That's about 50% of the reason I went Marine Corps. Something about "Combat Weatherman" screams all sorts of stupid.
I didn't want to goto combat to launch a fucking balloon.
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NROTC vs AFROTC
- Thread starter Bentley Barker
- Start date
That's about 50% of the reason I went Marine Corps. Something about "Combat Weatherman" screams all sorts of stupid.
I didn't want to goto combat to launch a fucking balloon.
USAF_WX2USN
Active Member
Lol.. Actually, they're imbedded with the Army Airborne units and do weather conditions for movements within the unit. They jump out of the planes along side them, in convoys with them, etc. they have to go through all of the same training the army does. They're essentially army, but the Air Force does all the weather for the Army as part of the agreement of when the AF became its own branch in 1947.
But yes, the stupid commercial that the AF put out about them makes them look dumb.
Top_Gun_101
Fly GA
Joining the Navy ROTC while in the Navy reserves, is it possible?
I still have a year and a half of college but if i am able to join NROTC, It would potentially save me time as opposed to applying for OCS after getting a 4-year degree, where I have to wait for boards etc.
I still have a year and a half of college but if i am able to join NROTC, It would potentially save me time as opposed to applying for OCS after getting a 4-year degree, where I have to wait for boards etc.
They had a great AFN commercial where you see these guys in camo and face paint with M-4's patrolling through a swamp. They start talking about the importance of weather knowledge and ask the camera "do you have what it takes to join us?'
It then shows them inflating a giant international orange balloon and launching it.
I'm sure the enemy won't notice a giant international orange balloon launchig from a swamp...
Unlikely you will be able to just walk in and join the NROTC being a Junior in class standing. The only way to get into the NROTC at this point is Advanced Standing, which is an involved application process. Have you talked with the NROTC at your campus? Additionally, if you do get Advanced Standing, I believe you would have to get out of the reserves. At this point, OCS may be your only option.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
You can apply to OCS up to 6 months prior to graduation, are you trying to go aviation?
Top_Gun_101
Fly GA
Yes, I'm trying to shoot for any aviation job in the Navy and Its good to know that I can apply for OCS six months prior to my expected graduation date. I currently posses a Secret clearance, 2nd class swim qualification, and have FAA ratings would that make my OCS wait time shorter?
LFCFan
*Insert nerd wings here*
Just a few things I'll toss in:
NROTC is very restrictive with regard to designators.** You can only go pilot, NFO, SWO, sub, specwar, and EOD...feel like I'm forgetting something. You can only do intel, IW, or supply if you are NPQed from everything else. So those are special cases. So don't think "Eh, I could just do intel and at least work in aviation!" because you probably can't. That is possible out of OCS, and is exactly what I did. The AF keeps pretty much everything open to ROTC. They are really desperate for ABMs right now, at least according to my sister and my AF recruiter from before I joined the Navy. If the thought of being a SWO keeps you up at night, NROTC might not be for you, but I can't speak on the numbers.
You also don't really have a summer basic training/boot camp type deal in NROTC at the moment. AFROTC does. Four weeks in Alabama and Mississippi, playing army in the woods for a good amount of it. My sister went through it and got to have paintball fights with humvees and stuff. I was a bit jealous, sounds more fun than moboards at OCS. That might make one program more or less appealing, but shouldn't be the sole factor on which you base your decision, or even too high up.
Another comment: you want jets, which is a bag of worms that you gotta be careful with around here. I'll let the winged dudes explain why it is impossible to figure out what *your* chances are, but there are differences in what will happen between services. Much like "which service would you be happier in if flying didn't work out?" you need to ask "what would I want to fly if jets don't work out?" In the AF, chances are you'd be flying heavies, or even maybe drones (although drone pilot is a different designator now). There are few if any helo slots in a given class in pilot training. In the Navy, you'd probably end up in helos or something like P-8s. Part of the reason I chose the Navy was that I thought the non-jet options were much more appealing than those in the AF. Most of the aircraft land on ships, and even those that don't, such as the P-8 or EP-3, seem to have a more interesting mission than a KC-135. Not an aviator, but just thought that my own thought process from when I was looking at my options might be helpful.
**Not so much with STA-21, but I think that is more of its own thing and not NROTC per se.
NROTC is very restrictive with regard to designators.** You can only go pilot, NFO, SWO, sub, specwar, and EOD...feel like I'm forgetting something. You can only do intel, IW, or supply if you are NPQed from everything else. So those are special cases. So don't think "Eh, I could just do intel and at least work in aviation!" because you probably can't. That is possible out of OCS, and is exactly what I did. The AF keeps pretty much everything open to ROTC. They are really desperate for ABMs right now, at least according to my sister and my AF recruiter from before I joined the Navy. If the thought of being a SWO keeps you up at night, NROTC might not be for you, but I can't speak on the numbers.
You also don't really have a summer basic training/boot camp type deal in NROTC at the moment. AFROTC does. Four weeks in Alabama and Mississippi, playing army in the woods for a good amount of it. My sister went through it and got to have paintball fights with humvees and stuff. I was a bit jealous, sounds more fun than moboards at OCS. That might make one program more or less appealing, but shouldn't be the sole factor on which you base your decision, or even too high up.
Another comment: you want jets, which is a bag of worms that you gotta be careful with around here. I'll let the winged dudes explain why it is impossible to figure out what *your* chances are, but there are differences in what will happen between services. Much like "which service would you be happier in if flying didn't work out?" you need to ask "what would I want to fly if jets don't work out?" In the AF, chances are you'd be flying heavies, or even maybe drones (although drone pilot is a different designator now). There are few if any helo slots in a given class in pilot training. In the Navy, you'd probably end up in helos or something like P-8s. Part of the reason I chose the Navy was that I thought the non-jet options were much more appealing than those in the AF. Most of the aircraft land on ships, and even those that don't, such as the P-8 or EP-3, seem to have a more interesting mission than a KC-135. Not an aviator, but just thought that my own thought process from when I was looking at my options might be helpful.
**Not so much with STA-21, but I think that is more of its own thing and not NROTC per se.