ROTC or the 'Zoo'

[Joshrk22]

Hey,

Which route did you or would military guys go? I'm a junior this year and I need to start thinking about college. I was trying to decide between civilian and military. I think so far I'm leaning towards AD AF until my committment is up, then on to an airline job while flying for the Guard.

I'm currently a Junior in HS, with a 3.892 GPA and a 26 on the ACT (took it as a Soph. and I have to take it again this year) with a lot of tough classes. I'm involved in many clubs and leadership positions and I play 3 sports a year. I also work and I fly during my off days. Yes, I am very busy, but I like pushing myself I guess.

I think I would rather do ROTC, because I get to have a normal college life; hang with my girlfriend and friends, flight instruct, go to football & basketball games, etc. Just grow as a person and I think the Academy wouldn't offer me that.

I am aware they get more flying positions offered then what ROTC does. But, I think if I bust my butt I can get a spot through ROTC.

Another thing, by the time I graduate I will have enough AP classes and college courses finished (enrolling in Community college this summer) that I will be able to skip my freshman year of college. Will this hurt me when it comes to getting an SQ/CC recommendation since I have not progressed through all 4 years of the ROTC program.

Also, how does the whole ROTC scholarships work? I want to attend U of M - Ann Arbor or University of Chicago (I think they have a ROTC program), but I think these would be highly competitve for a flying spot.

Thoughts?

 

[Pistlpetet]

You should apply to everything. You sound like a smart kid. Why not apply to the AF and Navy Academies? You can always turn them down, but you can never go back again and "Wish" you had applied, or wonder what if. You can be in this position only once in your life. Have all options covered. I am sure there are not many ring knockers that will say they wished they did not go. It is a very impressive accomplishment. Maybe not to all guys on this board, but it is to the general population.

If you do the ROTC route, you also might want to join the Guard/Reserve while you are in college. You will learn a thing or two about the military, make lots of connections, AND make more money then your other 2LT friends in flight school. You will have already 4 years time in service for pay purposes.

Most important. Don't listen to anyone who says you can't do anything. Just go for it!

 

[airgator]

Go Guard or reserve and go to AMS (academy of military science) for 6 weeks to get your commision. You choose what plane you'll fly and where.

 

[Joshrk22]

Thanks for the productive responses.

Airgator,

What exactly is AMS? Never heard of it...

 

[Ill Mitch]

Thanks for the productive responses.

Airgator,

What exactly is AMS? Never heard of it...

It is the Guard version of OCS.

 

[Deuce130]

If you're a junior in HS and cannot say that you definitively want to go to a service academy, then you probably shouldn't go. Most of the people who go there have wanted to since they were 12. I myself didn't make up my mind until early in my senior year, but that had alot to do with my brother going there also. The academy is not a great place to be, but it's a great place to be from. Looking back on my time there, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You're going to hear tons of comments about growth, maturity, social development, blah blah blah. The biggest ranters against cadets and grads usually have something else against them or a chip on their shoulder about something unrelated. There are opportunities for fun at the academy, though most of them have to wait until your junior and senior year. Good luck.

 

[frog_flyer]

do rotc. a pilot slot is a pilot slot is a pilot slot. Everyone ends up the same in the end.

and get that act up

 

[highside]

I'm an academy grad currently flying F-15C's. If I could do it again, I'd do what gator said. Go guard. My four years at the academy I'll never get back. A lot of my fighter pilot buddies tell stories of football games, partying, and doing the things that college kids should do. I've got some great stories about marching to lunch every day and sitting confinements for missing morning formation etc... It may be slightly easier to get a pilot slot at the academy, but you sound like you have your sh*t together so you'll have no problems getting to fly through ROTC or the guard. If you are in the guard you'll have a MUCH better chance of staying in the cockpit too. Active duty has lot's of non-flying jobs that you could get thrown into. My sentiments are echoed by more than just me by the way, I hear guys wishing they were in the guard every day...

 

[h82land]

I was in the same position you are in when I was in high school. I wanted to go into the air force but I wasn't sure how. After deciding the academy wasn't for me, I decided to do ROTC. After a year of ROTC, I learned about the reserves/guard and decided that was the best option for me. I went to OTS/UPT and I'm now flying C-17's about 20 min from home and flying RJ's for my civilian job. It's the best of both worlds!!

I would suggest the guard/reserve to anyone that wants the flexibility to what suits their schedule, but is patient enough to wait out getting a slot. It's much more competitive and you can choose (for the most part) your airframe and location. It's a great deal. Feel free to PM me with any questions. Best of luck!

 

[Deuce130]

If you do decide to go guard, consider joining the unit ASAP. Especially if you have a local one. Go to "boot camp" or whatever they call it these days before your senior year in high school. Work for the unit (crew chief, admin, commander support staff, whatever) while you're in college, then start angling for that pilot slot. We've got a couple of pilots in my reserve unit that started out as loadmasters, with one more finishing up college now.