What tips can you give for Army ROTC?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 19:51:13 -0400

I’m currently Active guard reserve. I’m deciding to refrad off the program next year due to me getting a 2 year ROTC scholarship. Can anyone provide any tips on what to expect or your personal experience with ROTC?

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jun 6 at 2020 8:04 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 20:04:41 -0400

Troop Leading Procedures
Five Paragraph Op Order
Small unit patrolling
PT

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2020 8:07 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 20:07:16 -0400

I have a fair bit to say, connect with me and I'll message you when I have the time?

The short version of what I have to offer is humble yourself as an equal among other cadets, prepare yourself for the craziness of TRADOC, keep up with the young kids and get in great shape, and take as many risks as you can, i.e. don't be afraid to make a lot mistakes and then admit you made those mistakes. ROTC is better than OCS because you get more time to adjust yourself to Officer roles and experiment with leadership style and different planning methods with little to no real cost, comparatively.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2020 9:02 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 21:02:47 -0400

Was an E7 when I went to ROTC, then was a PMS recently and can lend some insights. Send me a message and we’ll connect to go over it SGT M.

STEADFAST

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Jun 6 at 2020 10:35 PM

LTC Eugene Chu — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 22:35:16 -0400

I did ROTC as a prior service with a Green-to-Gold scholarship. While the other commenters have detailed advice in private, here are some general tips...

1. Ensure proper prioritization. Properly plan your time to maintain good PT score, good academic GPA and extracurricular activities for both fun and building profile for order of merit list. College can be busy due to multiple requirements that need to be completed
2. ROTC advanced camp (summer in between junior and senior year) is testing, not training. Although you indirectly learn, the primary purpose is to compare you with other college ROTC cadets for ranking. Maintain a competitive mindset since camp assessment contributes towards your commissioning wants
3. Budget your finances. You mentioned scholarship which will pay for school tuition, but cadet stipend is lower than E-1 pay. Make sure that you can monetarily survive until graduation
4. Be open minded about your cadet peers. You may be around a large number of prior enlisted or non-prior college students. They all have strengths and weaknesses that you need to align with
5. Be careful about romantic relationships. I know of a cadet couple that married during the program and of a different cadet couple that required cadre intervention after nasty break-up. You may or may not find spouse, but ensure it does not interfere with your time as a college student

Response by MAJ Matthew Arnold made Jun 6 at 2020 10:42 PM

MAJ Matthew Arnold — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 22:42:18 -0400

Congratulation, as a prior service NCO I am sure you will make a great officer. Good luck.

Response by 1LT Kevin Chapman made Jun 7 at 2020 1:39 AM

1LT Kevin Chapman — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 01:39:10 -0400

If you have any direct questions send me a message!

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 7 at 2020 3:25 AM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 03:25:42 -0400

I remember seeing some of you posts in previous enlisted to officer posts. Congratulations on getting the ROTC scholarship. You’ve already gotten some great advice in this thread. Feel free to message me.

Response by COL David Turk made Jun 7 at 2020 7:24 AM

COL David Turk — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 07:24:08 -0400

Aside from ROTC, you may want to check out any “veterans on campus” groups.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 7 at 2020 9:20 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 09:20:59 -0400

SGT,
you probably have all the tactical and technical skill set and experience to complete the program relatively easily. You should develop more leadership skills. it should be fun. I went through ROTC in the late 80s, was an APMS in 2004. Your experience will be a benefit but don't allow it to be a distraction.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 8 at 2020 2:42 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 14:42:29 -0400

Know contact drills. How to maneuver. Troop Leading Procedures. OPORD format and its use.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Jun 8 at 2020 5:58 PM

COL Jon Thompson — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 17:58:16 -0400

Stay focused on academics as well as ROTC. You could be the greatest military cadet leader in the nation but if you do not graduate, you will not commission. Also, do not be afraid to ask questions simply because you would be a prior service NCO. What ROTC covers is considerably different from any enlisted experience outside of possibly combat arms. So don't think you have to know it all or you will look weak. Finally, share your enlisted/NCO experience with the new cadets. Depending on the program, you may encounter a bunch of new college students right out of high school.