Army ROTC

[Burgham 18]

Hey guys,

 

So I'm currently a freshman in college as some of you may know. I currently have difficulty paying for college do to just not getting too many scholarships and not having that much money from my family. So college is really expensive for me. Prior to high school graduation I was interested in enlisting in the US Army, but do to miscommunication between the recruiters and I, I decided not to join the Army. However, now that I'm in college, I'm thinking it won't be that bad of to at least look into Army ROTC at my university. If anyone who has been in the military, currently serving or veterans, or any one going through ROTC currently want to give advice on this idea, I'd very much appreciate it. 

[Ironic 2278]

I’d only do ROTC if you want to become an officer. It really is a great opportunity, but being an officer you have a lot of responsibility, and you also are mainly going to be on a desk job, helping lead your unit, not actually doing the work. If that makes sense.

Theres other ways the military can help pay for college without going the ROTC route (like for instance, in my state the Army and Air Force National Guard pay 100% free tuition to any instate college!)

[Ruffles 731]

I am enlisted in the air national guard. The benefits for schooling are pretty spectacular. 

[Burgham 18]

@Ironic & @Ruffles I heard that NG/Reserves were a trap? That they sound too good to be true? Your opinions?

[waffles 811]

If you're willing to commit to going in to a branch of the service for a few years after college its not a bad gig.  I had some friends who went that route.

[ESDaman 73]

If all you're after is college money, then the guard is the best option for you. Sign a 6 year term. leave for basic+training (3-12 months depending on job).

Then get back and go to school while working one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer for the guard.

My state isn't 100%. Depending on how many people apply for the benefit will dictate the percentage you receive.

 

OR

 

You will get a lot more money if you go active, BUT you'll either have to put school off for the enlistment term, or work full time AND go to school. I've also heard of breaks you can take in service to knock things like that out, but I can't speak to that. (I personally wouldn't go active if your only interest is getting school paid for)

[Ironic 2278]

12 hours ago, Burgham said:

@Ironic & @Ruffles I heard that NG/Reserves were a trap? That they sound too good to be true? Your opinions?

Not sure who told you that, but it's not true. I'm in the Air National Guard, and have been for a year and a half. It hasn't been bad at all. The only thing you have to remember is even though you're Guard, the Military is still your number one priority, so you can still be called for deployments, help in natural disasters, and have to go on TDY's for extra training. Even with all of that, I think Guard is the best option if you're looking to go to college for free, or very close to free.

I'm currently in Tech School, but once I get out I'm serving around 6 months (maybe less depending if my base doesn't have all the funding) of OJT (On The Job Training, AKA full time at my base) then I'm hoping to start college this next fall, and I'll actually be making money going to college with all the benefits I'll be receiving through the Air Guard.

[nothing_but_fail 484]

if you want to serve in the military, yes

 

[driz 2626]

On 11/17/2017 at 11:27 PM, Ironic said:

I’d only do ROTC if you want to become an officer. It really is a great opportunity, but being an officer you have a lot of responsibility, and you also are mainly going to be on a desk job, helping lead your unit, not actually doing the work. If that makes sense.

Theres other ways the military can help pay for college without going the ROTC route (like for instance, in my state the Army and Air Force National Guard pay 100% free tuition to any instate college!)

this kid has some misconceptions and is either extremely new to the military or works with the airforce (or worse, air guard). As a junior officer that doesnt go into MI, AG, or Finance, you will likely be in the field fairly regularly. You will lead troops and have (compared to civilian counterparts) a significant amount of responsibility. If you want a desk job in the Army as an officer, I wish you luck

17 hours ago, ESDaman said:

If all you're after is college money, then the guard is the best option for you. Sign a 6 year term. leave for basic+training (3-12 months depending on job).

Then get back and go to school while working one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer for the guard.

My state isn't 100%. Depending on how many people apply for the benefit will dictate the percentage you receive.

 

OR

 

You will get a lot more money if you go active, BUT you'll either have to put school off for the enlistment term, or work full time AND go to school. I've also heard of breaks you can take in service to knock things like that out, but I can't speak to that. (I personally wouldn't go active if your only interest is getting school paid for)

if you're just fishing for free $$$ the guard probably is the best option. That said I have had guard units with me plenty of times in the combat zone and as you might expect of personnel who play army 1 weeks a month, they're not very good at their jobs. This translates to a shitty deployment typically speaking but sometimes you get lucky and get a chill deployment, it's a gamble. If you're lucky enough to get into a guard (or reserve) unit that doesn't deploy while you're in, then have fun! prior to 9/11 most guard drill weekends just involved drinking and shooting "guns"

 

I'm relatively certain only @ChosenOne2000 and myself have completed Army ROTC (or any other ROTC program for that matter) in sG.  So i suggest taking anything these guys say with a grain of salt.

 

That said, if you go the Army ROTC route, 1) you'll get school paid for 2) you learn valuable leadership skills 3) you COULD get your masters and/or doctoral degrees paid for completely 4) the pay is fairly decent . Coming out of the military as an officer, you'll have equivalent management experience that you would expect from the Assistant Vice President level in the civilian world (but realistically, much more, just dont tell the hiring manager that) 

 

If you go into the guard, reserves, or active duty with the expectation that you're just getting free money and won't have to do anything, it's a gamble. Maybe you do your 4 and never deploy, maybe you deploy for 3 of those years.. who knows. good luck, if you join, don't be a shitbag. 

[ChosenOne2000 4440]

ROTC is a great officer producing program. Without spamming links, I'll just say there are avenues to obtain free education through every branch and component of the military. You have to choose what fits your interests and lifestyle. As @driz stated, there are very few INFORMED options about ROTC on the forums. @UltaPonch is an AFROTC grad and former AF pilot now Finance Officer. If you're lucky, he might make an appearance to provide AFROTC guidance.  

 

Edit: OK, one link

 

ROTC allowed me to study Leeroy Jenkins for a living  

 

[Ironic 2278]

1 hour ago, driz said:

this kid has some misconceptions and is either extremely new to the military or works with the airforce (or worse, air guard). As a junior officer that doesnt go into MI, AG, or Finance, you will likely be in the field fairly regularly. You will lead troops and have (compared to civilian counterparts) a significant amount of responsibility. If you want a desk job in the Army as an officer, I wish you luck

Maybe it's just Air Force then (or Air Guard), but I never see our officers out doing the actual job. For instance, there's not a single officer out at my Fire Station on base. It's all enlisted, we do have an officer over us in the Civil Engineering compartment, but he only pops in every now and then to see how things are going. This is also why one of my cadre's (kind of a Drill Instructor) at Basic told us he never wanted to be an officer either is because they're normally office desk jobs. I'm not saying all of them are, but this is just from what I've seen here in the Air Force side of things. I'm not Army, so maybe they're different.

 

https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/become-an-officer/army-officer-faqs.html

 

"WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENLISTED AND OFFICER?

Enlisted Soldiers are the backbone of the Army. They have specific specialties within an Army unit. Officers act as managers to those Soldiers. They plan missions, give orders, and assign Soldiers to tasks."

[driz 2626]

1 hour ago, Ironic said:

Maybe it's just Air Force then (or Air Guard), but I never see our officers out doing the actual job. For instance, there's not a single officer out at my Fire Station on base. It's all enlisted, we do have an officer over us in the Civil Engineering compartment, but he only pops in every now and then to see how things are going. This is also why one of my cadre's (kind of a Drill Instructor) at Basic told us he never wanted to be an officer either is because they're normally office desk jobs. I'm not saying all of them are, but this is just from what I've seen here in the Air Force side of things. I'm not Army, so maybe they're different.

 

https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/become-an-officer/army-officer-faqs.html

 

"WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENLISTED AND OFFICER?

Enlisted Soldiers are the backbone of the Army. They have specific specialties within an Army unit. Officers act as managers to those Soldiers. They plan missions, give orders, and assign Soldiers to tasks."

 

i appreciate that you went and googled what an officer does, however, who do you think leads/manages/assigns and gives orders to a team? a team leader (enlisted)  squad? a squad leader (enlisted) to a platoon? a platoon sergeant (enlisted).. in fact, there is an enlisted "manager" every step of the way up from e3 to e9. Officers do the same thing, just with more authority. that all said, are there shitbag officers who don't participate? yep. same as there are shitbag JCS in sG who do nothing ( )  

 

chosen was out running medevac ops on the ground with his troops, i led missions personally throughout both deployments with my troops as an O1, an O2, and an O3. If my Soldiers had an op, you can bet your ass I was there along with my peers leading the efforts. Prior to leading the effort, i planned the mission, gave the orders and assigned tasks to my senior enlisted.. then they gave orders and assigned tasks (and sometimes planned their mission within the constraints of my directives) to their Soldiers. company grade officers typically participate (excluding the guard and reserves from what is "typical")

 

That said, as a Paratrooper, my interactions with the air force were limited to the load masters (enlisted) and the pilots (officers) i saw them both doing their job every airborne op i went on.  That said, the AF is run more like a corporation, so it is more likely to see even junior officers behind a desk. 

 

either way, for the sake of those actually interested in joining, perhaps limit commentary about what is what to the things you have experience with. I would never challenge you on what enlisted airmen do in the air guard, and i would expect that you would refrain from offering input on what army officers do. It's the serious discussions thread after all...

[ChosenOne2000 4440]

6 hours ago, Ironic said:

This is also why one of my cadre's (kind of a Drill Instructor) at Basic told us he never wanted to be an officer either is because they're normally office desk jobs.

In one of my 137 ground MEDEVAC missions as a junior officer (from my first deployment), the indirect fire was so..."direct" I lost the majority of my hearing and had to wear hearing aids for 5 years until enough of the scar tissue healed. I have a COMBAT medical badge from one of my easier deployments and I belong to an admittedly soft branch...

 

I'm saying all this to say, lets not insinuate 3rd party statements as facts please.

[Burgham 18]

Hey guys, I want to thank you for all the inputs everyone has given me. I'm currently filling out the packet for AROTC for my univeristy, and will probably, if everything goes well, leave in December for Basic and AIT after that. I feel like this is best for me, because honestly I don't have  the money for university without help like this. Oregon's NG is uncapped, so it's full tuition assistance, which sounds really nice. I'll let you guys know more as more comes up. 

[ChosenOne2000 4440]

1 hour ago, Burgham said:

Hey guys, I want to thank you for all the inputs everyone has given me. I'm currently filling out the packet for AROTC for my univeristy, and will probably, if everything goes well, leave in December for Basic and AIT after that. I feel like this is best for me, because honestly I don't have  the money for university without help like this. Oregon's NG is uncapped, so it's full tuition assistance, which sounds really nice. I'll let you guys know more as more comes up. 

Did you apply for an ROTC scholarship?

[Burgham 18]

@ChosenOne2000 I'm applying for it. Doesn't mean I have it yet. But I'm positive I will be accepted.

[ChosenOne2000 4440]

GPA, varsity sports, captain of teams, volunteer work, etc? ROTC scholarships are very competitive. Good luck to you.

[UltaPonch 80]

I'm an Air Force officer that went the Air Force ROTC route. If you are going to college I would highly recommend going the officer route. Army ROTC scholarships are typically much more obtainable than Air Force. The Air Force scholarships are much more geared towards technical degrees. 

https://www.afrotc.com/scholarships

Medical degrees have been lucrative in the past for both ROTCs but I can't talk to right now.

 

It sounds like you are enrolling in the army national guard as well as ROTC. I would recommend researching all the requirements associated with that option. You may end up having to deploy during your time at college and also enter national guard service when you graduate. If you go the Active Duty route instead, you would have a full time job when you graduate.

 

A big thing to remember with all ROTC programs is that you may not get an initial scholarship but your academic and physical performance can get you scholarships at the 1 semester or 1 year mark.

 

Most important question is what do you want to do as a job when you graduate?

You are AT LEAST going to be required to serve 4 years in a career in either branch. 

Air Force has much more technical officer jobs (You can also easily go aircrew right now). 

 

If you have any specific questions ill be happy to answer them mah man.

On 11/19/2017 at 8:29 PM, Ironic said:

Maybe it's just Air Force then (or Air Guard), but I never see our officers out doing the actual job. For instance, there's not a single officer out at my Fire Station on base. It's all enlisted, we do have an officer over us in the Civil Engineering compartment, but he only pops in every now and then to see how things are going. This is also why one of my cadre's (kind of a Drill Instructor) at Basic told us he never wanted to be an officer either is because they're normally office desk jobs. I'm not saying all of them are, but this is just from what I've seen here in the Air Force side of things. I'm not Army, so maybe they're different.

 

https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/become-an-officer/army-officer-faqs.html

 

"WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENLISTED AND OFFICER?

Enlisted Soldiers are the backbone of the Army. They have specific specialties within an Army unit. Officers act as managers to those Soldiers. They plan missions, give orders, and assign Soldiers to tasks."

Depends on the AFSC, Aircrew officers are actually doing the mission. Maintenance officers are typically running around doing active leadership on the ground. SF officers are usually running around the field as company grade officers (2LT-Capt). Civil Engineering officers are typically doing a lot of management (I'm in my masters program with CE officers), they need to be technically educated to review and approve work.

 

Chosen was an AROTC grad that was running around Iraq getting shot at....and managing troops.

[Burgham 18]

@UltaPonch Thanks for the in-depth response I got from you, I really appreciate it. I'm going to answer your few questions/comments you had. 

 

1. I want to work the State Department later on in life, because I really want to be apart of US foreign policy. 

 

I also do understand that it is a four year long stint even after graduation, I am fine with that. 

 

I'm not planning on going into a technical/STEM major. Doing a International Relations & Political Science double major, do to this being able to help me with my career goals later on. 

 

If you wanna probe me anymore and try and get to understand what I want to do by doing this just ask. I know I might not be conveying my message in the best way. 

[driz 2626]

gotta necro this, rotc obligations are 8 years

 

active duty is 4x4 (4active and 4 more in either active, rr, or irr)

reserve is 4 yrs rr and then 4rr or 4irr

 

check your contracts!

[ChosenOne2000 4440]

To add to this:

 

ALL military enlistments/ commissions are 8 years with the breakdown in the above post.

[slyfox 202]

I'm in AFROTC and I love the program.  Yea it can be a hassle but the people I've met and the future I will have really keeps me going. Totally worth it to at least try ROTC for a semester.