<p>I am a senior thinking about ROTC for financial and job security reasons. My questions are:</p>
<ol>
<li>What are the differences between army, navy, and air force ROTC?</li>
<li>If I am an engineering major, what will my approximate pay being coming out of college? (in other words, will my ROTC contract make me work for no $$?)</li>
<li>As an engineer, will I be able to work a 9-5 job in the US simply working for the army, or will I be deployed?</li>
<li>Will I be shipped to a lab somewhere, or do I get to choose the state where I work?</li>
<li>Can I still party while in ROTC?</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>The Army fights on the ground, the Navy at sea, the Air Force in the air. </p></li>
<li><p>The current starting pay for a second lieutenant or an ensign is $2,784 per month, plus allowances. </p></li>
<li><p>That depends on the needs of the service at the time you graduate. </p></li>
<li><p>You go where they send you. They may ask for your preferences, but there are no guarantees. </p></li>
<li><p>Yes, within reason. You will be held to a higher standard of conduct than the average college student. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Oh, and you might not be working “as an engineer.” You might be leading an infantry platoon in Afghanistan. Or serving as an operations officer on a destroyer. Or as a navigator on a B52. Or… </p>
<p>I understand that army is land, navy is sea, and af is air. But is one more popular/better benefits/better pay or any differences in the way their ROTC programs are run?</p>
<p>I’d like to point out that among your reasons for considering ROTC should be a desire to serve your nation and lead soldiers (sailors, marines, etc.). It is ok to be attracted by the perceived financial stability the military offers - it is a plus, after all. But your primary motivator should the be the desire to be an officer. I am not hearing that in any of your posts.
You will likely not be an “engineer” upon commissioning in the Army, but your education would serve you well, regardless. There are more opportunities for pure engineering-type work in either the Navy or the Air Force, but again, slotting into a technical job is not guaranteed.<br>
The needs of the service come first. You could end up in the Military Police Corps, or in charge of an Artillery platoon, if that’s what is needed when you commission. That is why it is important to place your desire to serve ahead of your preference for a particular career path.<br>
There are many good sites to research this - try Army ROTC | goarmy.com for starters.</p>
<p>You will probably have a better chance of using your engineering skills in the AF or Navy than the Army. The AF and Navy have extensive laboratory and acquisition commands.</p>