Securing Active Duty and Branch after ROTC

As a former PMS, I say that everything depends on your grades.  If you are G2G, you will be active duty once commissioned, but if you don't have good grades you will not get a combat arms branch.  If you want to actually talk about this, let me know and I'll send you a cell number for me.

I am the Recruiting Operations Officer for an ROTC program.  Right now, active duty is very competitive and will become even more so as the Army draws down.  That being said, you have a lot of the share in shaping your future.  40% of your final score is based on your college grades.  Typical AD GPAs are above 3.0.  15% of your score is based on your APFT scores taken during your junior year.  The remaining 45% is based on assessments and your performance.  So 55% of your score is totally up to you.  I tell all Cadets to stay focused on academics.  You may be the best Cadet but if you do not graduate, you will not become an Officer.  Feel free to contact me if you need any more information. 

Great Question!!!!! Here is the deal, now, and deal is changing, as SROTC is redoing its whole accessions process. And, assuming you don't Guard or Reserve, which you can opt for via the Guaranteed Reserves Forces Duty (GFRD) option.

If Active Duty is your goal, the bottomline to guarantee your position on active duty, the branch of your choice, and your first duty assignment (ROTC, USMA, and OCS) is all about OML (Order of Merit List).

Every Cadet in ROTC, in the year you are commissioned (commissioning year or Year Group) is placed on an OML from say 1 to 6000 across every ROTC program in the nation. Number picks first, and so on... The higher your OML number, the more likely you get what you want... Based also on the needs of the Army.

ROTC commissions about 75% - 80% of all Army Officers each year, West Point about 15% and OCS the Balance; there also some direct commissions. This is ROTC vs. ROTC, not USMA or OCS; they both compete within their own commissioning groups.

OML is roughly based on (It changes from year to year, and is changing now):

40% on Academic GPA,
45% on Leadership/Military Grades: ROTC Grades, Summer Camps (Basic and LDAC), PMS grades...
15% Physical Fitness (Fall and Spring APFT averages).

The bottomline, the better you do in ROTC (Academic GPA, military program, and PT) the more likely you will get what you want... Needs of the Army also always play in... But, do your best, and you will get what you want.

I hope this helps and good luck.

The best way to secure your branch and component is to keep your GPA up. The OML is giving more to people in STEMs degrees, especially engineering. Get involved on campus and the ROTC Battalion. Don't expect it to be like an operational unit and get frustrated because things are "jacked up". Take the time to coach and mentor cadets who don't know what you do about the military. You do this and I promise you will be happy with what you get. I'm not sure on statistics for this year, but last year most people who wanted active duty got it. A lot of people want to stay guard or reserves. Some sign contracts to go guard for more money. Branch is needs of the army, but new changes to OML policy gave a significant percentage their #1 pick and 9/10 their top 3 pick. Most competitive branches in order are aviation, military intelligence, and infantry usually. I commissioned summer of 2015.

Actually, If you're near the top in your class, you'll be able to select your branch before your OSC counterparts, as well as opportunities for Airborne and Air Assault after you contract.

Besides the obvious of keeping your grades I want to point out the necessity of learning how to be a n officer and not an NCO. Embrace your cadre and the cadets, both will help re-shape your leadership process. Being enlisted first, you need to make sure you can transition into the new branch.

I'm in the same boat, 8 years service, just now going to college and ROTC.

Speaking as a former PMS at Eastern Washington University from 2009-2012 - selection rates to AD will be at or less than 50% until stabilization at the new Army Strength levels.  The three major things that will affect your standings in the OML are Grades, PT scores, and LDAC (now CLC -Cadet Leader Course). Branch selection is also competitive, using the same OML as AD. Important to note, Degrees are also becoming important in Active Duty as well as Branch selections. Several Branches, such as Engineer and Signal Corps now require a percentage(45% or higher the last couple years of my tour) of their new Lieutenants to have branch specific degrees.

Come see me at drill this weekend and we can talk about ROTC.

A more detailed idea of how I am going about this is that I am getting out of the Guard here, very soon and will be transferring to a University from my local CC to finish my last 2 years to receive my B.A. in History (I want to be a teacher later on down the road) and will begin ROTC as an MS III. I will also be applying shortly for the Big Army (as we call them) ROTC Scholarship in order to help foot the bill for rent so I'm not stuck in the CSUN dorms. My overall end goal of ROTC is to become an Armor Officer in the Active Duty.