if my DS' NJROTC instructor is correct, they cancelled the August board. Apparently NRC couldn't get enough officers to sit on the board in August.
Interesting on how different branches work. The AFROTC board is held at the AF HQ in Maxwell. Members of the board are not volunteer, it is actually a part of their job requirement.
The only thing that makes me quizzical is the last statement...
couldn't get enough officers to sit on the board...This does sound like a line of BS, because officers don't have an option, they are COMMANDED to sit on the board...regardless if it is a TDY or actual duty. They can't say...SORRY, I can't make it, unless their operational position takes precedence. Granted the Navy is fighting two wars like the Army and the AF, but neither of the other 2 branches canceled boards due to not getting enough officers to sit on a board. If anyone could play that card it would be the Army.
ROTC is a large component for every branch regarding officer recruitment, every branch has within their service a component that handles ROTC, it is not a go with the flow, willy nilly aspect within the Navy as your JROTC instructor is implying via the "couldn't get enough officers" comment.
I think the real reason is with the intended drawdown from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Navy is mimicking their sister branches and trying to strategically plan manpower in this economic downturn, thus, the boards will occur less frequently.
For lurkers or candidates/parents of candidates it is important to understand the military make up. The military has a set ratio of officer to enlisted. Within the officer rank, there is a set Flag to Field to Company. ROTC/OCS is the wild card. SA's are expected to graduate a number, ROTC/OCS will fill up the remaining amount. IF the military reduces personnel size, Officers will be hit too. They will cut from every level to create the ratio...ROTC/OCS will be in their bulls eye sight because they can close this pipeline down the fastest without doing great damage. There is a large push for reducing the DOD budget, and one way to do so is to release the AD members based on the draw down of Iraq.
I am being honest, what I am seeing now with the NROTC and the AROTC is shadowing what occurred with the AFROTC in the past 2 yrs. This also occurred in 92...AF was the first to RIF, within 18 months Navy and Army followed suit. 10 will get you 20 Navy is doing this to close the valve. This is a preemptive strike before they are forced to do a RIF