Home During College!

[J Unit 0524]

I've read multiple threads on this topic, but all of them either were never informed any answers or they were responded with mixed information. I'm just trying to get things straight. I'm graduating high school this summer and I will be attending college starting this coming August. I am thinking of doing the Split Option, this means I wont be done with training until my freshman summer which will make me eligable for deployment. But....the ROTC MSP program is only a two year deal, my junior and senior college years. So i've eliminated 3/4 years of deployment, but what about my sophmore year? I know I could participate in ROTC classes and drills, but i wouldnt be on the "official" program until my junior year, therefore your not getting paid this sophmore year and your eligable for deployment. Im kind of stuck. And i know you cant do College First and ROTC together, its not allowed. And it doesnt matter if you make an argument for that either, because I have to do split option, and College First isnt allowed with split option in the first place. Any help/ideas would be fantastic. :D

[PARecruiter11B24]

I've read multiple threads on this topic, but all of them either were never informed any answers or they were responded with mixed information. I'm just trying to get things straight. I'm graduating high school this summer and I will be attending college starting this coming August. I am thinking of doing the Split Option, this means I wont be done with training until my freshman summer which will make me eligable for deployment. But....the ROTC MSP program is only a two year deal, my junior and senior college years. So i've eliminated 3/4 years of deployment, but what about my sophmore year? I know I could participate in ROTC classes and drills, but i wouldnt be on the "official" program until my junior year, therefore your not getting paid this sophmore year and your eligable for deployment. Im kind of stuck. And i know you cant do College First and ROTC together, its not allowed. And it doesnt matter if you make an argument for that either, because I have to do split option, and College First isnt allowed with split option in the first place. Any help/ideas would be fantastic. :D


I am sorry if you have felt that the info on the forum concerning this issue is not of the best caliber. I will try to help you out. You can do the STO if you are enrolled in College. Now you go to BCT this summer in 2007 and then go to your freshman year of college when you come back. Most likley you will be home by Sept. time frame. Now you will not go to AIT untill the summer of 2008. So you could be a sofemore by then working on towards your Juinor year and the ability to go into the ROTC program. Also you are NON -DEPLYABLE untill you complete AIT
Now who is to say that you will deploy during that time frame??? You have no way of knowing. Don't base this dision on something that COULD happen in the future when you have no idea if it will or not. Granted there is no 100% quarentee that you will not depoloy during that time frame, but there is also the possibility that you will not deploy. Look at the whole package. Is getting a college education taken care of for you and the oppertunity to be an Officer in the NG more than worrying about something that may or may not happen in what realy will be a short time frame.

[J Unit 0524]

I know where your coming from with that, to be honest a big part of it is my girlfriend. We've been together for two years and haven't spent more than 5 days apart. This summer i would be gone for 9 weeks, come back and start college, leave the next summer for lets say 4-7 more depending on my MOS, then i could come back and within a month or two i could be shipped off for another 12 months. I dont think i could handle that lol.

[J Unit 0524]

Actually i just did some research, and came up with a plan. If someone whos knowlegable in this whole process let me know if this will work or if theres any flaws. :cool:

Here we go, im a senior in highschool right now graduating this may. I want to enlist this june under the college first program. This will protect me my first two years from being deployed. I live in Ohio though, someones told me ohio doesnt offer college first so let me know. Now i've also been told you can have up to a year after enlisting before you have to start basic training, does this still stand for college first. Basically could i enlist under college first this june and then do all my training next summer? Now if i did this, would my freshman year of college be paid for since im under college first or would it not since i wont complete training until the summer after my freshman year? Anywho thats the first two years, the next two years would be ROTC/SMP. This should protect me my junior and senior year correct? But it also adds more time that ill be serving in the guard right? Now do these extra years have to include me going active (as in working 24/7 somewhere in the military) because i dont want that at all. Thats my plan through college i guess. Let me know if its bullet proof or not!

[matthew.ritchie]

By Army G1 policy, Soldiers serving honorably in ROTC who contract at the earliest possible opportunity are not subject to involuntary mobilization.

You can contract at the start of your Sophomore year if you earn a three year Dedicated ARNG scholarship. We have more money in this program than we have applicants. Basically, if you're eligible, you'll get the award. "But tuition assistance covers my college costs, so why bother?" Because the scholarship can be redirected to pay room & board on campus.

I would like to have a telephone conversation with you and your parents to ensure that you all understand what's going on here, and give you the best guidance for your situation. I also want to ensure you understand your obligations as well as your benefits. Email me with your number and tell me when's a good time to call. I won't speak with you unless your parents are on the line as well.

[J Unit 0524]

well is contracting with the rotc going to make me serve in the active army at some point? and how do you qualify for a ARNG scholarship?

[AbnMtn]

Contact MAJ Ritchie. I believe I can see where he thinks your best bet to make sure your college time is not interrupted for the entire four years. BTW, you won't be able to do the College First option unless you want to miss the first semester of college (one of the criteria for CFO is that you go on a "through-ticket" - this means within 45 days of enlistment you're on your way to BCT and then immediately after you go to AIT).

The STO in June would probably be the best bet if used in conjuction with the 3-year ROTC scolarship MAJ Ritchie mentioned to you. You may also want to contract as an SMP on your sophomore or junior year, which, as is the case in my state, would slot you in an officer position as excess to afford you the opportunity to be mentored by an officer in your unit of assignment. The training you received while in the ROTC program coupled with the mentoring and hands-on training you receive as an SMP are the right recipe to commission highly skilled and competent officers.

[matthew.ritchie]

well is contracting with the rotc going to make me serve in the active army at some point? and how do you qualify for a ARNG scholarship?

Yes, the whole point of ROTC is to allow you the opportunity to earn an Army commission. You can contract for the Guard, so you will not be invluntarily selected for active duty (and if you earn a Guard scholarship, by law you must serve in the Guard).

Upon commissioning, you'll serve six years drilling in the Guard (eight if you had a scholarship).

[J Unit 0524]

Well then I could also do split option correct? Basic this summer come back for freshman year of college then return for AIT after freshman year. Then start SMP my sophmore year like you said. (But i thought SMP was only a two year conjunction of the national guard and rotc?) Either that or I could enlist this june, have up to a year to begin training, meaning i would do training after my freshman year ended and then do both my BCT and AIT training next summer. Then sophmore year SMP again. These would both also work right? (Assuming that you have up to a year to begin basic after enlisting)

[J Unit 0524]

thanks MAJ Ritchie, you've been a lot of help as far as information goes. it kinda makes me think a little. is trying to protect yourself from deployment for two years worth adding on another four? expecially when your gonna go somewhere eventually anyways.