2LT(P) Private RallyPoint Member 4249152 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Hello all,<br /> <br />I begin ROTC this semester as a Cadet and my current plan is to contract as an SMP Cadet once I&#39;ve earned all of the appropriate college credit hours.<br /><br />I&#39;m also in the Army National Guard. I&#39;m about one year into my six year (two years IRR after my six years, so eight years total) contract and as I speak to NCOs and Officers more, I&#39;ve been thinking more and more about finishing my contract with the National Guard, go Active Duty, go to the DS Academy, and just commission after I have a few years as an NCO. <br /><br />My CURRENT plan, as I mentioned before, is to go ROTC and earn my bar in about two years to go Active as a Cyber or MI Officer. <br /><br />SO- what are the pros and cons to 1) go ROTC to commission and 2) go the NCO route as an Active Duty Solider, THEN commission through the GREEN TO GOLD program<br /><br />Can anyone bestow upon me any pros and cons, experiences, etc. Thank you in advance. 2018-12-31T14:31:37-05:00 2LT(P) Private RallyPoint Member 4249152

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Hello all,<br /> <br />I begin ROTC this semester as a Cadet and my current plan is to contract as an SMP Cadet once I&#39;ve earned all of the appropriate college credit hours.<br /><br />I&#39;m also in the Army National Guard. I&#39;m about one year into my six year (two years IRR after my six years, so eight years total) contract and as I speak to NCOs and Officers more, I&#39;ve been thinking more and more about finishing my contract with the National Guard, go Active Duty, go to the DS Academy, and just commission after I have a few years as an NCO. <br /><br />My CURRENT plan, as I mentioned before, is to go ROTC and earn my bar in about two years to go Active as a Cyber or MI Officer. <br /><br />SO- what are the pros and cons to 1) go ROTC to commission and 2) go the NCO route as an Active Duty Solider, THEN commission through the GREEN TO GOLD program<br /><br />Can anyone bestow upon me any pros and cons, experiences, etc. Thank you in advance.

2018-12-31T14:31:37-05:00 2018-12-31T14:31:37-05:00 CSM Darieus ZaGara 4249190

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>If you desire to become an officer why not complete ROTC? Thank you for your service.

2018-12-31T14:46:39-05:00 2018-12-31T14:46:39-05:00 MAJ Ken Landgren 4249193

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I doubt you can go to DS Academy with a commission.

2018-12-31T14:49:16-05:00 2018-12-31T14:49:16-05:00 SFC Private RallyPoint Member 4249673

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>If your ultimate goal is to commission, then don&#39;t get side tracked with alternate goals. Those are red herrings and delays.<br />Also, I&#39;m not an expert on ROTC, but I believe if you accept a scholarship and back out prior to completing it, you&#39;ll owe the money back that you received.

2018-12-31T18:33:57-05:00 2018-12-31T18:33:57-05:00 SGT Mark Rhodes 4249903

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Stay in and become a great Officer

2018-12-31T19:57:03-05:00 2018-12-31T19:57:03-05:00 COL Bob Bridgford 4254063

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>You&#39;re already in ROTC, complete it and get commissioned. As most have already said, don&#39;t get distracted. Cyber is great field. You&#39;ll have great NCO&#39;s to help you when you get commissioned. Listen and learn and you will improve as an officer. Bottom line, the Army will train and educate very well no matter what you choose. Thanks for signing up to be part of the One Percent who serve!

2019-01-02T13:53:28-05:00 2019-01-02T13:53:28-05:00 1LT Private RallyPoint Member 4255249

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Others have provided excellent advice, but I have some personal experience with this topic:<br /><br />For background, I enlisted back in 2011 after graduating college. I had no real idea about what I wanted to do and figured the Army would pay the bills in the mean time. I always considered being an officer, but never seriously planned to go that route until Dec 2014. At that time I was talking to my father about my plan to reclass and get promoted to SGT because my MOS points were so high. Knowing that I was considering commissioning during my career, he responded by asking me which side of the house I ultimately wanted to be on enlisted or commissioned (He’s a prior enlisted officer). <br /><br />I thought about it and at the end of my career, I envision myself being a LTC or COL not a CSM/SGM. I shifted my focus towards completing all the requirements necessary to enroll in a ROTC nursing program. I had to balance my active duty requirements and request a lot of favors but I ultimately got it done and enrolled one Aug 2017. That’s 6 years of not working toward my ultimate goal. Had I been focused from day one, I’d probably be a CPT right now. I had ALOT of SNCOs vouch for me and stick their necks out so that I got a shot. I’m grateful, but in reality I got lucky. <br /><br />The chance to commission later in your career isn’t guaranteed. Life happens, mission priorities shift, health statuses change. You are in a commissioning program now. This is your ultimate goal, strike while the iron is hot. Don’t leave the highway to take a detour that may not even get you to the desired location. Enlisted experience is great, I learned a lot about the Army and myself, but it is NOT necessary to be a great officer.

2019-01-03T00:04:10-05:00 2019-01-03T00:04:10-05:00 CPT Private RallyPoint Member 5443094

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Just do ROTC. Green to Gold is very competitive and not guaranteed by any means. Too risky. Go with what you have now.

2020-01-14T11:48:39-05:00 2020-01-14T11:48:39-05:00 2018-12-31T14:31:37-05:00