, with the chance of retiring as an O5? You are 36 yo, 3 kids, a mtg, and car payments.

I didn't do rated, my example is non-rated.

You all may think you can walk at 4, legally it is correct. Logistically, life gets in the way.

http://afrotc.com/careers/service-commitment/
 
Packer,

Please don't take this wrong, I am not caught up on 10 or 11 yrs. I am the very 1st to say, okay it is 10, but realistically it is closer to 12 yrs for AFROTC.

The fact is at the end of the day on a good day they will be close to 34, and 50% of their life will be tied to the AF. 10,11, 12, 13, does it matter? What does matter is even at the low end you are still going to be @ 34. 34 to a 17 yo, is OMG, OLD! Life has suddenly passed by their eyes, they now own a mini-van, a mtg., pre-school, and worse yet...their 20th HS reunion! Remember being 17, that is how we saw it.

I just know 4 things right now, that the link you posted doesn't tell 17 yo HS srs. wanting to go rated the factors in their future.

1. They need to go to SFT and scholarships are masked.
2. They want rated they need to take the TBAS and get selected by the rated board.
3. They are not AD upon commissioning, they may wait up to a yr for UPT.
4. They bust IFS or UPT the AF can release/separate you, they are under no obligation to change your career field and keep you for 4 yrs. AD
~~~ This is a financial issue for many. USAA offers a 25K loan at a very low rate, AF releases you that rate jumps up to high teens %.

10, or 11 hit me with a wet Lomein noodle. Does it really matter? Class of 16 can owe 10 yrs, class of 18 can owe 8. It changes, what doesn't change is how many hoops you must jump through to get a rated slot, and keep jumping through once you get rated.

Tell a 17 yo you owe 10 yrs, tell a 17 yo you will be close to 34 when you walk, 2 different things. They typically forget to add in the silly stuff like college yrs, and UPT, all they here is 10 yrs.

We already diverted the OP's question, and now even more so since he doesn't want to go rated.

Nothing wrong with diverting a thread, except for the fact anyone looking for info would have to read through 8 pages of comments and still not find an answer.

Plus, JMPO we still have failed the OP, because we allowed him to say:
I'm going to a SMC in the fall of 2013

Never once addressing this issue, how does he know he will be at an SMC next fall? It is Aug 2nd, I don't know if Norwich has recruited athletes, do any of you? VT, TAMU, Citadel, etc. SA's have yet to send out LOA's, but we accepted as fact he will be at Norwich 2013.

As stated before we all bit off on the political career aspiration issue, jmpo, our responses still are not about

Is Deshawn medically cleared
Does Deshawn want to live on a boat
Does he want to live in Minot, ND
Does he have a flipping clue what SMC life is like compared to traditional ROTC life

I am not trying to force anything here, I am trying to say this thread has gone through the gamut to the point of FF life 20 yrs. Not once has anyone said Deshawn, each branch is unique, and there is no political edge, especially as a non-rated officer. No offense to non-rated, but let's be real when a flier takes out a target, you don't hear about the part the INTEL officers played, sad, but true. You hear X type of jet, from Y base. Chuck Yeager, Doolittle, Pardo, Olds, are known from a military flying perspective. Name me an Intel officer.

Again, wrong that they don't get the limelight too, but that is the way it is.

He wants to spend 10 yrs in either AF or Navy. Shouldn't we just talk about which branch is more fitted to him, leave politics and commitment time out of it.

Shouldn't we address ROTC and commissioning, not can he become the president in 2036, or a Congressman in 2022?
 
Last edited:
Packer,

Please don't take this wrong, I am not caught up on 10 or 11 yrs. I am the very 1st to say, okay it is 10, but realistically it is closer to 12 yrs for AFROTC.
The thread was diverted from the OP's question by the time it got to page 2.

Your message was/is spot on. Me pointing out that it is currently 10 not 11 was just making the facts agree with the message. Accuracy counts. Nothing personal.
 
you keep asking other people what branch would suit you best...we don't know you, you need to make that choice after looking into the two branches
 
Though I see your point, those four may not be the best examples of non-military service. When LBJ was a Congressman, he arranged to get commissioned as an officer in the naval reserve. McArthur awarded him a Silver Star, which would suggest he was politically astute, Johnson being a protege of FDR.

Ronald Reagan studied Army Home-Study Extension courses in the 1930s. He enlisted as a private in April 1937 and was commissioned as a second lt. a month later in the cavalry (remember what I said about dragoons). Although he never left the country during WW2, he was proficient enough as an actor to convince himself he had helped liberate Auschwitz, or so the story goes.

Clinton and Obama never literally served in the military, it is true, but during college or after they did train for service in the Bolivian infantry. Also, as Governor of Arkansas, Clinton was head of that state's national guard. In his recent run for the Republican nomination, which apparently ended all too soon, Rick Perry often cited his bold leadership of the Texas National Guard. I suppose the same thing would apply to Romney in Massachusetts. Hope you weren't drinking milk as you read that.

I was and it came out my nose.
 
What branch from what you can see would.fit me best?

I only know you're name and what you wore to prom. I couldn't tell you your favorite color, much less what branch would suit you best.

But if you're ultimate goal is to become a politician, I'd say there are better ways to become a successful one that don't include a military career, atleast with the information you've given us.

If you want to do it, stop posting here and get to work. But don't half ass it just to say you were a military officer. That's when you become a danger to yourself and those around you.
 
Its all about what you would be happiest doing in the military. Do you want to be on some sort of warship, where as an officer you'd be responsible for some manner of its operation and readiness, or do you want to be based on land and be more focused on maintaining security and defense through our airspace? What do YOU want to do? You mentioned you were interested in Intel and some other "Non-combat" fields. Very special circumstances aside, the Navy commissions ROTC O-1's directly into unrestricted line, which is their lingo for the Naval equivalent of "combat" jobs: Submarines, Surface Ships, Aviation, SEALs/EOD, and the Marine Corps. If you want a true "support" -corps style career in the military, the Air Force is a better bet, as they commission O-1's directly into Intel and related fields. Both services are also very selective scholarship-wise about majors....a Political Science major, as I believe you are pursuing, isn't as in demand in the two branches that rely the most on science and technology to maintain their strategic position. If you truly want to be an Officer, look into all of your options. Explore the possibilities of Army and Marine Option ROTC. Both have a higher demand for Political Science majors and receiving an Intel slot from either the Army OML or the OML at TBS is also much higher. Don't count your chickens before they hatch, that's especially true in politics....
 
DeShawn,

You keep wanting people to tell you which branch, but you never inform anyone of the simple facts from your perspective.

Why the AF and Navy, not Army or Marines. They all have Intel.

Honestly, as others have stated, from a scholarship and contracting perspective, posters have it right for AF/NROTC... they look for STEM majors, and as I have stated before non-techs are, at least for AFROTC, highly competitive, not only for scholarships, but for SFT. I am going to assume NROTC is just as competitive.

Cart before horse when you don't place this into the equation.

You are under the illusion IMPO, that once in AF/NROTC you will commission. That is just not how it works. They do not, have not and will not ever commission 100% of any incoming class. Some leave because they do not become POCs, some leave because they realize in college that this was not a fit, but the point is people leave...a lot!

You would like us to answer which branch we think you should go into, so here goes, my vote is Navy.

Why? Since you are not applying for AROTC, I assume you want to live at sea. AF is on land like Army, thus Navy since that is the only reason I have for you not applying to AROTC.

Now, seriously if 100% of posters came to my same conclusion, are you telling me you would go Navy for that idiotic reason? Yes, my response was idiotic! In my defense it was only idiotic because you asked me to give advice on an issue with no background from you regarding why these 2 choices.

If you want an honest answer, give us more to go on.

Honestly, you can't say you didn't see how many times I harped on the questions, that usually people will ask, you opted to ignore them, and ask which branch we can see being the best fit for you.

Is there a reason why, you opt not to share that information? I respect your decision, but understand, the silence on your side, actually leaves me with one answer.

+1 to -Bull-'s post.

Don't go any branch, because you are at this moment not being serious about the ROTC and commissioning process.

Candidates of 17, as much as you may believe this yr is a stressful yr because of college and scholarship applications, 2 yrs from now you will think it was a cake walk. AFROTC cadets 3 yrs from now will think that the yr before was easier as a C200 even though they had to survive the SFT board, because now as a 300 it is you career board. The boards keep getting more competitive and more important. The ride from here on out does not end until you leave the military, even as AD members it will be about PME and promotions.

This yr is the easiest because you can still recover if you don't get a scholarship. You can't recover when you are passed over for O4. So if the TWE comes, don't think it is the end of the world, just move forward with Plan B.
 
+1 Bull

"From what we can see..." the answer is no military branch would be a good fit.

So many good people trying to help here but you are not engaged, listening, or contributing.

Best bet is an alternative path. Recommend you go for FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, Peace Corps or something else.

If you want to continue down the path you are on my recommendation is apply to EACH service academy and EACH branch's ROTC program and we can help you sort it out if you are fortunate to earn multiple appointments or scholarships.

Good luck.
 
One other suggestion would be to attend a college in the DC area that has a strong internship program on the Hill. Many students turn those internships into employment opportunities.

UMDCP, Gtown, GW, American, etc. have great Govt/Poli Sci programs that offer amazing internships. DS interned for a Sen his soph yr. These colleges also have ROTC. Some are host. Ex: UMDCP is host to A/AFROTC, NROTC mids go xtown to GW (or Gtown ?) for NROTC PT and LLAB.

Take the yr and go ROTC at a school that gives you great opportunities for your career field.

Deshawn, you wanted your answer which branch.

4 posters have responded, and until you give us more info it is NONE. There it is in black and white.

Not saying you won't be a great officer. Saying right now, you don't get it. People's lives are on the line here, and they do it not to use the military as a stepping stone for their next career, they do it to DEFEND our country in a very selfless way.
That is their big picture, not some Tuesday in November 20 yrs from now.

Not saying you are selfish, just saying you don't get why they do it. You will be a great politician because no matter how we try to get a straight answer from you, you manage to avoid the question.

Want our answer which branch, than just be honest and answer our questions. Heck, I will leave the SAT/CGPA/PFA alone.

You want Intel.
Navy says fine, you are Intel...SUBS. What now?

However, the fact is if you told us your stats, we would be able to help you much more regarding your ROTC future.
 
Last edited:
Actually Pima, Deshawn did post his statistics last week, but in a different thread. He currently has several threads going basically asking the same questions over and over again.

And based on what he has posted, I personally don't think he has any chance of being competitive for an AF/NROTC scholarship. His academics are just not up to par.

I have.....
5 years of jrotc
2.9 gpa
Wrestler
Black belt in various martial arts
Boxer
Community service
Work experience
Leadership experience
21 on ACT
joining a club or two when we get back to school
8 letters of recommendation
63 on ASVAB.....

I know my GPA isn't the best but, alot has happened, and I have had to come through adversity time, and time again. It would mean the world for me to get in.




http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=26811
 
Intelligence, human or counter intel

Deshawn, if you have researched the different fields of intelligence and settled on these two, then I would definitely not recommend either AF or Navy. Neither does very much HUMINT. And counter intel is run by their respective investigative services - Air Force OSI and Navy NCIS. If HUMINT is what you're interested in, I'd look more towards the Army.
 
Here's how you can do it....


Join the CIA, become a spy. After a few years also become an FBI agent, but on the HRT, because they're bad-a. Get some Secret Service training while you're at it, just to check the box of course. Maybe SWAT too.

After a few years of that, join the Army as a Ranger. Then become a Green Beret. Be a sniper and a medic but get your HALO wings. Then cross commission to the SEALs and then join DELTA. At some point be Supreme Allied Commander (which also means you'll need to be the USEUCOM commander, sorry).

When you're 25 go to the House of Representatives. Spend 2.5 terms in the House and then go to the Senate, spend one term there, and then become President of the United States.

Revive the League of Nations and there you go.

Or you could just hand out community action pamplets, do little work, and tell everyone else that the work they did wasn't done by them. Sell out your fellow Americans for nationals of other countries... that's always an option, but WHO would do that?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top