Posted on Aug 17, 2015
SGT Robert Pennington
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I am preparing my packet for the Green to Gold program since I already have two years of college and I want to finish my degree. What I'm curious about is, with me already having an MOS, how will I be reassigned? Will my degree play any part in what type of job I am given? Will I be given the choice to become an officer in the reserves since it's through ROTC?
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COL Deputy G2
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You are commissioned into the Army with a four year payback, and then years later you become Colonel or General.
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COL Deputy G2
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Really, your MOS has little to do with it. I was Infantry and was branched Aviation. My daughter was signal, majored in electrical engineering with computer/cyber focus and was just branched Artillery. It’s all needs of the Army and how well you compete in your program, ROTC or USMA.
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MAJ Director
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Be sure to contact the school you are trying to get into. I had almost 50 credits and they were all accepted, but (huge but here) not all of them were accepted to fulfill the requirements of my major. Some went to Gen Ed, rest went to electives. So I had to cram a lot of classes per semester to meet ROTC class requirements (Leadership Lab, etc) and specifics for my major. I had a 3 year scholarship, which I thought would allow a leisurely pace through college. But after my first semester, I ended up taking 6 or 7 classes total per semester; including summer and winter classes to graduate on time. ROTC does have some specific classes required each semester (varies by campus), plus you need to be actively involved in ROTC activities.

Remember, you have been on active duty, many of your peers will look up to you for guidance and will have a lot of questions. Answer them honestly, and be sure they know it was from your perspective as an enlisted soldier. I found that my perspective changed once I got to see what officers really did behind the scenes.

Keep the faith and thanks for serving our nation in this time of need. Hooah!
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CPT Company Commander
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Edited 10 y ago
You really have to understand the accessions process, it is very important that every cadet knows the expectations of him/her while they go through the first phase of the ROTC commissioning process. Every year group has an Order of Merit list (OML). Every single cadet in the entire nation is ranked on the OML. Although the accession process has been tweaked even as recently as my year group, there are certain criteria that affect your score that remains the same. The only difference would be the algorithm they use to calculate the rate. Nonetheless, EVERYTHING you do as a cadet counts: academics, PT score, performance at advanced camp, participation in your ROTC unit, military schools (i.e. airborne, air assault), your involvement in the community, etc. etc. You get points for your performance in all these things. That being said, your current MOS has zero affect on your OML score, nor your branch assignment. Zero. I was a PSYOP specialist, 4 time combat veteran, former OC at the Joint Multinational Training Center, SSG, etc...all that didn't matter to anything. What did matter from my enlisted career that went into my OML score was that I was airborne qualified, language qualified, and that I went to multiple deployments to different countries and did a Germany tour (which fulfilled the cultural awareness score). I worked very hard to get good grades and maintain a high PT score to get what I wanted. During your senior year, you fill out a branch selection worksheet; you rank all 16 branches in order to your liking. The accessions board then assigns you your branch by a complex process using your OML position and available branch assignments.

So, all that being said, you have to do very well and have a high OML score to get what you really want. You really have to understand the scoring system and realize as soon as you reach campus, your performance means everything. The statement below is correct, if you go Active Duty Option you are almost guaranteed an active duty commission. However, if you do poorly expect to get one of the least popular branches. Take pride in what you do and appreciate the fact that you are being awarded an active duty commission if that is what you desire. There are a lot of cadets out there that bust their ass for four whole years and at the end, they are upset because they didn't make the cut and got commissioned into the Reserve/National Guard. Best of luck to you, feel free to message me if you have any questions.
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1LT Platoon Leader
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You will be assigned a branch based on your ranking on the national ROTC OML, which is in turn based on a combination of your PT scores, GPA, leadership evals, etc. Your degree plays no part at all (except for a few engineering slots reserved for engineering majors), nor does your prior MOS. You are assigned a component before a branch (AD/AR/NG) which is also based on the OML. If you ask for reserves or NG you will almost certainly get it. Only AD slots are competitive.
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LTC Richard Cassem
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I suspect that you will have to compete for you MOS with your peers without regard for any other factors.
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CPT Executive Officer
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Once you are accepted and become a cadet, you will have to compete to get on Active Duty unless you apply for G2G Active Duty Option. You will also compete for your Branch (only if Active Duty). National Guard and Reserve cadets can request from the pool of branches available near the city they choose to do drills at.
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LTC Michael Brantley
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Robert, The G2G coordinator at your post should be able to help you with your questions. Those are good ones to be asking. Ultimately, your branch assignment upon commissioning will be needs of the Army, but your past experiences, your preference, and to a point your grades in college and your evaluations at the leadership camp (they used to call it LDAC, but have new names now) will impact the branch assignment you receive.

The Army is downsizing and so the number of LTs selected for Active Duty will be changing and you may have an opportunity to go directly into the USAR. That may depend on if you are doing a 2 year scholarship. Again, your best source of information on this will be the ROO at your university program or the G2G coordinator at your post. Good luck
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CPT Ray Doeksen
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Especially since we are in a drawing-down time, with the Army slated to lose 40K jobs from the active force, you're very likely to be offered the option of taking a reserve commission instead of RA. Sounds like you might want that, from your original post.
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SGT Robert Pennington
SGT Robert Pennington
10 y
Sir, I think I would like to become a reservist or national guard after my first four years of active duty. It sounds like it's easier to start a family as a weekend warrior. However, I am still at the very beginning of my career and my viewpoint could change.
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MAJ Jeff Coulter
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PV2 Pennington, have you brought this up through your chain of command? Green to Gold is not simply a degree completion program for the Soldier. It provides either an ROTC scholarship or reassignment to an ROTC battalion for two years so a Soldier can finish a degree and get a commission depending on which option you're accepted into. It requires your company cdr to nominate you for it. When I was a cdr, I only considered seasoned Soldiers (SPC-SSG) for this. I would investigate your cdr's policy before I filled out the packet.
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CPT Ray Doeksen
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One less-known fact: If you do go for the reserves, if you don't like the branch you've been assigned, there is one more chance ... if you find a unit that wants you, you can have them pull you into their branch. They need to have the open slot and want you there. Serious decision with long-term implications, but it can be done. I was branched IN but had that changed to FA by having my gaining unit determine my branch.
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