Cadet PVT Ali Burianek - Let me start by offering some friendly advice; take a moment and breathe. Consider the positives; you are getting an education and preparing for what can be a rewarding career...many in your peer group have no idea what happens after graduation. Realize also that you are not actually "in the Army" at all yet. No commissioning program, be it OCS, ROTC, or the Academy can every truly offer a perspective on the "real world" military. The day you graduate, you'll be a second lieutenant; a "butter bar", but an actual solider...just like the cadet cadre and officers who, for the moment, seem to be "running the show". They will get not one single step farther out of the shoot than anyone else in their year group; your first day, is your first day. There will be A LOT more training beyond ROTC, and more years of learning what it really means to be a commissioned officer before you ever experience that first real moment of terrifying, electrifying responsibility in an actual unit. You will be mentored by NCOs, many of whom will be EXCEPTIONAL soldiers, offering a wealth of practical and technical wisdom you can draw from. If you want to stay...keep your head in the boat, stay in your lane, get your degree, earn your commission...be open to what comes next. EVERYTHING in your life will change over the next few years...believe me.

Now...some additional advice. The Military isn't actually about uniforms, protocol, and most certainly not about the highly romanticized view of it created by Hollywood. The Military exists to defend the Constitutional interests and rights of the people of the United States, through force if necessary. Lots of folks participate in this mission at many different levels. Some devote their lives to being the best warfighters possible. Others become superior logisticians, technicians, or other support providers. You will find little "spit and polish" down range in an infantry company...you'll find life "closer to the flag pole" about as regulated as any reasonable person can stand. Military life is often mundane...or by contrast, ridiculously chaotic. Our pride in service, exhibited by customs, courtesies, and bearing, all stem from respect for the sacrifices made-some obvious, some not, in fulfilling our mission...not the other way around my friend.

In closing, understand that what you seem to be chaffing under isn't unique. I never served as a junior enlisted person (something I often regret), but having viewed from afar...my sense is that young service members are young, and act young, whether wearing a stripe or a bar. My guess is that if you put ten PFCs in a room with ten 2LTs, with none of them knowing each other's ranks...you'd find out there's a lot more in common between them than anyone might guess...and every chance that some might appear to "fit in" better with the "other side". A true leader, especially in the Military, understands that what binds us as a "Band of Brothers" has nothing to do with the uniforms or ranks we wear, but what we endure together.

Cadet Burianek,

It’s seems like you have experiencing what I experienced when I left active duty service to go to ROTC back in 2017. It was very apparent to me that ROTC was NOTHING like the “real Army”. But it was never intended to be like the real Army.

ROTC focuses on teaching civilian college students the bare minimum (or slightly above that) about military etiquette,bearing and customs and curtesies . There is so much to cover that it’s impossible for your Cadre to get to all of it in only a few hours a week. For reference, those same NCOs and Officers in your department acquired their military knowledge over many years of military courses, deployments and day to day experiences.

Cadet land rank is mostly just a way of getting cadets (who typically have no experience) familiar with having a rank structure. Most cadets don’t fully by uniform because it isn’t “real” to them yet. All you can do is continue to “play the game” and do the right thing. I’m sure your cadre have noticed you doing the right things.

As far as finding friends, don’t limit yourself to just the ROTC department. There are plenty of other organizations on campus and people in the surrounding community. Join a social club or fraternity, volunteer. Not only would you get out and meet people, but you’d also be getting OML points for accessions.

If your end goal is to commission, then the path you are currently on is the shortest. Stick to it and it will be over before you know it. I’m not sure what year you are in, but four years passes by quickly.

Then leave the ROTC program, get your degree, enlist in the service of choice then go to OCS.