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re: Graduates of Service Academies or military colleges
Posted on 11/19/20 at 6:47 am to slacker130
Posted on 11/19/20 at 6:47 am to slacker130
quote:What he said. I had a three year Army ROTC scholarship. Enjoyed my time in college. Commissioned as a Medical Service Corps officer. Will be retiring in May 2021 after thirty years of commissioned service. No regrets whatsoever.
slacker130
0
Posted on 11/19/20 at 7:00 am to slacker130
quote:
If you're in a populous area, you're going to have more competition for those limited recs.
Each Representative has roughly the same number of constituents, but Senators also can appoint people. So, people from populous states do have more competition, it's not much different unless you're comparing Idaho to California.
Posted on 11/19/20 at 10:01 am to AbuTheMonkey
This matches my experience as a retired AF officer, with a brother and a son who are graduates of the Naval Academy (who I don't feel are socially stunted themselves; YMMV).
The main thing to remember is that the most important reason for someone to go to an academy is that they want to command Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, or Marines. That's what the academies are built for. If that isn't what a person wants to do, then the pain of the academies is not the right place for them. (This is more true of Annapolis and West Point than USAFA, and that's due to the imbalance of pilots that come out of USAFA that don't really command anyone for the first 10 years of their career. But, again, YMMV)
Hope this helps.
The main thing to remember is that the most important reason for someone to go to an academy is that they want to command Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, or Marines. That's what the academies are built for. If that isn't what a person wants to do, then the pain of the academies is not the right place for them. (This is more true of Annapolis and West Point than USAFA, and that's due to the imbalance of pilots that come out of USAFA that don't really command anyone for the first 10 years of their career. But, again, YMMV)
Hope this helps.
quote:
- Academy
Pros: Really smart, really well-schooled on what it means to be an officer, very good with processes and thinking through problems
Cons: Can be socially stunted and disconnected from the culture, language, and views of their enlisted
- ROTC:
Pros: Most balanced between being book smart and street smart, good social skills
Cons: ROTC programs vary a lot, and there are some poor ROTC programs that produce some really shitty officers
- OCS:
Pros: A lot of former enlisted go through OCS, so both they and those who go through OCS with them tend to be really, really good tactically; sympathetic to and protective of their soldiers
Cons: The former enlisted especially can be too big of micro-managers and too much like an NCO rather than an officer; some of the younger OCS guys might not be too solid with processes and some of the higher-order thinking that senior officers need
Just generalizations - it's a huge organization and you see all types from all commissioning sources.
Posted on 11/19/20 at 4:10 pm to GentleJackJones
Posted on 11/19/20 at 4:52 pm to Notnac
quote:
My father in law went to the Naval Academy. He absolutely loved it and has very strong friendships with his classmates to this day. I'm an Army officer and know many, many officers who went to West Point. They are proud of going, but their experiences were different. They all said they had very little freedom and many would have considered other options had they known.
First of all...thank you and your father-in-law for your service. It is greatly appreciated.
Do you think the difference in how your FIL and your friends fell could be more of a generational difference ?
Thank you again.
Posted on 11/19/20 at 4:54 pm to lsupride87
quote:
It is harder to get into the Ivy schools than the service academies
Depends on which Ivy you are talking about. Cornell is much easier to get into than Westpoint(no offense Nard Dog).
My oldest is interested in the service academy’s. We have the congressional recommendations taken care of. I’m going to take him to tour all of them in the next year.
I have mixed feelings.
Posted on 11/19/20 at 5:00 pm to Lima Whiskey
quote:
The Citadel and the Institute have both been gutted.
I was going to add this. VMI and the Citadel are. Asically for screw ups now.
Posted on 11/19/20 at 5:05 pm to GentleJackJones
I've seen several videos of modern plebes/recruits for all service academies/forces including CG, AF, FBI, Army, Navy, and OCS. Check them out. They are all over YouTube... which is fricking stupid of the military to begin with to allow any person from any nation see our training methods.
The military leadership of this country is in jeopardy. We are raising the biggest generation of pussies this country has ever seen. I won't even play "the ole well when I was in the Corps card." Find the videos and watch them for yourselves. It's just sad at how social engineering of the military is weakening our armed forces. Reminds me of the Private Benjamin movie way back when. I hope someone proves me wrong.
The military leadership of this country is in jeopardy. We are raising the biggest generation of pussies this country has ever seen. I won't even play "the ole well when I was in the Corps card." Find the videos and watch them for yourselves. It's just sad at how social engineering of the military is weakening our armed forces. Reminds me of the Private Benjamin movie way back when. I hope someone proves me wrong.
Posted on 11/19/20 at 5:15 pm to GentleJackJones
Make an appointment to see your congressman/woman ASAP. Take the son with you and give the politician a meet and greet with the son. Take his school records and extracurricular achievements vita with you. Ask the guy what chance your son has and what you can do to improve that chance.
If he doesn't make it, there is an alternate route to a service academy. Lots of guys and girls who are accepted wash out their first year. There is a program at several prep schools to fill those empty places.
Investigate Marion Military Academy, in Marion, Alabama (there are others, too). If enters their military academy prep program, makes good grades, and plays the game their way, they will pretty much guarantee him a place in the academy he is shooting for, starting in the class's second year. His eventual admiral, or general's star will say nothing about him coming to the academy through MMI. That school will tell you they have several hundred alumni of flag rank. Not a bad record for a small school in Alabama.
If he doesn't make it, there is an alternate route to a service academy. Lots of guys and girls who are accepted wash out their first year. There is a program at several prep schools to fill those empty places.
Investigate Marion Military Academy, in Marion, Alabama (there are others, too). If enters their military academy prep program, makes good grades, and plays the game their way, they will pretty much guarantee him a place in the academy he is shooting for, starting in the class's second year. His eventual admiral, or general's star will say nothing about him coming to the academy through MMI. That school will tell you they have several hundred alumni of flag rank. Not a bad record for a small school in Alabama.
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