ROTC or OCS: does one affect your career more than the other? Which did you choose, and why?

In the end there is little difference. All pre-commissioning programs must cover the same basic core requirements. As has been proven over the past thirty years or so, the source of the commission is secondary to performance after receiving the commission. I was fortunate to receive my commission via the active duty enlisted ROTC scholarship program (now called green to gold). Pick the path which works best for you.

I completed OCS last year after being prior enlisted. Since the consensus here is that the end state is the same, OCS is the way to go. You can get a graduate degree paid for without doing ROTC. However, I can't speak to what the reserves does with school as opposed to the active side.

Why are you jealous, because his experience has taken a shorter amount of time? Don't be.
It truly doesn't matter. Once you commission you are an officer, and that's all that matters. Is there a bit a fraternity between the USMA grads, of course. For everyone though what matters is how you perform. Don't worry about anyone else's commissioning source, focus on you.

ROTC, and the Master's degree you are pursuing, I believe, will ultimately help you as you begin to compete for more senior grades, and better assignment opportunity.

As a whole ROTC is a more in depth commissioning source that prepares officers to function better, the time involved alone and the mentoring provided is far superior than what I saw coming out of OCS. (the non-prior service candidates)

However because you are already degreed, and a combat veteran with 8 years, ROTC isn't tailored to teach you much that you couldn't just read in the books. If you already have experience, a bachelors degree, and know how to lead OCS would be a better choice because you'd have been promoted two years earlier every promotion for the remainder of your career. A side note your peers in ROTC are probably learning a lot from you.

I honestly don't think it really matters as both lead to the same thing...a commission.