R.o.t.c. ?? J.r.o.t.c???

[Hakaii]

Hey everyone, is there anyone here who is or used to be in R.O.T.C. ? or J.R.O.T.C.?? I myself was in Air Force JROTC in High School. Any good memories? Any not so good?

[oro!]

I am currently in the Marine Junior ROTC at my high school. Still making good memories, and yes, a couple of bad ones, too. I really like the teamwork and competition that is in ROTC. As platoon SGT, I get in on all of that action. We've been in a deadlock competition with the other platoons for ribbons, and on the 10th, we got the most: Drill, Spirit, and Overall. That sort of feeling is sweet. As for the bad: working up until the point to where you get something can be frustrating, especially if you're trying to teach it at the same time.

[mitsuki lover]

When I was attending West Anchorage High School back in the '70s we had a JROTC Air Force unit at our school.I knew someone from German class who was in it.
Also one of my nephews was in the Air Force JROTC when he was going to school
in North Pole,Alaska.

[Hakaii]

EDIT: the (******) 's are in place of someones name. not anything bad.



Yea, I used to be a C/StaffSgt in AFJROTC. I was flight commander once. man was THAT a pain. But I learned a lot from it. I remember once when a freshman (I was a senior at the time) was disruptive enough that he mad a fireball in class with a canister of Axe bodyspray and a lighter. well, nothing caught on fire since the ceilings were made of cement, but man oh man did we make his year miserable (yea I know it wasn't very nice, but this is a class that should be prepping us for the military, so were doing him a favor by making his year miserable! in fact, he seemed to get in less trouble with the school this way.) I remember having EVERYONE in his flight stand at attention while I explained to him that when he messed up, the WHOLE FLIGHT messes up. I explained how his fellow flight members were his brothers and sisters. oh and my favorite part of it all...



Me: you see these other cadets all around you? they are your brothers and sisters! and I know... I KNOW YOU KNOW...... who your daddy is. WHOS YOUR DADDY!



Freshman: YOU ARE SIR! *eyes moistening up like a scared puppy as he shakes*



Me: WRONG! you're supposed to say " Sir, the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, Colonel ****** is SIR!" (I then address the flight) Now everybody! stay at attention until Col. enters the room. oh, and you have Airman Basic, ******* to thank for your impromptu Composure drill!



Needless to say THE WHOLE FRESHMAN FLIGHT helped to keep an eye on him along with everyone else in the flight! XD

[ducheval]

I was for a year. It was..... interesting ^^;; Good for me personally though, even if I didn't always enjoy it. Leastways, I never have problems waking up on time, and I'm pretty good on the customer service end of things. There's no angry customer that's more intimidating than a very angry squad leader at 6:30am

[Sage_Al-Kahira]

I am currently in AFJRotc at my High School. It is so much fun! This is the first year that the Rotc is active and lucky us freshman who can rise in rank over the next 4 years. I am currently Logistic Airman for my flight. I love helping the Drill team and Color guard. So far nobodys really been yelled at. It's a very fun class and we're all learning how to become more like family.

[Yojimbo]

I'm in Army ROTC at Purdue University right now. I'm an SMP (simultaneous membership program) cadet because I'm in the National Guard too. If you're serious about the military then ROTC is the way to go if you're in college. It's not easy especially here at Purdue because we don't mess around.

We went on our Fall Field Training Exercise (FTX) last month. That was where I as an MS1 (first year ROTC cadet) really got the feel of "playing Army" for three days. We went down to Camp Atterbury the National Guard base here and had a blast. It was freezing and I mean faaareezing. We camped out in the woods with hooches, pulled firewatch where we had to keep the "enemy" from getting inside the basecamp, roadmarched with all of our gear, did land navigation, went down to the rifle range, and did an obstacle course and team challenges. So it's alot of training really.

I got to qualify as a Marksman with an M-16A2 and let me tell you that was the highlight. We went through so many safety precautions beforehand in class and lab and we knew exactly what do. We couldn't put our hands on the weapon without them telling us to. It's a beautiful weapon let me tell you, no recoil just kick pretty much, the power you feel when you put a whole through a target is just wow. But let me tell you it makes you respect that weapon when you see what it can do to a target.

Now I know some people in Air Force and Navy ROTC and they're good guys. But I've observed them alot they way they PT, they way they act, all that and it's just not on the level of the Army. Our branch is hands on that's why we have labs mostly all out in the field learning practical things while they sit in the classroom. Our PT is not really more strenuous but alot smarter. I've found that the Air Force tends to do monotnous "smoking" exercises designed to just wear someone out not really get a good workout. That's fine in a training enviroment like Basic, or Leadership Training Course, where you need to be controlled like that but in hour long PT sessions three days a week it doesn't work.

Anyway I don't have time now to tell other stories because I need to do Turkey Day stuff but I will post more later.

[ClosetOtaku]

I had a two-year Army ROTC scholarship to Carnegie-Mellon University. On graduation, I was commissioned in the Medical Service Corps, and am still on Active Duty today (21 years later).

I had a great time in ROTC doing map reading and Orienteering, firing various types of weapons, playing with NVGs, going for rides in Blackhawk helicopters, Recondo and the like -- fun stuff you don't necessarily get to do as much as you move on in your career. Being a Cadet wasn't all that great, but in retrospect, you could make mistakes on a small scale and not get in a lot of trouble -- after all, you were a Cadet and not an "Occifer". Advance Camp (at Fort Bragg) was a low point in my life, not much fun at all, but it taught me a lot about myself that I haven't forgotten to this day.

So, I've kept most of the fond memories, and the bad ones... eh, you live, you learn. No regrets here.

[Andy Reddson]

¿Can the actuals crash the thread? I’m Coast Guard Reserve.

[Tidus20]

I like P.O.T.C.

[Rachel]

I was in Army JROTC at my school for two years. I was Company Commander of Delta Comapany my last semester of school even though I was only a C/Sgt. I was in two other companys that semester too. It was my favorite class. I had it three times a day because I had some open periods and I was like "hmm, maybe Col will let me be in JROTC this period too..."

[mssthang_1]

i was in tha air force jrotc in high school, it was the school's first year doing it so i only got to do one year, i was also in the drill team.....i would say "good times" but that wasn't always the case...pardon my french but it was h-e-double hockey sticks

[Doubleshadow]

My brother is Air Force ROTC in college right now, once he gets his degree, he goes into service.

[SP1]

4-Year ROTC (Navy) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, followed by 7 years active (subs) and another 14 reserve. It took me several years to realize that the ROTC experience was, well, a bit artificial. Definitely some psychological stress. I suppose this was good in hind sight for preparing me to deal with rapidly adapting to different work environments, but the specific training was not always directly applicable.

As someone pointed out below, the Navy didn't do as much physical training as the army. Well, duh. The most physical thing I ever did on the sub was trying to climb up and down ladders with the extra 25 lbs of weight I gained from instantly being transported into a sedentary lifestyle. We had one exercise bike for 120 people. Do the math. Aerobic it aint.

Once I got past the head games and found my place, things went much better.

SP1, CDR, USNR (ret)

[Yojimbo]

4-Year ROTC (Navy) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, followed by 7 years active (subs) and another 14 reserve. It took me several years to realize that the ROTC experience was, well, a bit artificial. Definitely some psychological stress. I suppose this was good in hind sight for preparing me to deal with rapidly adapting to different work environments, but the specific training was not always directly applicable.

As someone pointed out below, the Navy didn't do as much physical training as the army. Well, duh. The most physical thing I ever did on the sub was trying to climb up and down ladders with the extra 25 lbs of weight I gained from instantly being transported into a sedentary lifestyle. We had one exercise bike for 120 people. Do the math. Aerobic it aint.

Once I got past the head games and found my place, things went much better.

SP1, CDR, USNR (ret)

Oh I know just talking about branch comparisons here at Purdue.

I would deffinetly agree with you on the artificial part. In our last FTX we set up hooches which is totally impractical and pretty irrelevant in this day and age in the field. You're just gonna sleep out in the open anyway if a tent/barracks isn't available. And we sure as heck aren't going to be leaving anything behind in case of an attack and let the enemy have it.

We have about 12 prior service combat vet cadets out of 136 and they add alot of really practical advice. Our cadre are all combat vets too minus two or three. It's funny though having 1st and 2nd year ROTC Airborne combat vets.

On the Fall FTX as well we did a confidence course. That was pretty fun actually doing the weaver, rope climbing, etc. I was thinking I was deffinetly gonna freak on the giant ladder thing that thing is hiiiiighhh. Not gonna lie when I got to the top and the safety officer looked at me I let out a nice string of obscenities before throwing myself over the other side.

I'm really hoping I get an Airborne slot next year either through my Guard Unit or ROTC. That's what I'm all about right there jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.

[Hakaii]

in the next year or so I plan to go into the ROTC at ASU. my only problem is that ASU is on the other side of town (which is too far for my car to go without having consequences) and the ROTC classes only meet in the early mornings. I cannot think of a way to get there in time unless I move closer to campus. another thought I had was to get my bachelors degree and go to OTS. but I am very worried about whether or not these plans can come to pass. any advice? my dream job is to be an officer and an engineer in the Air Force.

[indyrocker]

My sister was in C.A.P. (cival air patrol) for a while I think she made 1st airman tho one of my friends is a lt in the same unit and a seinor member. heh we call him lt Dan

[SP1]

in the next year or so I plan to go into the ROTC at ASU. my only problem is that ASU is on the other side of town (which is too far for my car to go without having consequences) and the ROTC classes only meet in the early mornings. I cannot think of a way to get there in time unless I move closer to campus. another thought I had was to get my bachelors degree and go to OTS. but I am very worried about whether or not these plans can come to pass. any advice? my dream job is to be an officer and an engineer in the Air Force.

Ask the guys at ASU about other commissioning programs. Once you've got a BS, they might direct commission you and send you to OCS, skipping the ROTC part.

[Hakaii]

Ask the guys at ASU about other commissioning programs. Once you've got a BS, they might direct commission you and send you to OCS, skipping the ROTC part.

oh, thank goodness! I was so worried about this. I really can't imagine not being an Air Force Engineer. I'll talk to the ASU ROTC about other programs, Thank you soooooooo much!