Texas A&M

[TexasSoccerMom]

DS just got back from an overnight visit to A&M with the corps. Son was accepted to school of engineering there. He's applied to USAFA, has congressional nomination and is awaiting his fate.

He's working on his plan B. What are others experiences there? Has anyone went to A&M and reapplied to academies and received an appointment? Any opinions/recommendations about Air Force ROTC there?

Thank you in advance! Please comment or PM with any info. I am using search feature too looking through site as well.

 

[Lawman32RPD]

You can't go wrong either place, or really, at any of the SMC's. I don't know about people who have been at A&M and then reapplied to an academy but I am confident that it happens. I did not attend A&M but our daughter did four years in the Corps there and our son is a junior in the Corps there. The Air Force units tend to be science heavy and very interested in grades. Squadron 20 used to be "pre-professional" so many there wanted to go medical or vet school and really concentrated on grades. The Air Force ROTC unit there is well respected. I am on the road but will try to dig up facts and figures. That said, the incoming President of Texas A&M Galveston went to A&M and was an astronaut. There was a fly over of some F-22s at one of the games, two of the pilots were USAF academy graduates, one was from Penn State ROTC, and one was from A&M's ROTC. I think everyone who wanted get a UTC slot did so last year. Like I said give me some time and I'll dig around and get the data to share. Your son will shine wherever he goes, and receive a great education anywhere. There are upsides and downsides to every school. Congratulations. JGC

 

[Lawman32RPD]

This is from last years (spring 2016) end of the year report from the Commandant of A&M Corps of Cadets, as it relates to the ROTC programs at A&M:


ROTC Programs
Our Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine ROTC programs work hard year-round to guarantee that those cadets seeking a commission receive the best training possible for their path to commission. This year, our outstanding ROTC Programs achieved some significant honors and accomplishments:

ARMY

• The Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team placed first out of all Army ROTC teams in the nation and seventh out of 58 teams competing internationally at the prestigious Sandhurst competition held at the United States Military Academy. This marks the third consecutive first place finish for Texas A&M Army ROTC, and the third top seven finish after placing fourth last year at the Sandhurst Competition.
• Army ROTC is on pace to commission up to 95 2LTs this year with 19 Cadets distinguishing themselves as Distinguished Military Graduates and 97% of Cadets earning one of their top three Military Specialties of choice.
• 249 cadre and cadets will participate in Army summer training this year. Over 20 cadets were selected for highly competitive military schools such as the Special Forces Combat Dive School, Airborne & Air Assault School, as well as acting as platoon leaders in active duty Army units throughout the United States, the Pacific, and Europe. 29 cadets were selected for language and training immersion experiences abroad in over 10 different countries. 10 Cadets were selected for prestigious internships through U.S. Army Cadet Command in various organizations, to include the Corps of Engineers, National Security Agency, and Army Medical Command. Over 40 cadets will attend basic and advanced military training at Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Leonard Wood Missouri and Fort Jackson South Carolina this summer.
• Cadet Daniel Stevenson ’16 received the George C. Marshall Award as the outstanding Army ROTC cadet of the year at the Army Cadet Command George C. Marshall Awards & Leadership Seminar, hosted at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia.
• The Army ROTC program’s commitment to academic achievement remains steadfast with back to back semesters of their cadets posting above a 3.0 GPA – well ahead of the university average.

AIR FORCE

• Air Force ROTC commissioned 45 officers in Fiscal Year 2015, the most of any of the 145 AFROTC Detachments in the nation.
• For the second straight year, 100 % of the cadets nominated (58 of 58) were selected to attend Air Force Summer Field Training. There were 6 Distinguished Graduates/6 Superior Performers at 2015 Field Training.
• Texas A&M Air Force ROTC cadets achieved a 100% selection rate for rated categorization (Pilot, Combat Systems Officer, Air Battle Manager, Remotely Piloted Aircraft).
• The entire Air Force ROTC cadet wing, 500+ cadets, posted a 3.01 Term GPA, with approximately 60% of cadets in STEM majors; Senior AFROTC cadets earned an average GPA of 3.39.
• 11 cadets were hired for engineering research as part of a national research program with visibility at the highest levels of the U.S. government. One cadet each was chosen for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) internship, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory internship, and Advanced Course in Engineering internship.
• Texas A&M Air Force ROTC Detachment 805 was named the Best Detachment in the US Southwest Region for the second straight year and was also named the #1 AFROTC Detachment among all AFROTC Detachments nation-wide for 2015.
• Several AFROTC cadets were selected for key leadership positions in the Corps next year: Corps Commander; Aggie Band Commander; 2 of 3 Major Unit Commanders; and 6 of 13 Outfit Commanders.

NAVY/MARINE

• Texas A&M NROTC will commission 41 US Navy Ensigns and US Marine Corps Second Lieutenants in Fiscal Year 2016.
• Texas A&M NROTC exceeded the Naval Service Training Command nuclear accession quota for the second year in a row, boasting six nuclear officers and a 100% pass rate during the nuclear propulsion interview for all qualified candidates.
• Texas A&M NROTC is sending 86 Midshipmen on summer 2016 training, including US Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training, US Marine Corps Officer Candidate School, and US Navy ships and shore facilities worldwide.
• NROTC Battalion scholarship students posted a fall 2015 semester GPA of 3.13.
• Naval Service Training Command selected Texas A&M NROTC’s Senior Enlisted Leader, MSgt Victor Ortiz, as the ‘2015 Marine of the Year’ among 74 highly-competitive NROTC Units nationwide.