USMA lengthens service obligation to 6 yrs??

s-xuer

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Oct 4, 2018
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I received my appointment to USMA 2024 yesterday. LGT Williams's letter, sent along with the BFE, says "Graduates are obligated to serve on Active duty as Army officers for at least six years after graduation."

Do other people have to same wording on their appointment letter? I have not had news about USMA changing its 5 yr active, 3 yr IRR obligation until reading the LTG's letter. Is this a typo, or has the active duty obligation actually been changed?

I'm still signing up tho even if it's 6 years. I just wanna know what's up. Thanks.

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It's new. Some of you will receive a letter that says 6 years, others will receive a letter that says 5 years. Talk to your FFR if you have questions.
What determines that a particular candidate’s service commitment is 6 years?
 
It's new. Some of you will receive a letter that says 6 years, others will receive a letter that says 5 years. Talk to your FFR if you have questions.
So since mine says 5 that will be accurate?
 
Yes, again. Some will be chosen, others will not. The appointment will only be valid if you agree to the terms of the service obligation you are offered and accept. (Now, how are they going to track that 9-10 years from now? Who knows.)
 
Yes, again. Some will be chosen, others will not. The appointment will only be valid if you agree to the terms of the service obligation you are offered and accept. (Now, how are they going to track that 9-10 years from now? Who knows.)
Easy with computer systems...
However if recent system performance is any indicator of future operating effectiveness, you have nothing to worry about!
 
You should follow the advice of @DrMom. Your field force representative has the most up to date information to have that discussion with you. All candidates should thoroughly read their appointment letters. For an item like this, you should go to your official contacts and not an anonymous forum.
 
Go to the source. Ask the source for clarification. Do not sign unless and until you are confident you understand and know the terms and requirements
 
This is downright shady, I'm sorry. Kids have planned their entire approach to applying to schools under a certain understanding that had not changed for years and even through this year's application date. It would have been one thing to say this would be changing on 6/30 of last year so kids could decide if they wanted to ED somewhere for ROTC or go for another service academy or whatever. This is a consequential change and I don't think anyone should say, well if you want to serve, it shouldn't matter. It does matter.
I have no problem with it being 6 years, I think that's a fair commitment given the education you're receiving. But that news shouldn't be broken to you when you get your appointment, and to some kids but not others?!
That's bizarre.
 
As a parent, this seems a very significant change. My daughter would not have thought so when applying. The disparity in terms does not sit well and seems destined to become a problem. I’d be interested to know if any LOA recipients have been given a 6 year obligation, or if being a highly sought after candidate exempts from the 6 year commitment, or increases the likelihood of same. I’d also be interested in seeing whether the rate of attendance at USMA changes with respect to those given a longer commitment obligation. If not, the needs of the army. . . .
 
Whoa! I feel like this is big news!

Another piece of it is the “marketing “ piece. For example, our MOC’s have on their Nomination pages the usual stuff about applying : ‘the best and the brightest, fully funded education, blah blah blah....IN EXCHANGE FOR 5 yrs of service upon commissioning’. That 5 years is posted everywhere.

Very interesting. I’m with those above that this seems ‘shady’ Also no problem with 6 years personally. But to just slip it in there, when it’s both generally understood and (at least in our case) printed that one is applying with a 5 year commitment? That’s not right. And to have it be a random (or pre-selected) appointee, vs everyone? Wow.

How many FFR/ROO’s (I’m usna, are these the correct terms?) maybe even SAY 5 years in their convo’s?

Curious what our forum “elders” think of this.

And YES, kuddos to OP for reading the fine print!
 
In reality there is little difference between a five and six year commitment. Assignment timing really has a lot to do with exactly have long you actually serve. For example, after you graduate you will attend branch specific schools and you will most likely not end up at your first unit assignment until about six months after graduation or later depending on the branch schooling requirement. Then you start a 3 year tour where you gain experience as a platoon leader, company XO, battalion staff officer, specialty platoon leader, etc. After that first tour you have anywhere from 3 1/2 to 5 years time in service. The next step in officer education is typically a branch career course which is usually 4-6 more months. If after your first tour, you indicate to your branch that you are most likely going to get out then the Army will determine if they have a need to for you to fill for the rest of your commitment. These positions are often on installation staff or a schoolhouse position that can be a dead-end assignment for a more career minded officer. If no Army need exists, they may just let you go, because there is no reason to invest in further training for an officer that is not staying in. What the commitment agreement does is put the government in charge of telling you when they do not need you any longer
 
If I'm not mistaken, service post-Academy is determined somewhere Congressionally (ie in a law). I'd be surprised if they could pull a recruiter-type move at the last minute, and for some but not all (although as noted elsewhere there have been plenty of unannounced mid-stream changes this cycle...). We are a military family so long term service is not the issue. Maybe there is a JAG on here who can shed some light out of curiosity? DS already accepted so not even sure if he noticed any change (if he had one) in his excitement.
 
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