Contact @clarksonarmy above. There are plenty of NG and USAR units where you won't risk deployment. The number of Reserve Component Soldiers headed downrange is now minimal and mostly filled by volunteers. There is a sense developing in the ranks, AC and RC, that deployments are over and jump on whatever you can get.
ROTC/Reserve Units (Advice needed)
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I'm pretty sure that prevents the OP from going active duty, when they stated they wanted to do. Also stated they don't need the scholarship money.
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Minute man is going to take active duty off the table. Steer clear.
Plenty of young soldiers think they need the “experience”, but you will have plenty of opportunities just being a Cadet. And the experience of being an enlisted, non deployable, Cadet/reservist may not be what you think it is.
I would caution you to take all the advice on this thread with a grain of salt. You, your future PMS/ROO and hopefully your recruiter know you best and hopefully will point you in the best direction.
Plenty of young soldiers think they need the “experience”, but you will have plenty of opportunities just being a Cadet. And the experience of being an enlisted, non deployable, Cadet/reservist may not be what you think it is.
I would caution you to take all the advice on this thread with a grain of salt. You, your future PMS/ROO and hopefully your recruiter know you best and hopefully will point you in the best direction.
-Bull-
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Man do I wish that was true, my brigade is embarking on deployment #3 since I’ve been with them.... I do completely understand (and don’t disagree with) your point, though.
To the OP, heed Clarksons advice. Unless you deploy with the NG unit you join, you’re not going to have any more experience with it than you would doing 4 straight years of ROTC. Your experience will come, enjoy the time learning in the meantime. I’ve missed more life events in my family and friends lives in the past 4 years then I can even count, I’d probably trade a little of this experience for some of that.
Clarkson has given you the best information and answers to your question. His best advice is to talk with the ROTC cadre at the college you wish to attend, stop talking to the enlistment recruiter.
Remember that even though you are 100% sure you want to contract with ROTC, the decision is not yours to make, the cadre at your battalion will decide if they will contract you, while that can happen for SMP at the start of the sophomore year it's not a guarantee, it could take til the end of that year or if there's not enough slots it may never happen, then you're still obligated to the Reserves/NG.
Don't rush into anything, listen to Clarkson and talk with the ROTC Cadre to get the straight information on all your options. And again...Stop talking to the enlistment recruiters.
Remember that even though you are 100% sure you want to contract with ROTC, the decision is not yours to make, the cadre at your battalion will decide if they will contract you, while that can happen for SMP at the start of the sophomore year it's not a guarantee, it could take til the end of that year or if there's not enough slots it may never happen, then you're still obligated to the Reserves/NG.
Don't rush into anything, listen to Clarkson and talk with the ROTC Cadre to get the straight information on all your options. And again...Stop talking to the enlistment recruiters.
Day-Tripper
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US Army National Guard & Reserve SMP cadets cannot be deployed while in college. Guard/reserves needs officers more than they need enlisted personel right now.
ROTC/SMP cadets are obliged to serve for 8 years (long time!) after graduation & commissioning, so while the scholarship, monthly drill money & GI Bill money are a good deal, it requires a long commitment.
http://www.cadetcommand.army.mil/arng.aspx
While it's correct that a SMP cadet can't be deployed, cadets that join the Reserves/NG can be until they sign a contract. Enlisted Reserve/NG soldiers are not SMP until they sign a contract which is at the earliest the start of their sophomore year, sometimes longer. If someone joins the Reserve/NG and completes both BCT and AIT or OSUT and are MOS qualified, they will be deployable until they sign the contract to become SMP, being in college doesn't prevent them from being deployed unless they have signed the contract.
ROTC/SMP cadets are only required to serve 8 years in the Reserves/NG if the asses that route, if they asses Active Duty then they are obligated to 4 years AD and 4 years IRR. Of course if they accept the GRFD Scholarship then they would be obligated to the 8 year commitment.
Day-Tripper
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I could be wrong, but from what I've heard & read, ROTC/SMP officers who try to get active duty have a really hard time. Guard/Reserves doesn't want to lose the officers they've invested time & money in. Anyone thinking about going active duty through this route shouldn't be too over confident.
Karmylooking
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I'm not sure who's going to see this but the ROTC recruiter at my school is the one who suggested the Split Option for me, that's why I'm deciding to go this route. I've been talking to my school a ton about SMP/contracts and about possibility of being deployed and such and says they can work with the Reserve Unit. The enlistment recruiter didn't tell me any of this.
Karmylooking
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It's not that I think I need the experience. I just want to be able to go above and beyond and start my life now instead of later. The ROTC cadre at my school thinks it a feasible option for me. I've been gathering information from a lot of different people/sites. If it's not what I think it is, then what is it/like?
And while I understand that sentiment, that impatience very well could wind up biting you hard.
@clarksonarmy , @Jcleppe , @Day-Tripper , and myself have all said the same things multiple times-->
(1) SMP does not guarantee you an AD spot, and may make it harder to obtain an AD commission.
(2) If you do not successfully obtain an AD commission, you will still be committed to the ARNG or Reserves after graduation--as an enlisted soldier if you cannot find a commissioned spot in the ARNG/Reserves.
(3) If you are in the ARNG/Reserves, you will be deployable until you contract with ROTC.
(4) There is no guarantee you will contract with ROTC.
(5) You will have to spend time with your ARNG/Reserve unit while in school-- this eats into your availability for AROTC and reduces your competitiveness to contract.
(6) If you want enlisted experience and don't need college money, then enlist AD and serve a few years. If you want an active duty commission and don't need college money, then just be normal and only do AROTC.
(7) Basic, AIT, and Annual Training (2 weeks/year, remember?) all eat into ROTC and college time, delaying your commission and graduation dates.
SMP is a great program for folks already in the ARNG and Reserves that want to (a) get their degree done cheap or free, (b) get a commission, and (c) potentially want to go AD. Only "B" applies to you.
I'm not Army, but I've been in awhile. It's always best to go the logical, "normal" way about things when it comes to anything military, especially when you are dealing with training and accession. You will have plenty of wrenches thrown your way on your path to a commission. Is it really smart to deliberately complicate things for yourself before you even begin?
As I'm not Army, I'll leave my input there.
Karmylooking
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I'm not trying to complicate things like I was before when I wasn't sure of my options. As for the letters, potentially all 3 apply to me. I don't need the money but it would definitely be helpful. and I want to go AD if possible (I'm ok with RD as long as at some point I'm able to go AD). My school is working with me on everything, not my recruiter.
While I'm in school, its only 2 days a month. That doesn't nearly come close to eating away at my competitiveness at ROTC.
Just 2 cents.....
Drill is not always 2 days a month, sometimes they drill for 3 days, sometimes 4. National Guard has x-number of drill units they must complete in a year.
And you would be surprised how often that drill weekend falls on at a time when studying is needed for a test. Or how often that Friday drill falls on a test day.
2 weeks active training during the summer is not always during the summer and not always 2 weeks. DS did 3 weeks in January this past year.
Just food for thought.
Drill is not always 2 days a month, sometimes they drill for 3 days, sometimes 4. National Guard has x-number of drill units they must complete in a year.
And you would be surprised how often that drill weekend falls on at a time when studying is needed for a test. Or how often that Friday drill falls on a test day.
2 weeks active training during the summer is not always during the summer and not always 2 weeks. DS did 3 weeks in January this past year.
Just food for thought.
Karmylooking
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Well ok I do understand there is a lengthy process in order to transfer. And I do know its not always certain it's 2 days and 2 weeks.
I just feel like everyone is turning me away from this option (when plenty of college students do it) when it could just very well be possible. I know what I'm signing up for.
Your school may be working with you, but here is what I can say from my experience with SMP cadets.
First off, at the school I go to, our President is a retired Admiral from the Coast Guard. He worked with the National Guard unit that is stationed on our campus (the armory is literally on our campus), and made a deal with them to not deploy any students (whether SMP or enlisted) while they are here working full time on their degree.
For the most part, it's been good. But..
There are friends I know, who were with me last semester, and are now deployed for 6 months and won't see them again till the next fall semester. No matter what things are said, BIG Army has the say in the end.
Another thing I want to point out is that my cousin is doing the same path you are doing. He graduated high school the summer of 2017.
He is just now starting his first semester of college. Why? He was told by his recruiter that he would be able to go to basic and his AIT over the summer and into the fall. All he would have to give up is the fall semester.
This didn't happen. His basic was postponed till the spring of 2018, and he had to wait for AIT school until fall of 2018. After this semester of school, he found notice that he will deploy in the fall. After this, he still has another semester to complete his freshmen year in order to contract SMP for his sophomore semester. Which means, he still has a chance to deploy after his second semester next spring...
We graduated at the same time in high school. I will graduate college and commission 3 years ahead of him.
As far as drilling just 2 days a month... Granted this was all when my cousin wasn't in school, but over the winter,he wasn't able to come to family Christmas because he had drill. He's also told me he's missed a lot of fun things with friends, family, and everything else college students experience. From my perspective as a college student, it's a different life then high school. Typically courses are harder. You have to take care of yourself. Extracurriculars, work, family, ROTC, and everything in between can be encumbering. You'll be surprise what "just 2 days a month" will mean to you.
You also said you don't need the money, but it would be helpful. You can always get a job on campus whether it be work study, a waiter, or anything else. There are always opportunities to earn 3 or 2 year scholarships at your unit.
As far as service time and experience, reserve vs active duty service is very different, and I wouldn't necessarily compare one to the other.
I'm not going to reverberate what everyone else has already told you. You are choosing to serve, and that is very noble. Good luck on whatever path you choose to take.
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Not a guarantee and rarely happens.
You will be surprised how much this can effect things. 2 days a month doesn't seem like much now but as others have said the NG doesn't care if you have assignments due or you need to study or worse yet your in the middle of midterms or finals. College can be all consuming and missing 2 to 3 days every month may not seem like a lot now but it will when your actually in college. Being in SMP will give you minor points toward your OML, having that extra time to be involved more at school and ROTC can get you many more points not to mention more time needed to keep your grades up. All of this is what matters most when it comes to the OML and getting selected for AD or getting the Branch you want.
Remember as well, there is always the opportunity to get a Battalion Scholarship when the Battalion has them to offer. Show up the first Day of ROTC and get a great APFT, have good grades at midterm and you'll give yourself the opportunity to compete for one of those scholarship. That is off the table if you join the NG and go SMP.
As others have said, it sounds like you have made up your mind. You started this thread by asking for advice, you have received a lot, just take the time to really think about this decision. Best of luck to you.
Edit: Just read your post asking about running, hot showers, and tea. These are questions you should be asking those that you say are helping you with the process of enlisting.
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One last thing for future eyes. Every time you duck/defer a deployment as an SMP or reservist college student, you immediately pass that line on to someone else.
At the junior enlisted level, that could very well be the PFC who has deployed 2 of the past 2 times, just had his second kid, and will likely now lose his entry-level job when he gets back after 6 months (USERRA is fine, but you basically have to sue your employer to enforce it, which most junior enlisted can't/won't do). All because you're in college and he isn't.
At the junior enlisted level, that could very well be the PFC who has deployed 2 of the past 2 times, just had his second kid, and will likely now lose his entry-level job when he gets back after 6 months (USERRA is fine, but you basically have to sue your employer to enforce it, which most junior enlisted can't/won't do). All because you're in college and he isn't.
Karmylooking
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So basically what I’m being told is that this is not a good option at all even if it is possible and works out. My freshman year will consist of just college and ROTC, also.
It is not a bad option at all. It is just food for caution. You stated reasons that "I need to be non-deployable so I can finish college in 4 years then go active," and that you were "not doing this for the money, [you] have college paid for already." Those reasons leave us to believe that the BEST (not saying it should be) option for you is to just go to school, and do regular ROTC. This way, you are able to go to college full time without the POSSIBILITY of interruption (not considering other life events), and having a better chance at getting the active duty component.
The SMP option MIGHT work out. However, it also MIGHT not. Remember, the Army will get what they want from you first.
More than likely when you are in college or the real world, there will be hiccups. Some are for the better, and some for the worse. I don't mean to compare you to my cousin that much, but he did think along the lines of yours. He spoke with the recruiter, and he spoke with the school. It didn't pan out as he expected, but he is ok with it, because he does need the money to go to school and he does not have the passion to go active duty. In fact, he wants to stay in the Guard.
Take everyone's advice in this thread with a grain of salt. It may not be the answer you were wanting, but they are answers to your question(s).
The SMP option MIGHT work out. However, it also MIGHT not. Remember, the Army will get what they want from you first.
More than likely when you are in college or the real world, there will be hiccups. Some are for the better, and some for the worse. I don't mean to compare you to my cousin that much, but he did think along the lines of yours. He spoke with the recruiter, and he spoke with the school. It didn't pan out as he expected, but he is ok with it, because he does need the money to go to school and he does not have the passion to go active duty. In fact, he wants to stay in the Guard.
Take everyone's advice in this thread with a grain of salt. It may not be the answer you were wanting, but they are answers to your question(s).