Suggestions for prior enlisted commissioning through ROTC?

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:05:56 -0400

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2015 8:08 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:08:27 -0400

Understand that ROTC is cadet land and not the Army. Don't get frustrated with the training.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2015 8:16 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:16:53 -0400

If you are still active I would suggest the green to gold program

Response by MAJ Keira Brennan made Aug 31 at 2015 8:38 PM

MAJ Keira Brennan — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:38:49 -0400

John,
I was a prior service cadet at Advance Camp in 1992. There were a bunch of cadets that had deployed to Desert Shield/Storm who clearly know what the reality of combat was all about. I myself had done BCT/AIT and served in a Division Staff Section as a pouge (but who had done REFORGER and plenty of time in the field at Ft. Reilly). I COULD NOT STAND Cadet “5 days in service…” Men or (worse) women. What helped me was I had my CTT down cold and could definitely run a squad through strac lanes. Part of the job is to learn the CTT (every officer should know ALL THEM damnit) and to know how to lead a bunch of wanna-bee “status” seekers. Sounds (and looks like) you have had a LOT of great experience. Understand that they are learning and you will be expected to lead. That’s a great thing!
AVOID SPOTLIGHT RANGERS AT ALL COST!

Response by PFC Tuan Trang made Aug 31 at 2015 8:47 PM

PFC Tuan Trang — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:47:28 -0400

Enroll and go for it, Enlisted get headstart comparing to no prior service, Patience,Commitment, And study the course, there alot of classwork, Keep your grade up. Also don't forget to ask question if you stuck, it better to learn more by asking then don't ask at all.

Response by MAJ Keith FitzPatrick, CPIM, CSCP made Aug 31 at 2015 9:31 PM

MAJ Keith FitzPatrick, CPIM, CSCP — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 21:31:49 -0400

I went through ROY after serving 4 years on active duty. You will probably find a lot of other prior service cadets thesedays. Remember that ROTC is really a recruiting program so it will not be as intense as the regular Army. You are probably going to be a lot more mature than the non-prior cadets. Have fun,but don't succumb to all the frat boy antics. Have the moral courage to lead by example.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2015 9:42 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 21:42:50 -0400

Be patient with the other cadets. Help them with their troop leading procedures. Don't be afraid to take charge, but let the other cadets also get a chance. Give feedback, but don't be too judgemental. Most of the cadets will have no military experience, so stay calm and relax.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2015 10:14 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 22:14:39 -0400

Proffer no Excuses: Never volunteer excuses or explain a shortcoming unless an explanation is required. The Army demands results. More damage than good is done by proffering unsought excuses.
Cliche I know (especially for us OCS people) but it has served me very well. Go in with the understanding that your prior service will initially help you with first impressions, but that's about it. How you conduct yourself when dealing with the other cadets and especially with hardships will reinforce or destroy the initial impression you make based on your prior experience.

Please don't let the words, "in my unit..." "in my experience" or any variation of the words pass your lips, your peers will be influenced by what you say and especially what you do and how you react to different situations, be professional and don't claim experience you don't have.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Aug 31 at 2015 11:58 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 23:58:17 -0400

Read the multiple posts in this group on the same topic. Lots of advice from many good contributors.
http://www.rallypoint.com/answers/attending-rotc-soon-any-tips?page=3&urlhash=674174#674174

Attending ROTC soon. Any tips? | RallyPoint

Well i'm not much of a talker, but currently as you all know i'm a private first class, and currentlywaiting for my money for school. I'm thinking about trying out for Rotc. I got alot of friend saying that the road from cadet to officer is long and hard, But i'm gonna try to make it through.Any tips for me? I'm going to UH downtown Houston Battalion.

Response by 1st Lt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2015 12:53 AM

1st Lt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:53:42 -0400

SPC Russell,

Your being prior enlisted will be a great help in ROTC. You've already had experiences and responsibilities most cadets have not had. This puts you in a position to mentor other cadets in your class. Most cadets don't have much experience in regards to responsibility and leadership when they start. Many come straight from high school. Mentoring them will help them succeed, hone your own leadership skills, and make you stand out to the cadre.

Speaking from experience as a former cadet, the prior enlisted guys were generally looked to for advice and as mentors by their classmates.

I've been told by a former Air Force E-5 (now 2d Lt) that sometimes he had a hard time taking ROTC seriously after going through basic and having done 8 years of active duty. He said it was important to step back and consider that the program teaches people with usually no military experience in a college environment, so there's stuff he already knew or thought the cadet wing could be doing something better. That's when he would mentor his classmates, or make suggestions up the cadet chain of command as to how something could be done more effectively. The message I took away from it is utilize your experience to keep yourself engaged and benefit your fellow cadets and your unit.

Some people say not to volunteer for anything in the military. DO NOT apply this advice to ROTC. The cadre are looking for leaders who stand out, not people who coast for one reason or another. Take the initiative, volunteer whenever you're able to.

That being said, academics come first. If the cadre are any good, they'll say that too. You won't commission without a degree, so avoid being swamped, and use every academic resource you can. For AFROTC your GPA is very important when it comes to being selected for field training after your second year, and later your career field. I would assume that carries over to AROTC in competing for an active duty slot, and getting branched for infantry, aviation, etc. One trick to keep your GPA up for the selection boards is take easier classes your first two or three years if your degree allows it. Figure out which year is the most intense for whatever ROTC program you're in, and try to schedule easy classes for that year especially.
If you have a bad semester and drop your GPA significantly, give serious thought to taking summer/j-term classes to repair your GPA before any boards, even if it means paying out of pocket rather than having your scholarship cover it. Consider it an investment in your future.

If you're considering AFROTC at all, here's a brief description: The first two years of AFROTC (General Military Course) are learning followership, leadership, responsibility, customs and courtesies, uniform wear, and is in general kind of a forced maturation process. The last two years (Professional Officer Course) are pretty leadership intensive. You'll be a cadet officer and be assigned tasks and subordinates. If your superiors are good, you'll be expected to use initiative and come up with a plan for accomplishing the task and execute it. You'll learn how to utilize your subordinates and delegate.
Prior enlisted can skip the first 2 years of AFROTC and go straight to Field Training (not sure if that applies only to airmen, or if other branch's enlisted can do it too). Something to consider if you don't need the four years for your degree and already have credits.

Remember ROTC is a learning environment, so people aren't going to be perfect in carrying out their tasks. You'll see both good and bad leadership (be very careful of micromanagment) and followership examples. Learn from them. Mentor others. Give feedback to your peers if you think something could be improved. Its an opportunity to learn to be a better leader and at the same time to shape future leaders of our military.

Also, be careful about underage drinking, or if you're of age, of being excessively intoxicated. Leadership is really cracking down, and it's kind of a zero tolerance environment for alcohol related incidents. Younger cadets may take cues from you on what is acceptable behavior, so its a major area where you could influence your classmates for better or for worse.

Overall, work hard on everything, take the initiative and show a good attitude, and remember that as a cadet with prior service, you will be looked at as a leader/mentor by your classmates.

Best of luck in ROTC,

Lt Tincher

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Sep 1 at 2015 1:46 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 01:46:34 -0400

Triple edged sword. Most said it can help you, edge one. Just remember how it can hurt by letting your ego lead (edge two), being a FKIA, etc. Think about the third edge that can give you a boost in your leadership growth and that is how it can help others. Hone that one. Edge one will take care of itself.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2015 10:15 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:15:09 -0400

Get good grades! Learn and stay calm!

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2015 12:13 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:13:32 -0400

2LT Private RallyPoint Member, having traveled this same road, my best advice to you is enjoy yourself and the new direction you have chosen to take your career. Take yourself seriously in the areas in which you must: academics, APFT, and other ROTC-related events and activities that will determine your ranking among your peers on your program's OML. This is important because when it comes time for Accessions, this is what will determine whether or not you go AD or RC, and branch selection. Everything else, just roll with it and have fun. You can either be the biggest dick in the program that everyone despises, or the guy that everyone else respects and trusts and will turn to for assistance in getting them squared away in AR 670-1 or FM 7-8. How you handle yourself with your peers in the first week or two will determine which one you become, so play your hand carefully. I had a great time as a Cadet, even though some of the training was tedious and silly, particularly the Advanced Camp at Fort Lewis. But it's a game you must play to get that Gold Bar, and yes, it is very much worth it!
As an Assistant Professor of Military Science, I experienced two individuals who did not handle this transition well. Despite the above advice, they fell into the category of the despised. They didn't return for their second year.
Best of luck to you as you embark on this new and exciting phase of your career! Have fun with it!

Response by MAJ David Kline made Sep 3 at 2015 3:54 PM

MAJ David Kline — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 15:54:38 -0400

Being a mustang has been awesome for me. My suggestion is to keep in mind that ROTC is about developing leaders, not learning how to correctly employ a claymore. Remember your enlisted/NCO experience but realize you've GOT to wear a new hat in ROTC. The younger cadets will look up to you for advice and guidance. Don't treat them like you're an NCO and they are enlisted. Treat them like peers. They will have high respect for you.

Same thing when you get to your new unit. DO NOT get into NCO business, but direct it as an officer.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 10 at 2015 6:34 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 18:34:47 -0400

Learn the Troop Leading Procedures and the OPORD format. It is a very good document.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 11 at 2015 4:43 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 16:43:38 -0400

What branch do you want?

Response by CPT Ray Gilmore made Sep 19 at 2018 1:46 PM

CPT Ray Gilmore — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 13:46:58 -0400

The 3 rules I give to every newly minted "O"; goes like this, and in order of your priority....

(1) Take care of your Joe's, and they'll take care of you.

(2) LISTEN to your NCO's. (Especially if you are prior service.... let them do their job, you do your new one.)

(3) Leave it better than you found it.