R.o.t.c

[Vinimack720]

Well my junior year of highschool is over, so this fall I will be a senior and after that im off to college. I have been thinking about college for a while now and i am seriously contemplating joining an R.O.T.C program to pay for college, specifically Naval R.O.T.C. It was either the Navy or the Airforce, and i am 95% sure that I will choose the navy, just because I like the idea of traveling and seeing the world.

My grades are pretty good, my GPA (my school does things weird, we have no letter grades, just percentages) is a 90.5% and I recently took the ACT for the first time with out any classes and minimal prep studying and I got a 28, so i should be able to bring it up to a 31ish score the next time I take it.

I do not know exactly what i want to major in in college, for a while I was contemplating pre-med, and then for a while i was thinking mechanical or chemical engineering, and now im thinking about splitting the difference and going into some sort of biomedical engineering, but nothing is writen in stone yet. And i have even been thinking about studing aviation and trying to become a navy pilot.

The schools I was thinking about going to if I decide to do the ROTC program would either be Mizzou, because that is where my brother and my sister went, or the university of Southern California, and there is no other reason for choosing this school other than it is warm and way the hell out of the midwest because i havent yet researched what type of education they offer.

My questions for you are if any one here has done the ROTC program and if they could give me a taste of what your college/post college life has been like. Would either of the majors I have been considering affect what part of the navy i would be assigned too? What kind of physical condition do i need to be in before I go to college? Does the training start off slow or is it like boot camp?

There are probably some more questions that i am forgetting to ask because I didnt get much sleep last night, so ill think of them later.

Sorry for the long read, and thanks for your help.

[Czolgosz]

I can't help you w/ your specific question, but I believe after reading your post that you'll do well no matter what you decide.

[RayOSV]

Make sure you understand the commitment to the service required if they put you through school. It will be a lot of years. If you really want to fly, consider making the AF your first choice. I don't know about their ROTC program, though. Also, any given school usually has only one branch of ROTC associated with it.

I heard some interesting stats from an AF recruiter not long ago. Only 1% of those in the AF actually fly. The rest are support. If you want to fly, you have to complete your bachelor's degree and flight school by age 26 so planning and staying on track is important. The AF also spends the most of any branch on housing and food for their troops. The Navy, of course, will have a lower percentage of pilots as aviation isn't their prime focus. Have you taken the ASVAB test yet? The different branches require certain scores for various jobs and programs.

USC is a great school, but it's private and very $$. I'm sure that ROTC training starts out easier than boot camp, but you should be good enough shape to at least run a few miles without collapsing. The rest will come with conditioning. Do you have any physical (or mental) issues that may disqualify you from the service? Pilots, of course, have stricter requirements including vision.

I wouldn't usually recommend this as they can be quite aggressive, but have you talked to a recruiter? They will be anxious to find someone like you who can successful finish school and score well on their tests (ASVAB for starters).

As an aside, a GED is no longer generally accepted by the services so stay in school and get your diploma if the service is your goal after HS (directed to others in general, not the OP).

[bassholic]

You have direction and that's what matters. Now, will you make it, only time will tell? Go speak with a recruiter, but don't give them your number to contact, could be a huge mistake.

At 17 graduating i thought i knew what i wanted but at 21 things changed, and at 23 im where most people would be happy, but it's all about self improvement and being the best anyone can be.

Good luck

[mssdrider]

i don't know much about the ROTC but if you are worried about money for college, look into scholarships, government grants, etc. Go to the couselor in your school, they will be able to help you. There is more help out there than you think! good luck...

[Smooth7]

i agree with a lot of what RayOSV said. except one thing i might add....

i also was in your position, and wanted to become a pilot -specifically a Coast Guard Heli Pilot.

i knew one of the Helicopter Pilots for the Coast Guard in my town, and asked him his opinion on getting started.

Instead of the Air Force, he actually recommended that i join the Navy to do that. Basically relating to what RayOSV was saying: only a small percentage in the Air Force actually are taught to fly. And while the Navy's major priority is not in aviation, they do still teach pilots, and he said i would have a much better chance by going through the Navy.

Plus it appealed to me cuz i would on the water away from most conflicts, and not on land fighting.

all in all i couldnt join any military branch (thank god afterall) due to a medical disqualification.....

now im goin the private route to get my pilots license.....

anyway, good luck

[kneedraggin650s]

Just because you take ROTC and get a degree does not mean you will go into the military as an officer. Make sure you talk to someone and ensure that they will accept the college's ROTC program. Also like stated, check into the terms of service after you complete it, if they pay for it. If you looking at say Annapolis Naval Academy, then you will have a 5 year commitment AFTER you graduate. I had a friend that went through that school, so if you have questions about Annapolis I can find out for you.

I would also recommend that you post up in the Military Forum. I don't know how many are enlisted ver officer, but you can get some good intel from there.

[NinjFour]

I would highly suggest against doing ROTC if you're just wanting to do it for the money. You're seriously going to hate yourself when you get deployed.

Now if you actually want to serve, thats a different matter altogether.

I'd say try and get boot camp in this summer, and do your AIT the next, and you'll be pretty much set. They aren't absolutely necessary, but helps a lot later on.

[chevy4491]

Hey Vini,
I did ROTC at my second college, and the first thing I will tell you is that program vary drastically from one school to the next, as far as time requirements, responsibilities, and future plans.

Ill need to make this quick as I am at work but Ill check back later...

OK to give you an example I am currently at my 3 college (Clemson University) it was a former military college, and is now a vocational college with an ROTC program. While my 2nd college (North Georgia Military) was exactly that, a "Military" college.

NG Military:
Requirement: Up at 6am in uniform, PT, Chow, Classes, Chow, PT, HW in the barracks, Rack, Repeat every day.
Responsibilities: You are to take on rank (manage subordinate), join extracurricular programs, and make the most out of a military college.
Expectations: You were expected to Commission, your getting paid and groomed to become an officer
Physical Condition: High
Training: First 2 weeks are “mini boot camp” and you’re thrown in to the lions pit from the second your parents drop off your gear and leave. During he first semester you'll have a lot of friendly upper classmen (Brass) letting you know how they feel. After that you'll become squad leader and start moving up from there, no more yelling at you, and you start becoming a leader with more responsibilities.

Clemson:
Requirements: Once every week get your BDUs out of the dirty laundry hamper, and meet outside to drill.
Responsibilities: Same as NGa just less demanding
Expectations: If you go ROTC all 4 years they are looking for you to Commission, but its easy to back out.
Physical Condition: Low
Training: There is a small period of time where they train you (PT, adaptation, lingo, etc), but nothing too stressful.

So you need to break down your schools, and then research them a little better, if you’re going to commission (become an Officer) either route, some school are easier than others. You seem to be on the right track as far as degree choice, i.e. the more technical, the better. I know the Air Force weighs the degrees more than they do the GPA.

Most importantly you are at school to be educated and the ROTC programs understand that school comes first. However how they handle that is different also. NGa would put you on academic probation, in the Barracks at 7pm and in study hall till 9pm. Clemson would let you skip drill.

Oh and by the way I think your making the right decesion going ROTC, it is an excellent way to get paid for school, make friends, and get the most out of your education. I highly recommend it.

Well so much for making it quick, got to get back to work. Ill check back to see if you have any more questions...

[LadyF4i]

Just a heads up it is very difficult to get an aviation slot and your obligation to serve will be around 8 years. You might want to have a few back up MOS in mind.

if you get a schoalrship you have to pick a major off the bat and stick with it...if you choose to change it you would have to get permission from your commander to do so.
Majors don't really have any bearing on what assignment you get. they have English majors and History majors going into aviation and all sorts of feilds that don't quite match up. But I would say that some sort of engineering might help you for consideration since it would make sense...but honestly it's the military and not everything they decide to do makes sense sometimes you just have to go along with it


ROTC is in no way like boot camp, they tend to go rather gradual althoguh all programs differ. Some programs are worse than others...and by worse i mean that they do not prepare you well enough...

Usually for scholarships they want you to be in pretty good shape and an athlete.

There are also different shcolarships....Full 4 yr schoalrships, 3yr, 2yr etc. some people don't even get scholarships until later on.

AF and Navy physical requirements are different but if you are in relatively decent shape you will have no problem passing a PT test....if you want to be a pilot though...you are going to have to train more and get in great physical shape and max out your PT test (or close to it) to better your chances for getting an aviation slot. They look at your school grades/ pt test scores and other things to determine your ranking in the nation out of all ROTC students. Higher rankings increase your chances. Also i'd advise that you go to a few schools over the summer that they will offer through your program like airborne or air assault etc etc. I'm not quite sure what airforce or navy has but I know they offer a few schools. Those look good when they review your packet for consideration.

My husband actually went aviation in the navy and is an officer, so if you have any questions just pm them to me and i will ask him

[Vinimack720]

Wow guys, thanks for all the responces.

I dont really want to quote everyone so ill just answer the questions as they came up.

Obligations: All the reasearch I have done is pretty much all comming from the navy's web site, so this is according to them: "Four years of active duty and four years of selective-reserve or inactive ready-reserve duty" Im not sure what the difference between selective reserve and inactive ready reserve.

Pilot: Being a pilot is not a huge possibility right now. Every kid wants to grow up and fly fighters, and i might pursue that but for now im not sure.

Airforce: Im not really interested in joining the AF because the large majority of people in the AF are stationed stateside and it is very hard to get a foreign placement. Wheras in the navy you are always traveling which is somthing that I would greatly enjoy.

Mental/physical: Nothing that I know of would disqualify me from service. The only physical things i can think of are that i have high-arched feet so i wear a special insole in my shoe, but its nothing major and i doubt that would disqualify me. The other one is that I am near-sighted but from my understanding they allow pilots to have had lasik done to correct their vision.
ASVAB: I have not taken the formal test yet, but i did take an online practice and did fairly well. It did not give me a score on the same scale that they use but from what i remember you need a 20 to be in the army, 21 marines, 25 navy, and 26 airforce(i think). Where would i take a formal practice test? Would contacting a recruiter be the best bet?

Money: Yes i am looking for money to pay for school, my brother and my sister were/still are on their own for paying for school. But money is not the only reason, i genuinly think that joining the navy ROTC and serving would be a good experience to have in life.

Accept colleges ROTC program: All the info i have gotten is form the navy's web site. They have a map of all the colleges in the US that they have ROTC programs at and USC is on the list. http://www.navy.com/benefits/education/nrotc/colleges/

chevy4491: Wow, thanks for all that information. I did not realize that the programs could vary so widely from one university to the other. Where should i go to find out about individual schools programs? i am also considering UCLA but from what I have heard it is difficult to get into if you are not from cali, but it is probably no harder than USC.

Ladyf4i: Thanks for all the info, i guess i need to talk to a recruiter. and as i said, being a pilot is a small posibility, but still, a possibility.

[kneedraggin650s]

Here is a break down of ASVAB and each branches requirements. I have been out of the Army a few years but if memory serves me right, the higher you score the more jobs open up for you. This is an extreme example and not accurate and in no way intended to insult any MOS... If you score a 31 (min score to enter the army) you can only do cook if you score a 35 you can be a cook, truck driver or infantry. Understand? I recommend talking to a recuiter and taking the ASVAB every time it is offered at your school, if for no other reason then practice.

Air Force

ASVAB Score - Air Force recruits must score at least 36 points the 99-point ASVAB (Note: The "Overall" ASVAB Score is known as the "AFQT Score," or "Armed Forces Qualification Test Score"). Exceptions are made, however, for a handful of high school graduates who can score as low as 21. But these "category four- A" recruits (by regulation) cannot exceed more than one percent of all recruits per year. (Note: A "Category IVA recruit is a recruit who scores between 16 and 30 on the AFQT).

In actuality, the number of Cat IVA recruits the Air Force generally accepts each year is about 0.1 percent of the Air Force's annual accessions.

Education - You're more likely to be struck by lightning than enlist in the Air Force without a high school diploma. Even with a GED, the chances are not good. Only about 1/2 of a percent of all Air Force enlistments each year are GED-Holders. To even be considered for one of these very few slots, a GED-holder must score a minimum of 65 on the AFQT. The Air Force allows a higher enlistment rank for recruits with college credit.

Army

ASVAB Score - The Army requires a minimum AFQT Score of 31 to qualify for enlistment. However, in recent months, the Army has been approving more and more waivers for those with scores as low as 26 (Category IVA). To qualify for certain enlistment incentives, such as enlistment bonuses, an Army recruit must score a minimum of 50.

Education - Those without a high school education need not apply. The Army allows no more than 10 to 15 percent per year of their enlistees to have a GED. To even be considered, a high school dropout (GED) must score at least a 50 on the AFQT. Like the Air Force, the Army also offers a higher enlistment rank for recruits with college. Unlike the Air Force, where the maximum initial enlistment rank for college credits is E-3, the Army offers the rank of E-4 for those with a bachelors degree.

Marine Corps

ASVAB Score - Marine Corps recruits must score at least 32. A very few exceptions are made (about one percent) for some exceptionally otherwise qualified recruits with scores as low as 25.

Education - As with the Army and Air Force, those without a high school education are ineligible. The Marine Corps limits GED enlistments to no more than five percent per year. Those with a GED must score a minimum of 50 on the AFQT to even be considered. As with the other services, the Marine Corps offers advanced enlistment rank for college credits. However, of all the services, the Marines are the most restrictive in this area. The maximum advanced rank for college credits is E-2, where the other services will give college credit advanced rank up to E-3 (E-4 in the Army).

Navy

ASVAB Score - Navy recruits must score at least 35 on the AFQT. The Navy raised this requirement from 31 in 2003 for active duty accessions. Reserve enlistment programs still only require a score of 31. Additionally, because of limited berths on ships, the Navy limits the number of women they can enlist each year. Quite often, when there are too many female applicants, the Navy will require a higher ASVAB score for females in order to decide which women get to enlist and which don't.

Education - Between 5 and 10 percent per year can be high school dropouts with a GED, but they must score a minimum of 50 on the AFQT. Additionally, high school dropouts must be at least 19 years of age, and show a proven work history. Like the other services, the Navy offers advanced enlistment rank (up to E-3) for college.

Coast Guard

ASVAB Score - The Coast Guard requires a minimum of 40 points on the AFQT for those who took the ASVAB prior to July 1, 2004, and 36 for those who take the ASVAB after July 1, 2004. A waiver is possible if a recruit's ASVAB Line Scores qualify them for a specific job, and the recruit is willing to enlist in that job.

Education - For a very few (about 5 percent) who will be allowed to enlist with a GED, the minimum AFQT. Minimum score is 50. The CG offers advanced enlistment rank of E-2 for 30 college credits, and E-3 for 60 credits.

[Vinimack720]

Oh, and one last thing that is bugging me. What the hell is with no NROTC schools in hawaii???!! With that big of a naval base they dont have one damn ROTC school in all those islands. What a load of crap! It would be awsome to live in hawaii and have the navy pay for school, but noooooo.

[chevy4491]

Originally Posted by Vinimack720

chevy4491: Wow, thanks for all that information. I did not realize that the programs could vary so widely from one university to the other. Where should i go to find out about individual schools programs? i am also considering UCLA but from what I have heard it is difficult to get into if you are not from cali, but it is probably no harder than USC.

Sorry it took so long to reply, forgot to subscribe to the thread..doh! Anyway...

I honestly do not know the best way to research a school's ROTC program, the only way I can think of is to get in contact with the ROTC Admissions Officer and ask about the students daily life.

I'm not so brushed up on my west coast schools, but I know from personal experience in the east, acceptant into a school with an ROTC program can be different than the normal school application process.

OK that sounds confusing...

What I am trying to say is, if you're shooting for UCLA, but you know you don't have the "right" stuff (GPA, SAT, LOR, Family name, address) to get in. In many cases if you side step the schools admissions office, and talk directly talk with the schools ROTC's Admission Officer, and you tell them you would like to be in the program, but you feel that you might not have the "right" stuff, typically they find a way to "bend" the "requirements" to get you accepted.

So if your interested in a school, especially if you are going to do ROTC, don't get down hearted if you think you aren't going to cut the mustard, as the admission process for ROTC and other students aren't always the same.

P.S. Girls dig the uniform, I know mine did