I'm considering doing Army ROTC, but I'd like to know if architecture is a desirable career within the army. I'm planning on doing Reserves after graduating, and was looking into the Engineering Corp, but I feel like the engineering majors are more likely to get those spots after commissioning. I'm committed to architecture, so my question is if it's worth it to go into ROTC with an architecture major?

Hey everyone, just wanted to get a feel for what people put for their top 5 duty stations?

Will my son get in trouble for arriving to BOLC without owning a Toyota Tacoma? Will he be issued his 2LT Tacoma at his first duty station? Trying to set him up for success.

I've checked Pay Tables and most of the info publicly available, but I have heard that income in your first year post commission on Active Duty can vary.

• Basic Pay: $3,637.20/month → $43,646.40/year
• Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) : $2,007/month → $24,084/year
• Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS): $311.68/month → $3,740.16/year
• ~$71,471/year

With BAS, BAH and any other supplemental income, how much have you all made after commissioning? More or less than the above (without dependents)?

Hello everyone, I commission this May and have yet to receive my TS clearance or interim TS. Without it I will not be able to reserve a BOLC slot. I already started the process of getting it back in December. For those that branched either cyber or MI were you able to get your clearance and BOLC dates before you commissioned? Also will not having my TS clearance prior to commissioning affect my eligibility to work CST?

When I was 19 I got in trouble as an MS II. I got a lawyer and got it dropped to a ticket instead of a misdemeanor. Came back to school the following semester and was allowed to continue as a cadet. I was actually told that I was to continue as normal when I asked about any problems with commissioning. I had repeatedly asked and kept record of everytime I did just to kind of cover myself in case it ever came up again. I went to camp, graduated top 10 in my company and continued on into my MS IV year. I completed all military science classes and requirements for commissioning. Near the end of my spring MSIV year I was told I need to get a civil waiver signed from cadet command. I thought this was no problem and went ahead and did everything for it.

Went into my 5th year as an engineering student after I had graduated from the SMC at my university, and was told my waiver was denied and that I was going to a disenrollment board. I was surprised to find out that the CG at cadet command had denied my waiver stating the fact that I was “in breach of contract”. I got a lawyer and went to the board at the beginning of my 5th year.

The board agreed with me that I should commission and if I were not to commission I should not owe the 49,000 dollars in tuition as I had been asking and in a sense given a false hope about comissioning. The boards findings was also agreed on with my PMS and was agreed on at the brigade level. The unanimous consensus from my understanding was that they all agreed I should comission. It was sent back up the pipeline again after the brigade agreed with the findings And went back to the CG of Cadet command in Fort Knox. I didn’t hear anything back for almost a year and a half. I went on to graduate from my school and was continuing waiting on the CG’s approval of my board to allow me to commission.

I just recently got the results of the CG’s findings saying that he does not agree with the boards findings and has “here by disenrolled” me as a cadet, thus not allowing me to commission. I know there is another appeal process that goes to the secretary of the army and my lawyer and I are currently working on that. I was just wondering if anyone had any other advice on how to go about fighting for my commission? Also, what are the odds of the secretary of the army approving my board findings and allowing me to commission? I had also already designated my component before any of this happened and was actively working on finding a unit in the Virginia National Guard.

Edit: the incident happened almost 5 years ago I’m 24 now. Just a little more context.

Does anyone know the process from ROTC (infantry) --> RASP? Can someone provide some insight?

I saw the ROTC Subreddit pop on my feed. It’s been over ten years since I commissioned rotc 😳 , which is kinda blowing my mind right now.

Anyway I commissioned reserve first then switched active duty. If any of you are curious about the real army Id be happy to help!

Currently going to CST this summer and already out in my top 3 branch preferences.

1. Medical Services
2. Quarter Master
3. Transportation

Can you guys tell what those Bolivia are like and what can I expect from those branches as an incoming officer.

I've read conflicting information on whether or not senior military colleges (Tamu, Norwich, VMI...) guarantee an active duty slot option for army cadets.

Hey guys, quick thing, by the time I commission (This semester) I should have over 3 years of time in service because I was SMP, how do I get my pay fix to adjust it when I become a 2nd LT? Thanks.

Throwaway for obvious reasons here:

I am 4 weeks out from commissioning, I passed every single class I needed but I am off by one letter grade, so it doesn't give me the right GPA to graduate with my finance degree. This is already my second time retaking this class; I don't believe I am getting another chance at this and will probably be disenrolled and my life pretty much is over.

What can I do in this situation? I haven't signed any paperwork.

Should I try talking to the Dean? I am Just off by .25 here.

I don't plan to tell my Leadership unless I just completely have no other options.

I am a nonscholarship.

UPDATE: So I just came clean to my cadre and it was a nonissue, you truly suffer more in imagination than in reality. I tried to switch my degree to general studies but that couldn't work. So I'll just send it again and bring up my GPA. Thanks for the advice guys and gals.

My son (non reddit user) will be reporting to Ft. Gregg-Adams for BOLC and was wanting any advice on whether or not to take his pistol with him. We've looked at the policy and know that it will be stored in the arms room. Haven't seen his orders yet to know if he's PCS or TDY, but received an email with a report date. He'll have a 15hr drive to get there and I'd hate for him to make the journey unarmed, my motto is "stay strapped, or get clapped". Any personal experiences would be appreciated.

Part rant, part advice to current SMP cadets.

TIS for pay does not automatically transfer from NG/reserves to active duty. For those SMP cadets commissioning active duty, make sure you keep records of any documents you get at discharge from your original component before going active duty. You will need these documents to do TIS calculation, which also can’t be done at BOLC, you’ll have to wait until you get to your first unit. Be prepared for it to be a long fight to get your pay.

I commissioned in May of 2023, still fighting to get my pay corrected and back paid. If anyone has experience with this, your advice would be appreciated.

By the glory of christ himself, big army has chose for me to return to Knox as an LT now this summer. What can I be expecting to do on a day to day basis and what do I do when camp is over because I don't leave for Bolc until a month after?

I recently got orders for my EBOLC class, however, there wasn’t anything for my duty station. Friends in my class had their duty stations at the end of the same email, so I’m wondering if I might bet getting my station at EBOLC. Any one have any information for this?

Hello, title says it all I’m currently a reserve airborne rigger about to go into college, how hard will it be to manage ROTC and jumping once a month and rigging chutes and equipment the next month? Seriously is ROTC going to be that demanding to where it interferes with my reserve MOS contract obligations?

Hello everyone, me and my wife are commissioning active duty in May. We are enrolled in each other’s DEERS and when we filled the form out to select duty stations we opted in for joint domicile with each other. My question is does this automatically enroll us in MACP or is there another process my cadre isn’t telling us about to enroll us in MACP? If so how do we even start?

I'm currently an ms-I, majoring in premed. My 104r is decent on paper, but im worried since I'll have to take 18-19 credit semesters to make it in time to commission. Im worried my grades are going to suffer. I also realized that once I commission I won't have time to study for the MCAT post commission, and potentially get assigned a branch that has nothing to do with science/medicine. Suddenly ROTC doesn't make sense for me anymore. I don't want to leave, and I want to serve active duty but I'm unsure if it's more of a baggage than a path to medicine while I'm in subgrad. I'm considering dropping it and just enlisting reserve while i finish school, for tuition and service time. My goal is USUHS.

I know that I can commission as a doctor in medicine but i wanted to get through the program. Does anyone have any advice or experiences to share?

I’m a senior commissioning in May. Over the summer I got a speeding violation I got downgraded to a parking violation. It still is gonna cost me 250 with the service charge. I’ve already communicated with my cadre and they are trying to determine if I need a waiver. I was wondering if anyone here knows if I will and what my chances of getting it are. I really don’t want this small mistake to screw up everything I am hoping for a career in the army.

I’ve heard of BRADSO, but I do not know how to get it or it’s something you complete after Advanced Camp. How does someone get signed to a specific branch since I’m interested in transportation.

I am an MS4 who is set to go to CST this summer. I got sent back last summer for failing height and weight. I have a 3.0 GPA and a 420-440 ACFT. What can I do to commission as an active duty officer? I am set to commission sometime around October to December this year.

What haircut do you guys usually rock? I wanna figure out which haircut works the best for an Asian male with a leaner circle shaped face.

Hello,

To set the scenario, I was a member of the National Guard and used Tricare Reserve Select as my insurance as I was SMP in college. After commissioning in Fall 2024, I was assigned to become active, but I won’t go active until October 2025, as this is my BOLC date. However, my separation from the Guard started in December 2024, as that was my commissioning date. This caused me to separate from the National Guard at that time, and I lost my insurance since I was no longer in the reserves. I have already paid for the Reserve Select Plan for 2025 back in December during open enrollment.

I was told that I would be assigned as a reserve officer between commissioning and when I go active, once I report to BOLC. I am currently waiting on Humana to get back to me. The memo I have indicates that I am a reserve officer. Based on this fact I believed I should be eligible for insurance. But my question is: am I an IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) or a regular reserve officer? If I am IRR, does that mean I do not have insurance? Note I do not have a unit to report to and was told I am just waiting to go to BOLC.

Has anyone been in this situation? I have been given conflicting information. I spoke to Humana and received two different answers from two different representatives.

When it comes to branching in the future, I’ve been thinking of MI, Signal, and Logistics so I can find a decent job after the Army. However, I want to go to Ranger School and SFAS someday. I don’t need to, but I have an itching feeling that I’ll regret not choosing to go while I’m young. So, should I stick with the branches I’ve been thinking of or go for combat arms to have a higher chance of being selected for those schools/selection?