Posted on Apr 2, 2023
Cadet CPL (Pre-Commission)
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Hey all, I’m currently an non-contracted sophomore in rotc, I attend a community college and am planning to direct connect to the state university connected to my CC. Unfortunately I can only direct connect spring 2024 or fall 2024, my MSI says I must start the junior year curriculum in the fall, meaning cannot do MSL 3202C spring 2024- MSL 3201 fall 2025- MSL 4302C spring 2025- ADVANCE CAMP- MSL 4301C Fall 2025 then commission. Is this true? Or is some variation of this allowed?

Thinking that I would be able to contract Fall 2023 I signed a reserve 09R contract and go to BCT this summer. However a part of that contract says I have to contract within a year (I believe) otherwise I will be sent to AIT, for what job I am not sure. Since I already will not be able too do any college fall 2023 I was wondering if I could cancel or Reno that contract too take another MOS (like 31b for example) and do BCT/AIT (or OSUT) then become a 09R after I contract, whether that’s spring 2024 or fall 2024.

Thank you all!
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Responses: 3
CPT Lawrence Cable
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You seem to be confused about the Commissioning source. A 09R contract is going to BCT and then attending Federal OCS, but you need a four year degree to make that happen. If you are MOS qualified, you are exempt from the first two years of ROTC, attend Advance Camp between you Junior and Senior year and commission when you graduate. Note that I said MOS qualified. The SMP programs allows you to maintain membership in the Reserve or National Guard, drill as an E-5 Cadet, pick up some experience and allows you to use your GI Benefits for Select Reserve. Last two years of ROTC, you must be MOS qualified and you can't be on an ROTC scholarship.
If you already have a four year degree, 09R is the quickest way to commission.
If you still need a degree, join and get your MOS and then apply to ROTC for you Junior Year as an SMP.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Lawrence Cable
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(Join to see) - See above. First, all the 09 classifications are simply a holding designation for non-MOS Qualified soldiers. You don't have to join the Reserve/National Guard to skip the first two years, ROTC Basic at Knox will do the same thing. While you are technically able to join an SMP program without an MOS, most won't even tell you that fact because it doesn't allow you to participate in the programs strongest points, the GI Bill, and they consider it a waste of time.

You can attend OCS as Army Reserve or National Guard with 90 credit hours of College. The same applies, you just get in if there are not enough fully qualified available.

So my big point is that if you are joining to pay for education, get MOS qualified to take advantage of the benefits. I don't have a recruiting quota to meet, so while my Recruiter never lied to me, his job was to get me to sign on the line and in a job that needed filled, but there was stuff he didn't tell me about too.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Lawrence Cable
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Cadet CPL (Join to see) - Call your advisor at the School you are planning to attend. I think that your problem is going to be that ROTC classes tend to be arranged around the school year. Looking at a local university, the 300/400 level classes are arranged around the school year, so starting level 300 classes from the fall semester aren't taught again until the fall of the following year.

I still think you are missing most of my point. You miss out on most of your educational benefits by just completing BCT. No GI Bill is a fairly big financial hit. If you just want to save some time, ROTC Basic Camp puts you at the same place as enlisting and it's shorter.
I don't have a clue why anyone would advise you to take this course of action instead of informing you how much you lose by not MOS qualifying. No to mention that there are enlistment bonus's that are available, all require that you MOS qualify. Even if you commission before you complete your enlistment, Army Bonuses are prorated, so you would keep the percentage based on the time completed.
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COL Jon Thompson
COL Jon Thompson
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You are mixing 09S, Officer Candidate with 09R which is an SMP cadet.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Lawrence Cable
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COL Jon Thompson - No sir. I recognize that there are a number of 09 categories. They are all a designation for some kind of trainee, except for 09L interpreter, which does seem to be an permanent designation.
What I don't understand is why a recruiter would recommend the course of action of attending BCT and then going SMP where the recruit gets nothing from it but experience. Unless things have changed a lot, Cadets can apply for SMP and enlist before their Junior year without BCT and Basic ROTC Camp is only required if you don't do the first two years.
If that cadet had asked me, I would have told him his best bang for the bucks is to enlist in whatever MOS he thought he would be interested in doing, get his GI Bill stuff and any enlistment bonuses, then apply to ROTC as a Junior and then go SMP. If he wanted, he could still attend the MS classes at 100/200 level as a non contracted cadet, although I personally wouldn't.
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LTC Program Manager
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I don't see a lot of bad options here. The reserve will certainly be willing to change your contract to send you to AIT.

Best of luck whatever you choose.
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US Government (non-DoD) civilian
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A wise man once told me it's never a bad thing to have too many good options.
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COL Jon Thompson
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Talk with the ROO and PMS. They can move classes around to meet your schedule. I did that for several cadets when I was a ROO. The disadvantage for your course of action is having the capstone class (MS4302) before Advanced Camp. The program should be able to work with you to make it happen. They risk losing you as a Cadet if you change your contract or get forced into an AIT you don’t want.
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