What was your Enlisted to Officer Commissioning choice?

2020-02-22T19:48:59-05:00

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Feb 22 at 2020 8:18 PM

2020-02-22T20:18:42-05:00

I chose ROTC based on desire for traditional college experience.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Feb 22 at 2020 10:18 PM

2020-02-22T22:18:06-05:00

I went to OCS, SSG Private RallyPoint Member, and I’ve never regretted my decision.

Response by LTC John Griscom made Feb 22 at 2020 10:26 PM

2020-02-22T22:26:13-05:00

Chose ROTC in college as pathway to get commission. Education was secondary at that time and only a means to the commission.

Response by LTJG Stephanie Thompson made Feb 22 at 2020 10:43 PM

2020-02-22T22:43:36-05:00

Technically, I was commissioned through ROTC. My path, however, was via STA-21. The reason that it was the ROTC that commissioned me is because the ROTC unit where I went to college was where I had to report for duty. There was no "STA-21" unit. There were actually only two of us that came through the ranks via the STA-21 program in the entire unit.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Feb 22 at 2020 10:57 PM

2020-02-22T22:57:27-05:00

I had been enlisted and knew that nursing was a direct commission. It would have been cool to do ROTC and I would be in better shape today, it is also extremely difficult to do a BSN and ROTC.

Response by LTC Mark Beattie made Feb 22 at 2020 11:51 PM

2020-02-22T23:51:55-05:00

OCS

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2020 12:00 AM

2020-02-23T00:00:02-05:00

I left active duty in 2017 to go to ROTC and pursue my BSN. My program front loaded the tougher ROTC requirement for nursing cadets in order to allow us to focus on the coursework once we started nursing classes. It was a tough balance between PT, Class and ROTC but I got it done.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Feb 23 at 2020 1:16 AM

2020-02-23T01:16:34-05:00

I ultimately was a Direct more because I put my foot down. Did USMA Beast Barracks and then they didn't like my eyes. Did boot and ENL time. Didn't need ROTC stuff. So I told the officer accessions type that Direct because I wasn't going to do the entry crap a third time. Worked as I was the first CEC ever to go to OIS. They ran that way for a number of years and then shifted to OCS as the warfighter aspects were being pushed harder and they wanted output to be of the same background as the rest.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2020 5:25 AM

2020-02-23T05:25:55-05:00

State OCS through the California Military Academy (CMA)

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made Feb 23 at 2020 7:48 AM

2020-02-23T07:48:42-05:00

warrant officer. Did not want to be a butter bar

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2020 8:10 AM

2020-02-23T08:10:18-05:00

Plan B - WO. Was asked to go to USNA as Sgt, but was not mature enough and not really my goal besides, so I passed.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2020 10:49 AM

2020-02-23T10:49:31-05:00

It depends on what your other goals are. If your only concern is commissioning, and you already have a bachelor’s, go to OCS. If you need a bachelor’s, knock out the degree and commissioning through ROTC.

I’m almost done with green to gold on a Master’s degree. You could do ROTC during a Master’s and commission that way.

It really just depends on what allows you to complete your goals.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2020 12:49 PM

2020-02-23T12:49:37-05:00

I transferred from active duty to the guard to try it out. I wanted to be home and go to school. Once I was on campus I said "well, I'm in the guard already and on campus.. I might as well do rotc"
It was a good experience and time. Made lots of friends that way and good networking opportunities in the military and in your field of study.

Response by LT John McCormick made Feb 23 at 2020 5:23 PM

2020-02-23T17:23:00-05:00

OCS... if I would have became a Warrant or LDO/Direct, I would have stayed in my Enlisted specialty... and I needed a change.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2020 9:00 PM

2020-02-23T21:00:22-05:00

I was commissioned at the Indiana Military Academy OCS Class XXXIX-93 and never looked back. A great choice for me and has served me well.

Response by MAJ William Smith made Feb 27 at 2020 6:49 PM

2020-02-27T18:49:07-05:00

I quit ROTC and four years later found myself a PFC. Four years after that I was a “candidate.” I regretted quitting ROTC every day of OCS and never a day afterword. Drive on.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 29 at 2020 7:14 PM

2020-02-29T19:14:55-05:00

I attended a university with mandatory ROTC first two years. Most of us treated it as depicted in “Animal House,” I.e., a big joke. Well the joke was on me. My instructors urged me to go to the Advanced Course, but I declined. My Junior year was 1965-66. Things in Vietnam really heated up. My Senior year 1966-67, the infamous Catonsville, MD Draft Board #33, changed my II-S student deferment to 1-A. I was 400 miles away. My mother was furious, stormed the Draft board and I was returned to II-S. I graduated May 17, 1967. On May 18, I was 1-A. So, at my father’s urging, I completed Engineer OCS and was commissioned as an Ordnance Officer in 1968. I had no aptitude nor interest in Ordnance and was successful in serving in Branch Immaterial assignments in Vietnam. I had no desire to spend my war shoving giant QTips down the main gun of a M48, or supervising others. No regrets. Just could have been smarter.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 30 at 2020 1:04 PM

2020-03-30T13:04:04-04:00

Direct Commission was my source. The other options we're not viable in my situation... Age, already a college graduate, been in for a while, etc.