Re: Question about a Military College
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TNT</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Friend's dad went to Citadel - I think you need to be pretty motivated to go there of all places.
As far as Academies go, been there, done that, I'd recommend OCS, then ROTC. You have a better chance of getting the service selection you want out of ROTC as compared to an academy in most cases - though in reality, you should be joining to be part of the service, not b/c you only want a particular job. Case in point, I ended up in an assignment that was the last thing I would have wanted to do (hadn't even heard of it until my other options were exhausted), but I'm still happy with my decisions so far.
Academy: more training opportunities (more required as well) - this can be seen as good or bad, but comparitively, I ran e-course, o-course, shot, did field exercises, etc. a lot more than my contemporaries in ROTC programs. Mind you half the time these events are lead by students and not experienced officers or other military faculty, so take what you "learn" with a grain of salt and realize that you're just there for some familiarization and follow on schools will teach you what you really need to know.
ROTC: normal (or at least more-so) college life - don't underappreciate this. You control your destiny with more free time, consequently need to be more self-motivated, and I think for this reason I think most ROTC grads are better able to handle life.
OCS: Go to college and focus on school. Learn all the basic military stuff you need at once, after you're done with your degree. Possibly get some pay during school depending on the programs available and maybe get paid more once you get commissioned. One of my buds got commissioned as an O-1 with 2 years because he did the NUPOC program, despite not doing anything military for his four years in college. The academies start you out as an O-1 with no years.
Citadel: I've only heard about the crap they used to make freshmen do back in the day from my friend's pop, so no real idea here.
It's probably a bit late to apply, but most academies run a summer program for juniors going into senior year. There are also programs where you can shadow mids/cadets for a weekend during the school year to get a little idea of what the institution is like.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
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Thanks for your advice
Also im not thinking of joining the military, to get a free pass on an education, or a job down the line. I want to join because of what it stands behind, the discipline, the motivation, the inspiration, and the experience
