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<p>Welcome, merkur. Can you explain a little more about what you mean by the emphasis on Reserve?</p>
<p>Hi all. I’m glad I stumbled upon this thread. I have not read through all of it yet, but I will.</p>
<p>Hyeonjlee, your post on the benefits of choosing a military path echo our thoughts exactly.</p>
<p>Our son entered NJROTC when he began high school. His decision to do so was a bit of a surprise as we never discussed the military with him up to that point and are not a military family. We never would have guessed that his love for dodgeball, armed drill, orienteering, and air rifle would give our dear boy such a focused career goal. </p>
<p>Our son is now a senior in high school. Over the past 4 years, he has made a firm decision to make the Navy his career. We have learned a lot through him and are just so proud of his choices. </p>
<p>He has been selected for a NROTC scholarship to Va Tech. He has also applied to the USNA (he is 3Q’d with 2 nominations). He awaits both a decision on admission (applied RD) to Tech as well as appointment to the Academy. Assuming he is presented with a choice between the two, we still are not sure which way he will go. There are pros and cons to each.</p>
<p>I’m curious about how common it is for someone to select ROTC over appointment to an academy?</p>
<p>Our first-born chose to attend an Ivy with AFROTC rather than accept her appointment at the Air Force Academy. She has no regrets, it was a wonderful academic experience and the level and breadth of classes has helped in her current USAF position.</p>
<p>The diversity of the student body, the intensity of the academics, and the great social opportunities are what she needed to grow.</p>
<p>Dougbetsy- What I mean is that ROTC is primarily for commissioning reserve officers, although since most officers are commissioned through ROTC, it follows that most career active duty officers are also from ROTC. There used to be a big difference between having a regular commission and a reserve commission, with academy grads and the top ROTC grads being offered those and others having to apply after a few years of service. I don’t know if all that even exists today. </p>
<p>Scanning this thread, it seems a lot of folks see ROTC as the path to an active duty career of 20 years or more. It certainly can be, but it can also be the path to a rewarding and satisfying second career in the Reserves, serving part-time, with the possibility of mobilization during national emergency. It can also often lead to 4-6 years of active duty followed by separation and a normal civilian life and career, still with the satisfaction of having served the nation and given something back. I can certainly understand a parent’s concern over the risks of a military career, but just know there are more possibilities than spending a whole career on active duty and going in harm’s way.</p>
<p>What has changed recently is that with the extraordinary demands on the active force, the military has come to rely very heavily on the Guard and Reserve, not only for traditional combat support and combat service support roles, but for combat forces (mostly in the National Guard)as well. Long and repeated mobilizations and deployments have placed great burdens on our citizen-soldiers, and resulted in greater attrition. I saw mention in one post of accelerated promotions with less time in grade, fairly common in wartime.</p>
<p>In any event, it is sure heartening to see some young people today who are willing to serve, after what seems like many years of national self-indulgence. Not that it has become totally widespread: I recall reading a piece by an Iraq War vet at Yale whose classmates said their lives were too important and full of promise to waste them in national or military service. (Maybe the recession has changed that, too.) Still, it gives new hope for the future.</p>
<p>merkur - IN 2005 that all changed. ROTC cadets are commissioned directly into the “Regular” army, if they do go active duty. Hence, the active duty “regular army” benefit of West Point has gone away. Prior to that it certainly was possible to have a long army career out of ROTC but back in the early 90’s it was extremely competitive to get an active duty commission.</p>
<p>You do make some very good points - the Army Reserves and Army National Guard both are in need of officers. There is even a special scholarship for cadets who agree to commission in the reserves. Both our current wars have largely been fought by our Reserves and Guard.
Personally, I think one of the benefits of Army is the large Reserve and Guard forces that make a part time career possible.
As far as accelerated promotions - for the past few years it’s been the norm to make Captain 3 years after commissioning.</p>
<p>In Navy ROTC there is absolutely no difference between the commissions from NROTC, the Naval Academy, or OCS. They are all equal and no one is given preference for billets. One big pool.</p>
<p>"In Navy ROTC there is absolutely no difference between the commissions from NROTC, the Naval Academy, or OCS. They are all equal and no one is given preference for billets. One big pool. "</p>
<p>Our son may want to fly – he’s not sure though at age 17. Wouldn’t he have a much better chance of being selected coming out of the Academy?</p>
<p>Yippee! Just checked Son’s DoDMERB status. He’s remedial for braces. All he has to do is get the orthodontist to fill out a form. (And get those $#%@ lower braces off before entering the program.) Very surmountable. </p>
<p>I feel like we’re rounding third and heading for home. Now all he needs is admission to the school where he chose the scholarship. {{GULP}} :eek:</p>
<p>Great news DougBetsy. Of the three milestones, we have the scholarship and admission. We now have to get through the DODMERB process. I’m expecting my D will need a waiver on one issue; so we have that to wait out next.</p>
<p>CronusMom, I don’t think going to USNA increases the odds for flight school.
When the midshipman put in their choice for service selection, there is a formula used based on gpa, physical fitness tests,PMS recs and maybe some other stuff I don’t know about. Anyway, all those things are “rolled together” and a “score” is given to each midshipman. The higher your score, the better chance you have of being selected for your first choice.<br>
S1 (NROTC) was able to get his first choice in a pretty selective community because he had a high score. </p>
<p>DougBetsy, woohoo, get those braces off. Fingers crossed for admissions. When will he find out if he’s in?</p>
<p>cap, S commissioned from NROTC directly to Spec.Ops EOD.>></p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that is an unrestricted line officer, not a restricted line officer. So yes, you could commission directly to it. That is different than commissioning straight into a restricted line position, (other than medical, dental or JAG.) But the stuff keeps changing so who knows.</p>
<p>Does anyone know the actual date for the February Marine Board selection? Is it the beginning, middle or end of February?</p>
<p>My DS had his interview yesterday for AFROTC. It looks like he will only make the last two boards- end of Feb and end of March. Can someone who has been through this tell me what comes next? and what are his chances of getting even a Tier 3 scholarship this late in the game?</p>
<p>Cronusmom:</p>
<p>Packmom is exactly right in how billets are determined. Going to the academy gives 0% advantage for aviation or any other billet. It is all one pool.</p>
<p>SpecOPS EOD is in fact unrestricted line.</p>
<p>Thank you, PackMom and Iron Maiden. This will definitely help S with his decision.</p>
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<p>Wake Forest sends admission decisions by snail mail on March 29 or 30 (approx). As (bad) luck will have it, we’re out of town March 31 - April 5. So Son won’t know his fate until we return on Easter Monday.</p>
<p>Just want to throw it out there for those of you (eg JustAMomOf4) who think you cannot make money going to college: You can. I am an Army rotc cadet and between my scholarships from the state, financial aid, 1 private scholarship and the money rotc is paying me (stipend, book and supplies allowance, and 5,000 room and board a semester paid to me) I am making plenty of money going to college with no loans or debt.</p>
<p>I am not saying it is easy or available for everyone, but that it is possible.</p>
<p>Nicely done!!<br>
Yes - you can come out ahead and live off your room and board and use your stipend for spending money. I think the question was if you got an academic scholarship and a full ROTC tuition scholarship can you pocket the difference.
i.e. tuition is 30,000 and you get a 15,000 scholarship from the college and a full rotc scholarship. you don’t get to take the 15,000 scholarship with you necessarily.
the total of your financial aid - which included the rotc tuition scholarship can’t be more than your cost of attendance - which does include room and board. Your ROTC stipend is not “financial aid”.
If you live off campus and your rent and groceries don’t add up to your room and board financial aid allowance - you are doing well!</p>
<p>Latest Air Force ROTC scholarship results are beginning to show up on the Scholarship Tracking site for those waiting. Good Luck!</p>