<p>If I was looking to be in the military, but for purposes of scientific research for the military, would West Point be a good place to start? Specifically in mathematics or physics, although I don't know how big a field there would be for that for the military. With more and more laser technology though, I suppose it's viable.</p>
<p>Basically, could I be a cadet at West Point without having to ever see combat? Not minding the rigorous physical demands there, but just to be able to serve the military in a scientific point of view.</p>
<p>“Basically, could I be a cadet at West Point without having to ever see combat?”</p>
<p>Not a good point of view to begin a career in the MILITARY. You would be best served by attending college elsewhere. Like asking, “Could I be an auto mechanic without having to ever get my hands dirty?”</p>
<p>Not many folks WANT to see combat, in fact, 9 out of 10 soldiers agree, they would rather not have to go to war and be shot at, blown up or anything in between. But they do it because it’s part of the job. Sounds like you want something else without having to get your hands dirty. Not a good way to begin a career in the MILITARY. Do folks do it? All the time. There is a word for that. Coward.</p>
<p>If you’re a cadet at West Point and commissioned as an officer upon graduation, no one can guaranty that you won’t see combat or be involved in combat. Even those assigned to “non-combat” branches may be stationed near the front lines or in a facility that might be a target. Doesn’t sound to me that West Point would be a good choice for you.</p>
<p>Also admissions seems uber-competitive, and there are probably dozens of people like you who would be willing to go into combat (West Point probably interviews, right?). I think you also have to pass a decently intense physical to get in, though I may be confusing myself with other military academies. Not that you couldn’t pass it with a bit of training, but would you like too? </p>
<p>Anyways I’m sure if you like go to an academic school of West Point’s caliber and study math/physics and then maybe get a masters in engineering you’d be a pretty good candidate for a lot of the military engineering jobs, though you’re route to get such a job might be harder than if you went to a military academy directly.</p>
<p>Also for the people I know their path to seriously attending a military academy started before junior year, so if you’re an incoming senior it may be too late to get in. Like you may have to get a special rec from a congressman or something? Or is that a different military academy.</p>
<p>To answer your question, I’ll give you a little background info on what it seems your interesting. People who do research and are in the army, generaly fall into eith the Aquisitions FA(functional area) or operationsResearch FA. FA’s are areas in the military that officers and enlisted personel transfer into after having served in the Army for some time (officers can transfer when they are senior captains after their company command usually, 6-8 years into their service). They transfer from one of the branches of the Army and it is very competitive. Even if you branched a combat support or combat service support branch (the branches that have missions other than combat), your chances of seeing combat in the type of war we are currently fighting are still substantial. From the question you asked, I beleive you would be better served going to a civilian school and then either becoming a contactor for the military as a civilian or work in a DoD posistion to do that job without 6-8 years of military service beforehand doing not working in the field you truly want to work in. These non-military personael make up a signifigant part of the research fields in the Army in this day in age.</p>
Bingo! Probably the only person in this thread that has any idea of what he/she is talking about! Even then, FA branching is rather complex that even I don’t know all the answers to that.</p>