Will enrolling in ROTC while in Army Reserves help me attain my goal of going active duty in an Infantry MOS?

Larry Fajardo — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 21:48:05 -0400

this is my first rp post. I have a few questions about the rotc program but first I'll explain my current situation.
My goal was to enlist in the army as an active duty infantrymen I passed my asvab & was set for meps next week. Unfortunately my recruiter informed me that GED slots for active duty were no longer available & that I would have to go reserves. I was really not trying to do reserves for 3 years it's not for me I initially backed out but my recruiter persuaded me by telling me to use the army benefits to go to college & take the rotc program that way by the time I go active duty I'll be an officer. It made sense & motivated me to take on the reserves. I leave for a 4 month army bct in October & when I come back I'll be a 92y which doesn't get me excited but it'll do for now. Remember I go to meps next week so I have not signed a contract yet so if I'm making a mistake by joining the reserves please let me know. Here are my questions.
1. Can a reservist that graduated from Rotc /ocs go active duty ? I've read that AD is not guaranteed?
2. Do you need a 4 year college degree ? I've read that if you complete bct/ait the first 2 years are waived off for Rotc is this true ?
3. Am I taking the right path here? My goal is active duty in a infantry mos . Will being a reservist & enrolling in the rotc program benefit me ?
I'm sorry if these questions sound foolish to you guys I'm just a 19 yr old civilian who planned on enlisting as AD. Now I'm here debating if the reserves is the right path to take or just wait until more ged slots open up .
Please any advice helps. Thank you all.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 8 at 2018 10:21 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 22:21:11 -0400

You do need a 4 year degree. You just don't have to take Rotc 4 years

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 8 at 2018 10:48 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 22:48:40 -0400

You can go ROTC simultaneous to AR. You can then go Infantry as it appears that the Army is always looking for combat arms officers. The only warm and fuzzy i don’t have is the competitive process of ROTC to AD officer.

Response by LTC John Mohor made Jun 8 at 2018 11:53 PM

LTC John Mohor — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 23:53:18 -0400

If you want to Plus up your chances on going active duty go the University of North Georgia. They're a four year Army ROTC program with a Corps of Cadets. The Leadership trading is awesome. Going Reserves even 92Y Supply will never hurt you. If your gonna be an officer no matter what branch the better you understand supply at the unit level especially the better off you'll be. Regardless of when you start ROTC by starting out enlisted in the Reserves you'll get the clock started on completing 20 years service toward retirement. I know that's way off in your thinking right now but as you get older it looms big! Take all four years of ROTC if you can get that degree. The leadership training is some of the best anywhere! Good luck in all your future endeavors Larry!

Response by LTC John Mohor made Jun 8 at 2018 11:58 PM

LTC John Mohor — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 23:58:40 -0400

Training not Trading! North Georgia has a great reputation in the Army. As of the past academic year they were number 1 receiving the McArthur Leadership award and the placed fourth over all in Ranger Challenge Teams at Sandhurst competition conducted at West Point placing highest among all ROTC units as well as West Point. Google it and check it out for your self. Back in the 80s when I went there we had guaranteed active duty slots even without having to be in top 10% of Commissioning Seniors.

Response by SGT Eric Davis made Jun 9 at 2018 12:36 AM

SGT Eric Davis — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 00:36:53 -0400

Are you trying to be an officer or just go active duty ?

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made Jun 9 at 2018 1:21 AM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 01:21:01 -0400

Regular Army commission thru ROTC is very competitive and been on the reserve will not give you any advantage. Also, branch assigmament are competitive as well! The biggest benefit of been in the reserves is the additional school benefits. Additionally, you mentioned that initially you tried to enlist. Are you aware of the difference between an enlisted and commissioned officer? There is a whole world of differences when it comes to duties and responsibilities.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jun 9 at 2018 7:37 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 07:37:31 -0400

Going on the assumption that Recruiters have a mission to fill and don't always tell you all of the rules.
Yes, the Army, Marines and Navy all restrict GED's, the last thing I read officially is the restricts them to under 10 percent. The Fiscal year for the Army started last October, so by this time of the year that quota is generally gone. OTOH, if active duty Infantry was your goal, you could have just waited until the next fiscal year and enlisted then. The recruiter gave you that information, just didn't lead you to asking the right question, which would have been when would those slots be available. I've never had a recruiter lie to me, but sometimes they don't lead you to asking all the right questions.
The other choice is to enlist with a GED is getting 15 credit hours from an accredited college then enlist. The 15 credit hours puts you as a Tier 1 Recruit, just like a High School Diploma. Don't have to worry about slots at that point. Here the local technical college is about $170 a credit hour.

Option number 3 depends on the State. There are very limited Combat Arm in the Army Reserve, but that isn't true on the National Guard side of things. A lot of States have large Infantry and/or Combined Arms unit that would offer a chance to be Infantry. You don't have to join in your own state. See if you like it, get some rank and experience and then switch to Active Duty. To be clear, that isn't as simple as it sounds, but it's a path that is available.

Response by CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 9 at 2018 10:32 AM

CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 10:32:21 -0400

With your goal in mind, it seems like the more direct route would be to enroll in an adult education program to earn a HS diploma then enlist as an 11b. The 15 college credit hours mentioned in another response seems like a good idea as well, but might be more expensive than simply finishing your HS diploma. If you end up going reserves, why not go National Guard as an 11b? At least that way you'd be an infantryman. You cannot tell what branch you'd get if you did OCS.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Jun 10 at 2018 3:45 PM

SGM Erik Marquez — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 15:45:46 -0400

Spenser Rapone you forgot how to spell your name, feel free to correct it in your profile, and then verify with a redacted copy of your DD214

Response by LTC Ingrid Centurion made Jun 10 at 2018 7:12 PM

LTC Ingrid Centurion — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 19:12:00 -0400

I had an Army ROTC three year scholarship then went on active duty for 20 years.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 16 at 2018 11:25 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 16 Jun 2018 23:25:10 -0400

1. Yes. However, when you contract with ROTC at your university do NOT sign a Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD) contract if you are thinking about going active duty. If you sign one of those, you are telling Cadet Command you will commission into the National Guard or Army Reserves. Instead, request to compete for active duty, aka an "open contract." This gives you the option to compete for active duty or go guard/reserve if you change your mind.
2. You need a 4 year degree. The cutoff to enroll in ROTC is the end of your academic sophomore year because you need to be contracted by junior year. I have seen one person enroll and contract junior year, but know that is very rare. You will not get waived just for completing BCT/AIT. That was not the case for myself or any of my friends.
3. Yes. IMO, you are taking the right path. I enlisted into the Ohio Army National Guard my freshman year of college as a 15P. Went to basic training over the summer, and then contracted "open" with ROTC my sophomore year. I chose open instead of a GRFD because I wanted to keep my options open between active duty and the guard. I joined the army with the intent of becoming an aviator, and I am currently living that dream as a 15A. If you are joining the reserves to eventually become an active duty infantry officer, you will achieve your dream with the right attitude and commitment.
4. If you have any questions about ROTC and the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP), please feel free to message me. Good luck to you.

-Luke

Response by CPT Andrew Wright made Sep 6 at 2018 8:56 PM

CPT Andrew Wright — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 20:56:16 -0400

Being in the USAR would probably increase your chance of going right back into the USAR as an officer. To get Active Duty officer you need to be one of the top cadets in your class. Obtaining an ROTC scholarship is also a plus. Infantry branch assignment is not too hard to get but the hard part comes later during training and the follow on schools expected (think about starving and freezing as a Ranger candidate). What you are asking is certainly possible but not easily achieved. Best of luck!

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jan 18 at 2019 1:30 PM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 13:30:23 -0500

OK, let's talk the rules. A GED makes you a Tier II recruit, which means there are limited slots and you have to have a high AFQT score, above 50 off the top of my head. If you main goal it to go Active Duty Army Infantry, the fastest way would be to get 15 college credits, which will move you to a Tier I recruit and should allow you to get both Active Duty and Infantry. So you can do a semester or two at the local community college and go in in the MOS you desire as long as your ASVAB scores are good enough.

Response by SPC(P) Timeo Williams made Jul 30 at 2020 12:07 PM

SPC(P) Timeo Williams — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 12:07:25 -0400

1. Yes, going AD is going to be dependent on multiple factors: You're major, your GPA, your leadership score, your PT score, ext. You're competing against cadets from all across the country that mostly want infantry. It will be tough!

2. You can skip the first 2 years of ROTC(MLS 1 & 2), if you've done BT & AIT.