Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 5/18/2008

Question
QUESTION: Dear Cynthia,
My name is David Nguyen, I'm 28 year old. I recently accepted to Master program in Civil Engineering at Cal State Fullerton, CA. I also spoke with the people in Army ROTC. They offered me a good deal of benefits if I join the ROTC at my school.
However, they told me If I join Army ROTC and after I graduated I would get to second-lieutenant officer ? isn't it right ? , but I'll have master degree, not bachelor degree like others. Should I request to be first-lieutenat officer because I will have master degree ?
If I don't join the AROTC, should I wait until I get my master and apply right after graduation ?
Can you tell me which one would be better for me ?
Sincerely,
David


ANSWER: Dear David --

Advanced promotions upon commissioning are only available to officers with professional degrees such as medicine or law.  Even if you apply to the Army at graduation, without taking ROTC, you will not be offered the rank of First Lieutenant when you join.

However, you will eventually have an advantage, because you will already have your Masters degree and will not have to go to night school to get one.  Most officers will not be promoted past the rank of major, if they do not have an advanced degree.

You will also be eligible to apply for a fully funded Ph.D. program after you serve a tour or two.  This means you can return to college on a full tuition scholarship, while still earning your Army salary.  Then you could go teach at the US Military Academy at West Point, or work in one of the major research labs around the country.   

I recommend you take advantage of the ROTC scholarship for your Masters program.  You will recoup good financial benefits now, and have great academic opportunities after you serve in the Army for a few years.

Good luck to you with both your degree and your military career.  Please write back if you have other questions or concerns.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Cynthia,
Thank you for your quickly reply and all the answers were crystal clear along with some suggestions.
However, I still have some questions for you.
1) This October I'll become 29 years old, but the scholarship (AROTC)offer only for 2 years left base on my age, and I calculated myself for the time that I get complete my master would be 3 years due to the requirements from the school. Can I request additional scholarship from AROTC for the third year ?
2) I'm thinking after graduation I want to be a reserve officer instead of active duty. So what is the rate (%) for the reserve officer to be called for active duty ?
I heard that it would cost less to mobilize the reserve guys.
and if after 2 years in reserve and I would get promote to 1st lieutenant (during the reserve time), and I change my mind and want to become active duty, will my rank going to be 1st lieutenant or have to start over as 2nd lieutenant ?
3) Can I request continuing my education for Ph.D right after my completion of master degree and still get full scholarship? Or I have to serve one or 2 tours first, then request for Ph.D scholarship ?
4) If I become a second lieutenant and have a master degree in civil engineering ? and serve as active duty, what would be my job in the army ? Will they send me to the battle or mostly work on engineering projects ?
5) If I choose to be reserve after graduation (in AROTC), how long would that be serve as reserve officer ? and even finish the reserve time, how many more years the army has the right to call me back?
can you tell me about the active duty too ?
Thanks in advance
Sincerely,
David

ANSWER: Dear David --

You can apply for a waiver to receive your commission up to age 35.  You should apply for as much scholarship time as you can get right now.  You will not be able to request more later.  You will be able to request a deferment from service until you finish your degree, as long as you complete your ROTC training requirements and are commissioned by the age agreed to in your waiver.

If you accept a scholarship, you will have to serve up to 5 years active and the remainder in the reserves or the individual ready reserve.  The likelihood of a reservist being called up for duty or deployment is very high, but always depends on your specialty.  Your total service obligation (active and reserve added together) is 8 years when you accept an ROTC scholarship.  If you resign your commission after your service obligation is complete, you cannot be called back to duty involuntarily.

You will need to accept your commission no later than when you graduate.  In rare circumstances officers are commissioned and then proceed on to a special educational opportunity, like a Rhodes or an Oxford Scholarship.  Otherwise, you would need to apply for the Ph.D. program after your first tour (usually after three years of service at the earliest.)

If you are serving as a reservist and are called to active duty, you will retain your rank.  But you will get rank faster in the active Army (by a few months at least) to First Lieutenant and Captain.

You will have many options open to you when you are commissioned.  All officer branches will be open to you, except legal and medical.  Although all branches have officers in theater, your likelihood of in theater service will depend both on your branch and your unit.  

If you desire, you could branch in the Engineer Branch.  You would get to do construction missions here in the US, over in the war theaters or in other countries where we send aid.  But all of the other branches will be open to you too.

I hope this information helps.  Please write back, if you have additional questions or need more information.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I’m the only son in my family (with 2 sisters), and I want to sign up for AROTC to pursue my master degree and then after I graduate the ROTC has 3 options for me, 1) I can be active, 2) reserve and 3) National Guard. I want to be on reserve after done with master because I’m the only son in the family. Will the army call me for active duty? Sorry, I want the cake but also want to eat it…just because I love military, I just want to be a part of it.
Should I sign up for ROTC without accepting the scholarships, so that I don’t have to be in active duty, is there any guarantee for it in paper?
Thanks
David


Answer
Dear David --

If you sign up for the non-scholarship program, you can stay in the reserves.  However, that does not mean you will not be activated.

As the sole son, you do not have to serve.  However, you cannot use the "sole son" status to get out of service, because that status will already exist when you join.  If you had a brother, and you both joined, you could get out, if he was killed or severely maimed.  However, since you know your status as a sole son already, you cannot get out based on change of family status.

My recommendation would be to take the scholarship, and serve.  The scholarship will help finance your degree and ROTC will get you the commission you desire.  Whether you take the scholarship or not, you are likely to be called for active service due to our current war footing.  You might as well get the advantages, if you are going to have to take the risks.

I wish you the best of luck with this decision, I know it is a very big one.  I remember making the same type of decision 31 years ago, and it turned out very well for me.  I hope it all turns out well for you too.