NROTC Questions

[PhatFarmer35]

Hello:

I had two questions about NROTC and pilot selection.

1.) Can you serve in the Naval Reserve or Marine Corps Reserve while doing NROTC?

2.) If I enlisted in the Army for 4 years, and went to college and did NROTC, when I apply for a pilot slot would that prior service hurt, help, or not make a difference when I'm being considered for a pilot slot?

Thank you for replying.

 

[bch]

1) I know that you can serve in the reserves if you are a college programmer in the NROTC unit. I am not sure if you may continue to once you become a scholarship MIDN.

2) If I understand what you are asking...
No you cannot be active duty while doing NROTC. The prior service would not hurt you, but if you can get into NROTC right out of high school and becoming a commissioned officer is your primary goal, I would not reccomend enlisting first.

If there is a local University near where you live that has an NROTC site, I would go to the unit (or call) and ask for an appointment with their recruiting officer. That way you can get the info strait from the guy with all the answers.

 

[PhatFarmer35]

Thank you for replying.

1.) What is a college programmer?

2.) I ment if I enlisted in the Army for 4 years, then after my enlistment was up, go to college and do NROTC. Also if I was in the Army for 4 years would I be eligable for the Seamen to Admiral Program?

Thank you again for replying.

 

[Crowbar]

Alright, let me give this a shot...

Only people on active duty IN THE NAVY are eligible for STA-21. So regardless of how long you were in any other branch, it doesn’t make you eligible.

We do have people in my unit here who are college programmers (not receiving NROTC scholarship but still do everything NROTC related in hopes of getting a scholarship) who are reservists. They still do drill once a month, but do NOT wear their Marine Corps uniforms to NROTC events. For our purposes here, even though they are still Marines, for Battalion events, they are Midshipmen and wear Midshipmen uniforms, follow Midn regs, and are subject to Midn chain of command just like all the other 17 and 18 and 19 year olds who have zero prior experience.

People always say that prior service in any branch will help you. I always say that it can make you or break you depending on how you conduct yourself. If you are a prior service Army who just marked time for four years until you could get out so you could “start over” in the Navy/Marine Corps, then that will come out and your prior service will be held against you, i.e. “I know him, he was in the Army before and man, was he a turd.” Because Army, Naval, and Air Force ROTC units at the same schools see plenty of each other and you get to know people from the other services. However, if you were a stellar performer in the Army and tried to change over, hey, it could work for you.

My question for you. Why the Army? You sound pretty interested in NROTC, so why even test drive the Army? Not saying you shouldn’t, but I knew I wanted to be a Marine officer when I was in high school. So when I didn’t get the scholarship, I didn’t talk to the Army or Air Force recruiter, I enlisted in the Marine Corps (active duty). Just something to think about.

Whatever you do, think long and hard and don’t make any rash decisions. Good luck!

 

[PhatFarmer35]

Thank you for replying.

What exactly is a college programmer? And can you drill as a reservist and do NROTC all four years of college?

About the prior service, so basicly it depends on what you do and how well you do it for it to matter when applying for a pilot slot?

I'm a 17 year old junior in high school right now. I was looking at enlisting in the Army with a Ranger Contract and MOS 13F (Fire Support Specalist) for 4 years. I havn't enlisted yet but I will probubly enlist this July and start DEP. The Ranger contract is going to include OSUT (basic training and AIT training (for fire support specalist)), airborne school and Ranger Indtronation Program (RIP). If I make it through all that I'll be assigned to one of the Ranger Battalions. The Army is something I have been interested in for a long time, specificly Rangers. I have also been interested in military aviation. I plan to go to college after 4 years in the Army, and I'm looking at differnt ROTC and aviation programs (hence why I am here).

Thank you again for replying.

 

[ea6bflyr]

PhatFarmer35,
You are in a great position right now. Apply to ALL the ROTC programs (Navy, Army, AF) and several service academies (USNA, MMA, USCGA, Military Academy) and you'll be suprised if you don't get offered a scholarship. Most of the appications are the same, so make copies. if all else fails, goto an ROTC as a college program student. A college program student does exactly the same things as a scholarship student except Uncle Sam is not footing the bill. In the Navy/Marine Corps ROTC, you must be on scholarship by your Junior year otherwise, you will be shown the door....but there is always the OCS route.
ea6bflyr

 

[BYPASS]

That's right. Your Junior year is when you kick it in gear. You should also apply to the summer programs offered (only to rising HS Seniors) at all of the Academies. I went to the Naval Academy Summer Seminar and I can tell you that it's definitely worth checking into. I have applied to the Academy also, but hoping to at least get a NROTC scholarship if I don't get in. I'm also hoping that because I was able to list that I attended the Summer Seminar on my application, they will look seriously at giving me the scholarship. Good luck PhatFarmer35!

 

[PhatFarmer35]

Thank you for replying.

So a college programer would be someone who is serving in the a reserve unit while doing NROTC? And you can only serve in the reserves for the first two years of college, then you would need to go on a NROTC scholarship right?

I was looking at those summer seminar programs at the service academies. I was also looking at apply for cross country, wrestling and lacrosse sports camps at all the service academies.

Thank you again for replying.

 

[Crowbar]

Forget the whole reserve thing for the moment. A "College Programmer" is a college student in the NROTC program who is NOT receiving an NROTC scholarship. With the exception of summer training, college program students do everything the scholarship students do in hopes of getting a scholarship themselves. So that someday, they can become "Scholarship" instead of "College Program". The only difference between the two is that scholarships receive a scholarship and college programmers don't. Being a college programmer does not mean that you have to be a reservist.

Now, about the reserves...somebody (ea6bflyr?) help me out here, but in order to be on scholarship you shall be discharged from active duty, but I don't know if "shall be" applies to reserves.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Crowbar is correct. You cannot be on a scholarship AND be serving in the reserves. Some of my student that were in the reserves were released from their reserve contract once they started receiving NROTC scholarship benifits.
ea6bflyr

 

[ic1milliet]

I am active duty and currently working in my second year as the NROTC Scholarship Coordinator for NRD New Orleans. If you have questions about NROTC shoot me an email.

 

[BYPASS]

It appears that you can only check the status of your NROTC scholarship application on the CNET website; the status being any documents missing, changes in top 3 college choices, etc. Apparently you will be notified via snail mail as to whether or not you receive a scholarship. So don't waste your time checking the website unless you're unsure of the completeness of your application.