What Are My Chances?

Attitude about serving

Ballsy,

I thought I would share with you what I think is the proper attitude for someone who is looking to join ROTC and eventually lead soldiers. If this is not the attitude you're going in with then it might make sense to pursue a different plan, or at least look into yourself to see if you can develop this attitude.

I borrowed this from a scholarship application essay I had the pleasant opportunity to review. I think this portion of the essay sums it up well...

...My determination, dedication, and proven ability to lead individuals to reach their potential, are character traits and skills that I believe make me a prime candidate to serve my country as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Although I would prefer an infantry MOS, with the ultimate goal of serving in MARSOC, I will do my best to ensure I am a capable Lieutenant regardless of assignment; striving to lead those Marines under me with tenacity and vigour...

I hope you find it helpful.
 
ballsy,

If you get into ROTC, getting into MI as a Branch, at least this past year, took:

- Top 20% of the National OML, which was top 31% of the AD OML, without using ADSO.
- From 31.1% AD OML - 40% AD OML -- use 3 yr. extended Active Duty contract (ADSO) to get MI
- From 40.1% - 49.9% Top Half dead zone, no chance for MI.
- From 50% AD OML to 77% AD OML a cadet can buy into MI by using ADSO: that is, increasing his/her Active Duty Service Obligation from 4 yrs. to 7 years in exchange for getting the Branch of MI.
- From 77.1% AD OML - 100% AD OML, Bottom Half Dead Zone, no chance for MI.

Next year could be very different, and in 2019, the year you would do the Branching request, it could be completely different.

On the other hand, you could decide that the Transportation Branch is what floats your boat, and the good news there is that you could have been 78% in the AD OML to Branch that way without using ADSO. Or you could hit the jackpot and fall in love with Ordnance or Chemical Branches, and get either without ADSO up to 97% on the AD OML.
 
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Another way to increase the chance of getting the MI Branch, Volunteer for a Branch Detail. There were cadets that were in that dreaded Dead Zone that were able to get MI by Branch Detailing to branches such as Chem Corps, Infantry, and others. The slides don't always show these details.
 
I don't want to rehash the other relevant posts that others have made but here are some pointers for future posts.

1. For anonymity reasons and as a hopeful applicant don't go around posting your name especially on a forum.

2. You are what? 16? Before you go throwing around "bull****" or repeating what one FBI agent or GS employee stated please use some discretion with regard to your possible audience. Most of the posters here are very experienced in their respective fields and I am near the bottle of that group sitting at just 23 years old. Once again you are 16 and still in high school at that. Idealism is fine, but this forum is dedicated people who want to serve and future civilian goals 15 years down the road won't sit well here especially when you haven't even stepped foot in college yet.

3. Please use the search feature I have scanned some of your posts and can confirm that most of what you asked or stated can be found in the last few pages of this sub-forum

4. Before posting next time or joining any forum for that matter it is important to lurk for a while. I don't know if you have done this or not but lurking is an excellent way to grasp the "culture" of a forum. I would like to think this forum has a more professional/matter of fact culture as opposed to a gaming or sports audience.
 
I don't have any military experience nor any with ROTC so I will defer those who know a great deal more than I do about those topics. That said their comments, advice, and counsel seems absolutely spot on. What I do have more than 25 years of experience in is the field of federal civilian law enforcement. As you prepare for the future remember that hiring in the federal civilian sector tends to be feast or famine. By that I mean the agencies are usually hiring a lot of people or spending several years hiring nobody. Getting a good education is important. I've worked with an agent with a PhD from MIT and other agents who didn't have that pedigre. Some had military experience, some didn't. Some had previous local, country, state, or federal law enforcement experience, and some didn't. Have some plans B, C, and D. If you ended up on active duty and left the service it might be during one of the 'famine' times, so you might have do something else for 1, 2, or 3+ years; maybe teaching, maybe selling insurance, maybe being a cop (an old street guy myself I think that is great preparation). Hiring for the major federal investigative agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and Secret Service is also complicate by the requirement to have a completed clearance before you start training - that really slows things down as well. Special Agents of the FBI and Secret Service are not allowed to maintain a status in the Reserve and National Guard forces. Good luck.
 
Ballsy,

It is good you are reaching out for information on this forum, that is what it is here for. It is also good you are reaching out to other resouces and talking about the future. I think you learned a great lesson young servicemen and women learn quickly, you never know who are talking to out of uniform, so always keep it clean and professional until you do know. That is especially true on this forum.

You contradict yourself on why you want to serve. You have mentioned you feel obligated to serve because of family tradition and that you think MI would be a good path into the FBI. Couple of things you need to realize... If you do not have a clear passion to be an officer, regardlesss of branch, do not join ROTC. Yes it may pay for school and help guide you to future career choices, but the bottom line is, if you do not want to be an officer your troops will know and it will show in your performance and you will be miserable. kinnem posted a great line from an application essay, unless you are willing to do anything in the Army, do not join. There is no guarantee you will get MI. You must be willing to accept and be happy being selected for any branch. It is only four years, but if you are not happy 4 years can be a lifetime. It can also show in your performance and could cost your life or one or more of your soldier's lives.

I have probably close to 15 friends who are now federal agents. Most are FBI. Remember there is no guarantee you will work intelligence in the FBI. You will be an FBI agent who could be sent to any place in the US and do anything. Yes with an intel background you will probably specialize in that, but you never know what you may up doing as it is the needs of the FBI, you may get promoted or decide you will accept location over job in your career.

If you truly decide you want to be an officer and serve in the Army, regardless of Branch, then by all means apply and best of luck.
 
If you do not have a clear passion to be an officer, regardlesss of branch, do not join ROTC. .
While I think this is generally good advice, I think ROTC understands that some future cadets may not be completely sure that serving as an Army Officer is what they want. How can they be sure when they haven't ever BEEN an Army Officer? One of the things ROTC does for an MSI is lay out a lot of what it IS about, and give that Scholarship MSI a full year to make sure they understand what they're getting into. If OP wants to become an Officer for the wrong reason, that will become clear in MSI year. On the other hand, he could enter ROTC for the wrong reason, and develop the RIGHT reason while an MSI, and become passionate about it for reasons other than honoring a family tradition (which isn't such a bad reason).
 
While I think this is generally good advice, I think ROTC understands that some future cadets may not be completely sure that serving as an Army Officer is what they want. How can they be sure when they haven't ever BEEN an Army Officer? One of the things ROTC does for an MSI is lay out a lot of what it IS about, and give that Scholarship MSI a full year to make sure they understand what they're getting into. If OP wants to become an Officer for the wrong reason, that will become clear in MSI year. On the other hand, he could enter ROTC for the wrong reason, and develop the RIGHT reason while an MSI, and become passionate about it for reasons other than honoring a family tradition (which isn't such a bad reason).

Definitely agree. This is why the Academies give two years without a committment. I know a guy that went to an academy for the education with the idea of serving 5 years and getting out. He recently retired with 23 years of service. I had a high school classmate that was going to be a career Naval Officer and he left USNA after one year.
 
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