The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC)

Officers in the United States military carry a significant distinction as opposed to their noncommissioned counterparts prescribed under Constitutional Article II, Section 3 mandating those appointments by the President. Although no guarantee of an outcome, it is a distinction worthy of note for those considering a career in the military. In the broadest of descriptions, these are strategists and principal sources of authority, whether directing a tactical combat unit in a military theater or commanding an entire geographical region. And at the highest level of the chain of command, these officers require approval and confirmation of the United States Senate for promotions.
Contemporary officers, having received a postsecondary degree from

To accomplish that, the ROTC becomes an elective curriculum in concert with standard college courses including physical fitness, leadership classes, and field training. Each service branch has unique program standards for initially applying as well as continuing eligibility requirements such as academic performance, physical fitness, scholarships, financial aid and subsequent service commitments. Included in the ROTC institutional universe of applicable officer training are Senior Military Colleges, Military Junior Colleges, and other designated civilian colleges and universities accordingly. The only nonparticipating ROTC member, the United States Coast Guard, offers a separate program known as the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) for a guaranteed commission after graduation. CSPI, much like the ROTC, is a scholarship program for current enrollees of full-time baccalaureate programs or community college students planning continued pursuit of the same after transferring to an upper-level

Each branch of service exhibits separate and distinct qualifying requirements for admission as well as certain obligatory standards during the training period to secure a forthcoming officer’s commission. And despite fluctuation of the duration of these courses, most require between twelve and seventeen weeks of full-time, dedicated training in a rigorous, competitive environment where one would learn the duties related to the particular service branch. In some cases, an additional component or prerequisite training may become necessary to enter one of these programs. Such is the case of the Army’s Officer Candidate School which first requires successful completion of their Basic Combat Training (BCT) as a qualification to enter. Since the objective of these schools is transitioning a candidate from civilian to military culture, all of them will focus on military subjects with a heavy emphasis on leadership and physical training. In any event, potential candidates would be wise to review each Officer Candidate School’s website to gather preliminary information and speak to professional recruiters from each service branch. Of course, there is no better information source than those with recent experience having gone this route to enter the