ROTC Airborne School

USAChiefWarrant

New Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2021
Messages
6
Hello,
My daughter was selected to go to Airborne School in her second year of ROTC. While I'm proud of her hard work; I'm concerned whether she will be injured considering the danger; if a cadet is injured how does it affect their ROTC career? Can they still commission?
And since they are not active, like a commissioned officer and they are injured how can they get follow up healthcare for any injuries sustained? Wouldn't make sense to attend after cadets are commissioned and active in case of an issue where an injury is sustained.
Thank you, I appreciate your feedback.
 
Hello,
My daughter was selected to go to Airborne School in her second year of ROTC. While I'm proud of her hard work; I'm concerned whether she will be injured considering the danger; if a cadet is injured how does it affect their ROTC career? Can they still commission?
And since they are not active, like a commissioned officer and they are injured how can they get follow up healthcare for any injuries sustained? Wouldn't make sense to attend after cadets are commissioned and active in case of an issue where an injury is sustained.
Thank you, I appreciate your feedback.
That was the #1 reason I opted not to go to Airborne school as a cadet, some 30+ years ago. While the idea of going as a cadet was very exciting, I chose to do alternative summer programs. I personally, would have told my own children the same thing if it would have come up as a cadet.
 
I went to Airborne School after MSII year. I was really glad that I did, as I was too young to realize that I really never wanted to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. The only 2LTs who get Airborne slots are combat arms and or officers assigned to Fort Bragg. The chance of injury is minimal; maybe a sprained ankle. The hardest part of Airborne school is the Friday morning run. Falling out of that run is a ticket back home. In my class, we had a Major fall out of the Friday run that was due to PCS to Fort Bragg. I hope he never found a house because branch had to send him elsewhere.
 
I went to Airborne School after MSII year. I was really glad that I did, as I was too young to realize that I really never wanted to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. The only 2LTs who get Airborne slots are combat arms and or officers assigned to Fort Bragg. The chance of injury is minimal; maybe a sprained ankle. The hardest part of Airborne school is the Friday morning run. Falling out of that run is a ticket back home. In my class, we had a Major fall out of the Friday run that was due to PCS to Fort Bragg. I hope he never found a house because branch had to send him elsewhere.
BJD16, you are the best. Thank you so much. Makes me feel a lot better. Thanks for replying!
 
As written above, there is the possibility of an injury affecting commissioning.
On the other hand, there is no guarantee of getting airborne school on active duty. My DD ad a few LTs in her brigade waiting for slots and relegated to S- shops until they got slots.
 
Hello,
My daughter was selected to go to Airborne School in her second year of ROTC. While I'm proud of her hard work; I'm concerned whether she will be injured considering the danger; if a cadet is injured how does it affect their ROTC career? Can they still commission?
And since they are not active, like a commissioned officer and they are injured how can they get follow up healthcare for any injuries sustained? Wouldn't make sense to attend after cadets are commissioned and active in case of an issue where an injury is sustained.
Thank you, I appreciate your feedback.
An injury to a contracted cadet at Airborne School, AROTC training, FTX's, travelling to ROTC at the host school, ... should be 'covered' by Federal Worker's Compensation with initial and follow up treatment at a military medical treatment facility if available. I say should because some cadets/parents choose to not pursue that path for treatment and use their own insurance. Our family insurance always includes a follow up from ER visits to determine how the injury occurred to avoid payment or to pursue payment from another source. If injured, the cadet should ensure they do not leave training without a Line of Duty (LOD) investigation at least initiated.

When leaving for ROTC 2000+ miles away I coached my cadet to not provide our insurance card at the ER if injured during ROTC training. My cadet complied and though we got many bills for the civilian ER, surgery, anesthesia, physical therapy we forwarded every one of them to a Federal Workers Compensation case manager for review and eventual payment. We were lucky to find a good private practice Ortho Surgeon that accepts Workers Compensation for payment. The three extremely large hospital networks near the ROTC unit and university do not accept Federal Workers Compensation and the nearest military hospital was 3+ hours away. Getting prompt preapproval and payment for some of the treatment was time consuming - Yes, I was a helicopter parent for this as the Workers Compensation bureaucracy is convoluted and a limb and chosen career was at risk.

Six months after surgery a medical review by Cadet Command was required to allow continuation in AROTC, attendance at Advance Camp, and eventual commission.
 
As written above, there is the possibility of an injury affecting commissioning.
On the other hand, there is no guarantee of getting airborne school on active duty. My DD ad a few LTs in her brigade waiting for slots and relegated to S- shops until they got slots.
I'm not convinced regards the risk vs reward of attending, in light of a skill set that seems to be less relevant in more modern war strategy. Hence why paratroopers haven't been involved in large scale assaults in sometime. I understand its relevance and exceptional history I'm just not sure that career wise it's a move that actually sets you apart unless that is your branch and unit.
 
I'm not convinced regards the risk vs reward of attending, in light of a skill set that seems to be less relevant in more modern war strategy. Hence why paratroopers haven't been involved in large scale assaults in sometime. I understand its relevance and exceptional history I'm just not sure that career wise it's a move that actually sets you apart unless that is your branch and unit.
Participation in some of these schools (airborne, air assault) are marketing tools to keep cadets engaged and recruit for combat arms.
 
I'm not convinced regards the risk vs reward of attending, in light of a skill set that seems to be less relevant in more modern war strategy. Hence why paratroopers haven't been involved in large scale assaults in sometime. I understand its relevance and exceptional history I'm just not sure that career wise it's a move that actually sets you apart unless that is your branch and unit.
It's not about the skill set. It's about a young person overcoming physical challenges and developing self-confidence and "swagger".
 
Participation in some of these schools (airborne, air assault) are marketing tools to keep cadets engaged and recruit for combat arms.
That is an interesting point, well taken.
It's not about the skill set. It's about a young person overcoming physical challenges and developing self-confidence and "swag

It's not about the skill set. It's about a young person overcoming physical challenges and developing self-confidence and "swagger".
That's a high price to pay when other objectives can be established to develop your examples above, knowing that immediate death is possible.
 
I came much closer to death driving to PT every morning on Georgia Hwy 144 from Savannah to Fort Stewart than I ever did at Airborne School. I fell asleep at the wheel twice, one fender bender and one devastating wreck where I hit a 5 ton truck from behind. If a cadet is worried about death, then military is wrong line of work.

After I left Field Artillery and joined Transportation Corps (branch detail), the Combat Arms officers/soldiers noticed my Airborne wings many times and that bought me a little credibility.
 
That is an interesting point, well taken.



That's a high price to pay when other objectives can be established to develop your examples above, knowing that immediate death is possible.
I forgot to mention overcoming fear and doing what you need to do despite it. Death is possible but as mentioned above POVs are a much greater risk to the military than airborne school.
 
It's badge candy mostly, and yes injuries are very real. I knew several healthcare folks at Martin on Ft Benning. Plenty of ABN related injuries.

Yes, you could be chaptered out with an injury, I have seen it many times.

The chance that you commission and go to an ABN unit is low.

Post-commission, I didn't find school slots THAT hard to get but it's always unit/command dependent. Air assault is oddly enough super easy for guard/reserves.

Really up to her, what are her goals? ABN isn't a Ranger tab...
 
It's badge candy mostly, and yes injuries are very real. I knew several healthcare folks at Martin on Ft Benning. Plenty of ABN related injuries.

Yes, you could be chaptered out with an injury, I have seen it many times.

The chance that you commission and go to an ABN unit is low.

Post-commission, I didn't find school slots THAT hard to get but it's always unit/command dependent. Air assault is oddly enough super easy for guard/reserves.

Really up to her, what are her goals? ABN isn't a Ranger tab...
She was selected to attend. Her major is psychology and is looking to branch med Serv. But she won't tell her command that she needs time to think about it. She's going with the flow and not sure she fully realizes the risk. She fought hard to get accepted ROTC and I'd hate to see that gone without a commission. I'm not sure she fully comprehends what could happen. Her dream was always to commission and I want to support her but also feel the need for her to understand that with this type of training and a certain injury that might not happen. I don't know enough about BAC just what I can Google.
 
She was selected to attend. Her major is psychology and is looking to branch med Serv. But she won't tell her command that she needs time to think about it. She's going with the flow and not sure she fully realizes the risk. She fought hard to get accepted ROTC and I'd hate to see that gone without a commission. I'm not sure she fully comprehends what could happen. Her dream was always to commission and I want to support her but also feel the need for her to understand that with this type of training and a certain injury that might not happen. I don't know enough about BAC just what I can Google.
As a medical officer, I highly recommend she NOT to go MS (unless she wants to be a pilot). The branch is insanely overstrength. I think a lot of people think it's something that it's not which prompts a lot of people to gravitate toward it.

ABN is up to her, in all honesty, she will probably be fine.
 
I am not an expert on military medicine, but most of my peers and I viewed Medical Service Corps as the HR and Program Management team for the Medical professionals (MD, PA, RN).
 
I am not an expert on military medicine, but most of my peers and I viewed Medical Service Corps as the HR and Program Management team for the Medical professionals (MD, PA, RN).
That may be true in the hospital but in tactical units, they command the aid stations. They are the ones who plan and execute casualty evacuations and lead and train the medics. They are in charge of the Docs and nurses (they are busy with patient care and are not well-trained on battlefield geometry) so MS makes the tactical decisions. It is a challenging job. Don't know about outside of tactical units but it is probably boring and admin-heavy.
 
That may be true in the hospital but in tactical units, they command the aid stations. They are the ones who plan and execute casualty evacuations and lead and train the medics. They are in charge of the Docs and nurses (they are busy with patient care and are not well-trained on battlefield geometry) so MS makes the tactical decisions. It is a challenging job. Don't know about outside of tactical units but it is probably boring and admin-heavy.
Thanks for the insight
 
She was selected to attend. Her major is psychology and is looking to branch med Serv. But she won't tell her command that she needs time to think about it. She's going with the flow and not sure she fully realizes the risk. She fought hard to get accepted ROTC and I'd hate to see that gone without a commission. I'm not sure she fully comprehends what could happen. Her dream was always to commission and I want to support her but also feel the need for her to understand that with this type of training and a certain injury that might not happen. I don't know enough about BAC just what I can Google.
So you are her mom and her training officer at the same time ? :)

And it’s mom not the future officer that is worried?
 
Back
Top