[kenxkillz]

woops, my bad, also: If there are any ROTC people here, can you share your opinions on the matter?

 

[kenxkillz]

Villanova ROTC grad here... ROTC commissionees far outnumber academy grads, i think we had 3000 in my year group, probably less than 750 of those from the academy... OCS puts a large number though as well. i made 1LT in 18 months and CPT in 36... which is perfectly on par with academy guys.

your concerns regarding career progression won't be important until you are looking at getting a promotion to O6 or O7, so unless you plan on putting 20+ years in i wouldnt worry about it.

with the economy the way it is right now, and the fact that we are drawing down in Iraq and the 'Stan I think ROTC will be a good financial decision with relatively little risk. I graduated in '04 and was in iraq from August '05-July '06... then kirkuk from August '07-November '08. its a personal choice, so don't let me sway you....

but please learn how to spell West Point... without the "e" on the end, its a good thing that wasn't an SAT/ACT question eh.

don't necessarily look at it as a business decision... if you want to serve, get in there and serve, if not, don't. It's that simple.

I didnt think that was right, but my iphone was smacking me in the face with a big "hey your wrong" every time i wrote "West Point".

But yes, its more of a mental motivaton to serve. That being said, i want to do it so it will benefit me in the greatest way (not to sound selfish, thats life).

Seeing how the private sector is going to hell, i was planning on doing around 20 years in the army so i could get a pension and never have to worry about a job.

I guess i could start a cultural african basket weaving school and get government money for that :thumb:, or maybe i could find some other way to live off tax payer dollars .

But in all seriousness, its just something ive always wanted to do, but i always wanted a career in it. It just doesnt seem right that even ROTC programs are run by West Point grads and not ROTC people...

 

[kenxkillz]

Think of it this way. My brother is an academy grad, and I was ROTC myself. We both did 6 years after graduation, to fulfill our obligation. When I got out we were both 0-3s and were both looking at O-4 soon after. He stayed in and I got out, but right as I was leaving I found out that I had picked up O-4 if I stayed in. Understandably we are in different services, and that in itself is means different promotions and circumstance, but I will say that ROTC is just as strong as ROTC until the O-5/6 level, where so-called 'ring-knockers' are coveted. It all depends on what your goals are, but you can be just as successful as a ROTC grad if you marry the military, and keep your priorities straight.

I had really planned on doing ROTC, doing a few tours of duty to prove myself as a leader, then climbing the ranks as high as i could!

So im really disappointed Iraq is closing and Afghanistan will wind down before i get out there. That means i will just be another waste of tax payer dollars that will sit around and not get used.

I want to do something big with my life, and you just cant do that pushing paper around in an office some where, know what i mean?

 

[kenxkillz]

Thank you all for the advice. But another question if it isn't too much trouble. For those of you who did ROTC, how did it actually prepare you to lead men and not get them killed?

I guess the real question is; what can i do to prepare myself to lead men and do what needs to be done, and not just get a bunch of people killed my first time out.

I just want to make sure i do it right.

 

[kenxkillz]

Thank you all so much. Be decisive when necessary and nice when possible seems to be the general rule.

I'm just trying to live up to the family legacy... My cousin was the most recent to go in and he is a "Pointer". From everything I heard from his friends over there, he was a perfect leader, lead by example, and did multiple tours with teh 7th cav while only losing one man to a broken leg.

Im going to try to do even better than that.

 

[kenxkillz]

I'd really rather not do reserve or national guard. No offense to anyone who did either. They just wouldnt be my thing!

Cant you ask to be put on active duty and sent to the middle east after ROTC?

 

[kenxkillz]

Reductions in force (RIFs) are another scenario completely, though there is an element of truth to it during "slow" military times. old mil might be right in that another RIF might be coming in 2013, but probably not on the scale of the one that went on in 1992... there are still alot of threats out there nowadays and our garrison footprint will have grown in both iraq and afghanistan (i know the embassy in baghdad is supposed to be able to support 5000 people, that would probably mean a full brigade combat team might be housed there).

anyway back to you original post, although your test scores/grades might support getting into an academy, have you put any effort into obtaining a congressional nomination yet??? this is one of the limiting factors you will have to consider.

Yes, i am working on a nomination, but its unlikely.

Applied to all the people i can.

 

[kenxkillz]

I'd say, probably don't do it. You will earn more respect if you enlist and get an education (which is important to some degree), then become an officer. Most officers from ROTC WP or otherwise, that I have known, were total jerkoffs who didn't have a clue. If you do decide to do it, know that LDAC is a joke and that your NCOs are really in charge and learn from experience. Know that what I said about education is only 30% or so of knowledge, the rest is experience. You never know how things are until you live it!

I have heard that before! But there is no way i could go army then go to college, i just wouldnt be allowed to.