Posted on Jan 1, 2019
Would it be better for me to join and ship off to basic, or go through ROTC?
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Hello, I am a military wife and I have always wanted to serve myself. I have enlisted before but did not get to go to basic due to an ACL tear before I left. I had to get out soon after because of how long I was instructed to wear the knee brace, then I had kids, and now I would like to try to get back in and serve. My question is, would it be better for me to join and ship off to basic, or go through ROTC? I am not in shape right now to pass a PT test, but definitely will be assuming I can get in and get started. Pros and cons either way would help. Thank you in advance.
ROTC
Basic Combat Training (BCT)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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Christy C either way get in shape first.
If you enlist right away your time in service begins and it starts your clock on retirement. ROTC does not. Unless you go to basic then get chosen or have it already in your contract to go OCS you will be enlisted and pay is way less than if you are an officer which is guaranteed upon graduation of ROTC. Unless things changed you will need a bachelor's (or close to it) to get to go to OCS or later decide to try direct commission.
So the big questions are:
1: Do you want to be enlisted or an officer?
2: If you want to be an officer do you qualify for OCS or is ROTC the only way you can go at this point?
3: If you do not already have a college degree can you afford school without a scholarship or GI Bill?
4: Do you want to do it full-time or be a reservist or guardsman? (ROTC has limited scholarships for guaranteed guard/reserve, but it is only 2 years, which begs how you pay for years 1 and 2).
5: If you want to go reserve or guard you can enlist then do ROTC as a SMP (meaning you do your weekends and ROTC and get paid as an E5).
Hope this helps. Good luck in whatever you decide.
If you enlist right away your time in service begins and it starts your clock on retirement. ROTC does not. Unless you go to basic then get chosen or have it already in your contract to go OCS you will be enlisted and pay is way less than if you are an officer which is guaranteed upon graduation of ROTC. Unless things changed you will need a bachelor's (or close to it) to get to go to OCS or later decide to try direct commission.
So the big questions are:
1: Do you want to be enlisted or an officer?
2: If you want to be an officer do you qualify for OCS or is ROTC the only way you can go at this point?
3: If you do not already have a college degree can you afford school without a scholarship or GI Bill?
4: Do you want to do it full-time or be a reservist or guardsman? (ROTC has limited scholarships for guaranteed guard/reserve, but it is only 2 years, which begs how you pay for years 1 and 2).
5: If you want to go reserve or guard you can enlist then do ROTC as a SMP (meaning you do your weekends and ROTC and get paid as an E5).
Hope this helps. Good luck in whatever you decide.
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MAJ Fred Peterman
For some military professionals, a bachelor's degree is not enough. To advance in certain career fields as an officer, you must continue to advance. Civilian education AND professional military education. Enlisted or officer. There are certain courses manditory fo advancement
Officers Basic Course, then Officers Advance Course. Branch specific. When I was in then came Combined Arms Service School (CAS3). After that was war college. These courses are competitive, and a slot is not guaranteed. Enlisted also gas these gateways.
No matter which way you choose it's a hell of a decision. You are wise to seek counsel.
These decisions are the remainder of your life!
Officers Basic Course, then Officers Advance Course. Branch specific. When I was in then came Combined Arms Service School (CAS3). After that was war college. These courses are competitive, and a slot is not guaranteed. Enlisted also gas these gateways.
No matter which way you choose it's a hell of a decision. You are wise to seek counsel.
These decisions are the remainder of your life!
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ROTC and Basic Combat Training (BCT) are two completely different things with two completely different objectives. ROTC trains young people (college students) to become officers. BCT trains young people to become the enlisted personnel, the backbone of the Army. ROTC is a four-year college program and is only available if you are currently enrolled in a credit producing university. In other words, if you are not currently a college student, you can't do ROTC. As for BCT, I would say that going to Basic would be a whole lot tougher than ROTC, because the Army needs to teach you an enormous amount of skills in less than 3 months what ROTC can teach you in 4 years. But then again, ROTC trains officers, not enlisted personnel. I would highly recommend talking to a recruiter. And also, I would strongly urge you to consider MAJ Peterman's advice. The Army always puts itself before your family, so be absolutely certain joining is what you want to do before doing it.
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Christy C
I mean, I know what it all is, I was just asking opinions of people who are in. I’m in college right now hence me considering the rotc option. I’m just not sure if it’s worth being enlisted and having to deal with 17 year olds thinking they’re hot stuff in basic, and having DSs that are younger than me yelling in my face and telling me how to clean a bathroom. Or just go through the rotc basic where it’s more of getting yelled at for actually messing up.
I was raised around the military, I don’t claim to know everything, but I do know that they come first.
I was raised around the military, I don’t claim to know everything, but I do know that they come first.
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MAJ Fred Peterman
Someone needs to mention OCS(Officers Candidate School). Exceptional enlisted are, I believe, recommended and complete yhe prescribed course. On the Guard, exceptional soldiers "attended " weekend assemblies and were taught by the "Cadre". These were military educators who taught classes, tactics, drill , and other required material to transform an enlisted soldier into an officer. Very competitive. Dificult. They were already soldiers! NOW they officer leadership.
Don't know about other branches, but by gosh these soldiers were tested and NOT found to be wanting. Some of my Lieutenants were OCS.
Don't know about other branches, but by gosh these soldiers were tested and NOT found to be wanting. Some of my Lieutenants were OCS.
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MAJ Fred Peterman
Christy C Christy, as someone pointed out, a drill sergeant has a markedly different focus. If the Drill Sergeant has their act together, they are constantly evaluating and re-evaluating. A good drill sergeant SHOULD be able to size you up. Your potential! That is what they are looking for. At the risk of being trite. They want their soldiers to exceed. Not meet standards but to exceed. To become other leaders. To perpetuate the US . To believe that we are in fact that we are the best country in the world abd the best military in the world. And we all began with a drill sergeant getting "in our face".
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1LT Ting-Yu C.
Christy C - If you are currently enrolled in college and meet all the requirements, then I highly recommend going the ROTC route. If you choose to enlist and go through BCT and AIT now, you would essentially put your college on hold, and there is no saying if you'd ever be able to complete it. Whereas for ROTC, it's literally just a class that will not interfere with your other studies. As for your concerns about 17-year-olds in BCT, I can assure you that those kind of people are everywhere. ROTC will have "hot stuff guys" too. BCT and ROTC both contain a wide variety of people. We had a 31-year-old with an 11-year-old daughter complete BCT in our platoon. In my ROTC, we have a former Marine Corps sergeant who plans to commission in the Army.
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It depends on the route you want to take. Do you want to be a commissioned officer or an enlisted personnel. I was enlisted in the Army Reserves before becoming a cadet. Let's just say it was very difficult to get a conditional release. I had basically two more months to receive my release or I would have been kicked out of ROTC. I did not contract until the end of my junior year. I would say if you want to go active duty as an officer than do ROTC. If you want to go national guard or Reserves, you can get the GRFD scholarship. Just think on what you want your goals to be in life and do some research. Contacting the Assitant professor of Military Science can be beneficial and give you advice on what steps you should take. I assume you want to be an officer since you are thinking about ROTC. Also with a
torn ACL, it might be harder because you will need a medical waiver.
torn ACL, it might be harder because you will need a medical waiver.
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SFC Ralph E Kelley
Christy C Okay.
1. You can do it.
2. If you don't you're not living up to your potential.
3. If you follow the easier route then you will never - ever - find the higher place you could have been.
4. People will tellk to "follow your heart", but should instead tell to (not my words but good advice) seek opportunities.
5. As an Officer you will still have the same experiences and more than if you enlist.
6. Its the better choice in so many intangible ways - Satisfaction, Self-Respect, Goal Accomplishment, etc, etc).
Don't settle for second best when you can do so much more. It won't be easy but you can do it. You are the only thing that is holding you back. Take ROTC
1. You can do it.
2. If you don't you're not living up to your potential.
3. If you follow the easier route then you will never - ever - find the higher place you could have been.
4. People will tellk to "follow your heart", but should instead tell to (not my words but good advice) seek opportunities.
5. As an Officer you will still have the same experiences and more than if you enlist.
6. Its the better choice in so many intangible ways - Satisfaction, Self-Respect, Goal Accomplishment, etc, etc).
Don't settle for second best when you can do so much more. It won't be easy but you can do it. You are the only thing that is holding you back. Take ROTC
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