How does being in SMP impact my desire to go AD via ROTC?

2018-04-17T22:07:28-04:00

Hello, I am attending Rutgers university this fall for 3 years. Did 1 year a community college. Interested in army ROTC and talked with school about and they mentioned SMP Program for scholarships. I want to go active duty after and currently have a 3.3 gpa.
Questions
- Do I have to go to the National guard after commission or can I choose active if good enough.
- Does the SMP program give you a higher chance of active duty
- how much do scholarships pay for
- is the SMP program worth it.. like more experience.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 17 at 2018 10:28 PM

2018-04-17T22:28:50-04:00

The SMP program was worth it for me.
I went active after being SMP but I don't know how it is now.

It's more experience and money as well as being time that counts for military pay.

Good luck

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 17 at 2018 10:47 PM

2018-04-17T22:47:02-04:00

SMP is a good program. I will tell you to look into the reserves. You can receive a scholarship from the reserves called the Minute Man scholarship. Also you would need to talk with your ROTC program about going active or reserves each program has a certain number of personal that they have to commission on each side. If you do receive a scholarship it will pay for full tuition also you will receive a stipend as well.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2018 8:46 AM

2018-04-18T08:46:57-04:00

I was SMP and went active duty. I don't recall the exact details of how it all went down but you can do it. SMP is a good deal. I'd highly recommend it.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 18 at 2018 8:50 AM

2018-04-18T08:50:24-04:00

SMP is a lock in to commissioning- the scholarship isn't huge, but unless you are Bill Gates- any help is good. As for Commissioning ,it depends on how many slots are available in which command and what your GPA standing is.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Apr 18 at 2018 9:05 AM

2018-04-18T09:05:41-04:00

A couple of advantages the National Guard SMP offers. The first is that many states will pay your tuition to an in state public college. The other is that when you start the SMP program, you will get paid as an E-5 for Drills and AT. In the Guard or Reserve SMP Program, you will not lose any Time In Service while in ROTC. You will also be eligible for the GI Bill.
No, while you can get a guaranteed National Guard contract, it isn't required. Active duty depends on your standing in the class and just what is available at that time in the Regular Army.
Also, an Army MOS will exempt you from the first two years of ROTC.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2018 9:37 AM

2018-04-18T09:37:09-04:00

I was a SMP cadet. Unless you are next to a military instillation that experience will be value adding to you and your ROTC BN.

Response by LTC Robin Gronovius made Apr 18 at 2018 9:58 AM

2018-04-18T09:58:00-04:00

Of course my commissioning and SMP time were over 30 years ago, so my information may be dated. I joined ROTC in 1982 and liked it so much that I joined the Guard in 1983 and then became an SMP cadet in 1984 when I contracted my junior year. I believe my training in the Guard was invaluable to my active duty time. I was a CEV crewman in the Guard, and was commissioned in 1986 as an active duty armor officer. I trained on M1 tanks, but my unit still had M60A3 tanks. Because of the commonality between the CEV and A3, I wasn't a newbie LT on the tank. I had three years experience on the vehicle type.

When I joined the Guard, I knew I wanted to go on active duty. I saw it as just a stepping stone in my career. Although I admit that I didn't think I would stay on active duty for over 24 years. I do not know if it helped me get on active duty or not. I do know it helped make me a better ROTC cadet, which in turn probably helped me get on active duty.

I do know that when I did my AC/RC assignment as a captain, being a former Guardsman helped reserve units be more receptive of my presence and I didn't come in like a bull in a China shop when doing annual training evaluations.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2018 10:02 AM

2018-04-18T10:02:18-04:00

I was an SMP Cadet. Enlisted ILARNG, then went Reserves upon commissioning. If you want Active Duty, you can be an SMP during school. You can enlist in one of the reserve components.

For Active Duty, I would recommend not taking a scholarship with the Guard/Reserves. These are dedicated Guard/Reserves or a GFRD, which means you will commit to one of the reserve components after commissioning.

Response by LTC Thomas Tennant made Apr 18 at 2018 11:11 AM

2018-04-18T11:11:51-04:00

Short answer...it does nothing but help your career chances. I started out in the precursor of the SMP program back in the stone age...1970's. As an M48 "Super 8" tank driver and later TC, I got an experience of being enlisted while attending college. Learned some great leadership lessons in a low risk environment. DO IT!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2018 5:00 PM

2018-04-18T17:00:15-04:00

Great question Private RallyPoint Member. With SMP, you participate in both the Guard and your college's ROTC program at the same time. During this two to four year course, you'll be paired with and mentored by a unit officer. In some instances you will be the acting platoon leader of a real platoon gaining unparalleled experience over your peers. More information on this program can be found at:
https://www.nationalguard.com/simultaneous-membership-program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpAUYNdZlVs

You would also benefit in pay. If you are SMP you get your ROTC stipend (350-500), drill pay at E-5 rate (350-500), and your GI bill (approximately +/- $380). That's over $1K a month to participate in ROTC and go to class. To put icing on the cake, your time in service will get you paid at a higher rate. Base pay for a 2LT with zero time in service is ($3,107.70/mo). Base pay for 2LT with over 2 years is ($3,234.90), +3 ($3910.20). You'll be making about $10k more a year than your non prior service counterparts upon coming on active duty.

There is a misconception that if you are a scholarship recipient that you are guaranteed active duty, or if you participate in SMP, you cannot go AD. This is NOT true, and the only time you cannot switch from guard to AD is if you signed a Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD) contract for a bonus. The order of merit list which determines your component and branch is based off of GPA, leadership potential, APFT score, and voluntary contributions to the organization via extracurricular activities, not scholarship status. I was SMP and graduated at the top of my class and went on Active Duty immediately along with my choice of branch and post. More than half of the scholarship recipients didn't even make AD.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me or the Rutgers' ROTC Recruiting Operations Officer (ROO). Good luck!

Simultaneous Membership Program | National Guard

Simultaneous Membership Program smp you participate in both the Guard and your college&#039;s ROTC program at the same time two-year course GRFD scholarship cash bonus monthly allowance Montgomery GI Bill and Guard Kicker commission as a second lieutenant

Response by MAJ Keith FitzPatrick, CPIM, CSCP made Apr 20 at 2018 11:59 AM

2018-04-20T11:59:59-04:00

I also went through the program years ago, but after coming off of active duty as an enlisted Cav Scout, I joined the Senior ROTC program as a freshman in college. I also joined the Guard as an SMP. I finished the senior ROTC program at the end of my sophomore year in college and was commissioned into the Guard. Two years later, when was getting ready to graduate from college, I applied for assession and was accepted into active duty. (I was competing with the cadets who graduated in 1988 when i graduated rather than the cadets who graduated in 1986 when I was commissioned ). Not sure how important this is, but I deferred attendance at OBC (now BLOC?) until I received the assession results. Not sure if I would have been accepted on to active duty if I had completed Infantry OBC when I was in the Guard. I was commissioned as an Ordnance Officer on active duty.