ROTC Opinion

[cheeseman]

I'm in the guard and will be at BCT and AIT from June until December and going to get into ROTC when I get back. I was talking with an ROTC guy here and found out people who just get in ROTC do NOT go to basic training.....ever. I think that is lame. I'm sure basic will be tough but to me I think every member of the military should go through basic. It is like a rite of passage. I understand ROTC is a lot of work (which I will be doing) but I will also be going through basic. Your thoughts???

[ahsan]

Different paths...but they all still lead to the same goal. It's a matter of preference! Those ROTC cadets that never do enlisted IET still go through their own similar training.
Good luck to you during basic and maybe you can bring back useful information for your cadet battalion.

[TreeDawg]

Agreed, had a gal in my MEPS physical that was "bragging" about going to ROTC....kinda irritated us all, acted like she was better than the rest of us commoners.

[cheeseman]

I have no problem with ROTC. I feel it is lame that we have officers that haven't been through basic training. I think each member of the military should go through it. I go to Ft. Benning in June. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. It will be an experience that most don't go through. I feel the ROTC people are getting cheated in a way.

[ahsan]

Although some people may share your philosophy, but whether an officer goes to basic or not can not make him better or worse in his position. Although if the argument was that most officer's should spend some time as enlisted...that would be worth some pondering. Regardless you only get out of training, what you put in. Whether its IET, or OBC.

[brewer-c67]

I will be in ROTC next year UGA Battalion, go dawgs!!, but ROTC is not as easy as you think. I have had three friends that have successfully completed the course, and you do A LOT of training. If you think about it why would they put you in a leadership role if you werent properly trained? I have to attented over the next three years LTC. LDAC, Airborne, and Air Assualt training. I will have to run 5 out of 7 days a week, and be required to pass all my classes with a b average. Not that anyone here is saying its the easy way out, but it sure as HECK is not!

[ahsan]

Yes on a side note, since you brought up LTC:
Basic/AIT can give you credit for upto the first two years of ROTC, so can LTC. So whilst not saying that LTC is the same as IET, a lot of the training is similar.

[Javier Lopez]

Take into consideration that after Oct., '08, ALL officers: DA, ROTC, Military Academy, OCS, have to attend the 10 week, of BOLC II. This is after the rest of the training they receive as cadets, candidates, the works.

ROTC take all these training in a deferred manner, but at end, the training is even longer than basic. BOLC, BOLC II, BOLC III, and the corresponding commissioning courses.

The idea of thinking that every officer should go through basic training, shouldn't rely on the fact that they don't have the proper "tough" training enlisted personnel do. It should be based on the fact that all officers need to learn from the beginning how to treat their soldiers; and that can surely be learned in basic training. As for the rest, Officers receive a different training simply because they are a differed breed within the services. And I can assure you, it is a tough training.