Rotc or enlisted?

[Razoorback22]

Hello gentleman, My name is Antonio I just graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA throughout all four years of high school.


I will be going to college to study Nuclear
Engineering, My college offers AF-ROTC
And NROTC, I will definitely be joining one of these programs since it has always been my goal on becoming a pilot and to do that i would have to be an officer.

My parents where stationed in Rota Spain, (Navy base) and I have had the great opportunity to meet many pilots especially fighter pilots and they always told me to go with the ROTC program and to do very well,
(which is why I have a 4.0 GPA)

I decided to talk to a recruiter to see what Rotc is about and ect... He told me that "I could enlist right now and earn a 4 year college degree while active duty and that it would look better to an officer selective board since I would have had hands on experience with aircraft" he then gave me a pamphlet with this program it is called "The Airman Enducation and Commissioning Program" I did take a practice ASVAB and scored a 92,
He then said I could go into avionics for fighter aircraft's and have a better shot at Flight School.

The program sounds very good, But I've read that Rotc guys get firts shot into flight school and theres a limited number.

So just to clarify what I am asking, should I go to college and do ROTC for four years? Or Enlist into the Air Force earn my degree then proceed to get commissioned?

Thank you for reading my question's And thank you for you're service to our great nation.

-Antonio.

 

[Beans]

Antonio - think about the recruiter's perspective, and then go talk to an OFFICER recruiter. The recruiter has a quota to meet, and you can help him do that. By enlisting.

If you can do ROTC now, do it now. If you're admitted to the program, you (barring any acts of stupidity or poor performance on your part) will commission at the end. If you do this other thing where you enlist first, you might get in to a commissioning program when you apply later.

Navy gets its officers from 3 sources.
1. Academy (around 1000/yr)
2. ROTC (around 1000/yr)
3. OCS (whatever else the Navy needs that year)

About 30-40% of ROTC graduates go to flight school, but those who wish to go are not guaranteed to go. If selected for subs, for instance, you will go subs. Unless you decline. If you decline, you go to a ship, not flight school.

ROTC gets you in the primary flow and puts you on a personnel plan for filling officer spots in 4 years. OCS is not nearly as secure an option.

DO:
1. Talk to an OFFICER recruiter.
2. ROTC if you want to be an officer.
3. Enlist if you want to be a sailor.
4. Not enlist if you want to be an officer (unless that's the only way).

 

[Pags]

go ROTC. Do not enlist.

 

[HH-60H]

2. ROTC (around 1000/yr)

I thought ROTC produced much more than this.

 

[Renegade One]

I thought ROTC produced much more than this.

The NROTC Program is available at over 160 colleges and universities that either host NROTC units or have cross-town enrollment agreements with a host university…so says the NROTC website.

BLUF crunched some numbers in another forum same subject, and came up with about 2,541 non-Academy sourced
Ensigns newly commissioned this FY. Not sure what the "typical" OCS contribution per year might be, but, yeah…I'm guessing NROTC contribution is well north of 1000.

Back on topic: DO NOT ENLIST IF YOU WANT TO BE AN OFFICER AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO "BURGER KING" (e.g., "Have It Your Way").

 

[Razoorback22]

Hello gentleman, Thank you for taking the time to read my question's.

If I went into NROTC or AF-ROTC, Would my GPA and academics be looked into as well? And would getting a degree in Nuclear Engineering affect my chances of becoming a pilot? If so what would be my best choice?

Thank you once again.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Hello gentleman, Thank you for taking the time to read my question's.

If I went into NROTC or AF-ROTC, Would my GPA and academics be looked into as well? And would getting a degree in Nuclear Engineering affect my chances of becoming a pilot? If so what would be my best choice?

Thank you once again.

Since you said you're going to a college that has both programs, talk to one of the officer instructors at both AFROTC and NROTC. That should help determine where you want to be short and long-term.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Hello gentleman, My name is Antonio I just graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA throughout all four years of high school.


I will be going to college to study Nuclear
Engineering, My college offers AF-ROTC
And NROTC, I will definitely be joining one of these programs since it has always been my goal on becoming a pilot and to do that i would have to be an officer.

My parents where stationed in Rota Spain, (Navy base) and I have had the great opportunity to meet many pilots especially fighter pilots and they always told me to go with the ROTC program and to do very well,
(which is why I have a 4.0 GPA)

I decided to talk to a recruiter to see what Rotc is about and ect... He told me that "I could enlist right now and earn a 4 year college degree while active duty and that it would look better to an officer selective board since I would have had hands on experience with aircraft" he then gave me a pamphlet with this program it is called "The Airman Enducation and Commissioning Program" I did take a practice ASVAB and scored a 92,
He then said I could go into avionics for fighter aircraft's and have a better shot at Flight School.

The program sounds very good, But I've read that Rotc guys get firts shot into flight school and theres a limited number.

So just to clarify what I am asking, should I go to college and do ROTC for four years? Or Enlist into the Air Force earn my degree then proceed to get commissioned?

Thank you for reading my question's And thank you for you're service to our great nation.

-Antonio.

Listen to the advice given above, do not enlist if you want to be an officer AND you are on track to do well in college which you are!

The enlisted recruiter you talked to obviously has NO CLUE about officer programs, so no need to ever speak to him again.

Be aware that flight spots are divided different in the AF and USN, the USN goes for an even split between NROTC, USNA, and OCS while the AF gives priority to USAFA, then ROTC gets some and OTS gets the leftovers.

If you would not be happy doing anything other than flying then you should just go to college and go to apply for SNA via OCS, that still doesn't guarantee you don't have a medical issue or fail flight school, but it eliminates a spot not available and being forced to go into another job.

If you would be happy doing something else if you don't get SNA then go for NROTC, it will give you the best shot at flight of the 2 ROTC programs.

 

[Pags]

Hello gentleman, Thank you for taking the time to read my question's.

If I went into NROTC or AF-ROTC, Would my GPA and academics be looked into as well? And would getting a degree in Nuclear Engineering affect my chances of becoming a pilot? If so what would be my best choice?

Thank you once again.

Like @RUFiO181 said, the best and most current information can be obtained by talking to representatives from the AFROTC and NROTC programs. Pick up the phone and talk to the freshman advisor with these sorts of questions.

GPA and academics will be looked at it the selection process for NROTC, AFROTC, and in a few years down the road for when you ask for a pilot slot. Both the USN and USAF have always had a preference for engineering degrees so the only way having a NukeE degree would hurt you is if you ended up a terrible GPA.

 

[robav8r]

I enlisted straight out of high school at age 19. I served for 15 years before earning my commission. College is an easy, and obvious path if you have the grades, motivation and ability. You have to take a hard look at yourself and assess what it is that you really want. Pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree and then successfully completing flight school is a long and challenging road and there will be many pot holes along the way with no guarantees of success. If you decide to go the ROTC route (and are accepted), make sure you're doing it for the right reasons and have a solid "plan B" in your hip pocket in case things don't work out. Cheers . . .

 

[Beans]

Hello gentleman, Thank you for taking the time to read my question's.

If I went into NROTC or AF-ROTC, Would my GPA and academics be looked into as well? And would getting a degree in Nuclear Engineering affect my chances of becoming a pilot? If so what would be my best choice?

Thank you once again.

I know this is an internet forum and not your AP English exam, but do not ignore grammar and spelling as you investigate this route (or ever, really). You never know when something you write, type, or say might reach the eyes or ears of someone who has an influence on what routes you're able to take.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Recruiters are, well, recruiters; they have requirements too -- Enlisted recruiters try to get you to enlist; Officer recruiters try to get the best candidates for commissioning. It's too late to apply for this year's (2016) NROTC program, but you could do the College Program route and compete for a side-load (or Professor of Naval Science) scholarship by enrolling in the NROTC program at the college. Talk to the NROTC recruiter at the school you plan on attending. You could also take a year off, apply for a 2017 NROTC 4-year scholarship through the NROTC website; the window is open now.

As a prior-enlisted guy, if you have the means, drive and ability, do the NROTC program. Some of us aren't ready for college out of high school. I was one of them and my enlisted career allowed me grow up and to strive for something more.

Good luck!

 

[jnav3]

I missed out on applying for NROTC when I had the chance. I'm now working with an OR to get into Navy OCS. If I had to do it all over again, I'd plan ahead and make sure I'd get into NROTC so I suggest you do that too.

 

[Razoorback22]

Hello, Appoligies for the grammar.

The reason I was asking about the degree I should get is because the pilot's I've had the opportunitie to meet have told me that "The military wants someone who has a engineering degree and not someone who has a degree in let's say... a Political Science degree" Thank you for clearing that up.

I will be going to speak to a NROTC and AF-ROTC representative very soon with my list of question's.

I did go to the NROTC and AF-ROTC websites and read up on alot of information, everything from: Physical requirements, academics, way of joining, getting commissioned and getting the opportunitie to compete for a pilot slot.

Thank you all for taking the time to read and answer my questions. I will definitely
Keep all of them in mind and will update you gentlemen of what the AF-ROTC And NROTC representatives says to me.

Thank you all once again!

 

[Razoorback22]

Recruiters are, well, recruiters; they have requirements too -- Enlisted recruiters try to get you to enlist; Officer recruiters try to get the best candidates for commissioning. It's too late to apply for this year's (2016) NROTC program, but you could do the College Program route and compete for a side-load (or Professor of Naval Science) scholarship by enrolling in the NROTC program at the college. Talk to the NROTC recruiter at the school you plan on attending. You could also take a year off, apply for a 2017 NROTC 4-year scholarship through the NROTC website; the window is open now.

As a prior-enlisted guy, if you have the means, drive and ability, do the NROTC program. Some of us aren't ready for college out of high school. I was one of them and my enlisted career allowed me grow up and to strive for something more.

Good luck!

Thank you for your service.