Expert: John L - 10/18/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello Mark,
Let me begin by laying out my situation.  I am a 30 yr old, 12 yr vet, currently on active duty.  I will be leaving the Army at the beginning of next year and beginning college in the fall.  Not wanting to completely abandon the 12 yrs I've worked toward a retirement, I am considering the Reserves.  Additionally, I am looking at the ROTC scholarship to pay for school in order to save my GI Bill for grad school.  Besides, if I'm going to be in the Reserves, why not get a commission out of my education.  This is sort of a five part question:

(1) Can I serve concurrently in the Reserves while on ROTC scholarship?
(2) What is the ROTC scholarship age limit for prior service (I estimate I will be 35 or 36 at time of commission) and what are the other ROTC scholarship/non-scholarship requirements?
(3) If I'm 11B, and would like a skill to sustain my family and I while I'm in college, what reclass/training options do Reserve units in GA offer (grunts don't have much to offer in the way of practical civilian skills)?
(4) Is the ROTC program feasible for a married man with one child?
(5) I will be in the ATL area for school.  What are the units in that area and their contact info (can't seem to find it on the net anywhere)?

Any answers, links, or references would be greatly appreciated.

ANSWER: Sorry late answering I was away for military training.

You cannot get an ROTC schoarship, you are too old.  ROTC cadets must commsiion by age 27.  Your only option for commssion is to get 60 credits hours and apply for OCS.  the Guard offers best options for this.

Look at not only the reserves ( they have no 11b excpet drill sgts), but also the national Guard, they have more slots, are bigger and offer the same benefits as the reserves plus state benefits as well.  You do not have to stay same MOS and they will retrain/reclass in any MOS they have needs to fill and you are qulaified for.

The national guard website (www.nationalguard.com) can show you units in the ATL area.  It is a very good site to use.

Bottom line, if you want to go to college, go Guard vs reserves.  More money for college, in addition to your Post 9/11 GI bill.

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

QUESTION: Sorry so late in follow-up.  I was away for military operations.  lol.

Anyhow, thanks for the NG info, and your suggestion.  After your suggestion, and an experienced friends warning (apparently the Reserves are an administrative mess, and not very good at meeting "their end of the bargain"), I will likely lean heavily toward the NG.  Got another quick question though.  How is the NG about transferring to another state(after school, I plan to move from GA to WA), and is there an age waiver for ROTC?  Oh, and thanks for pointing out that I'm old.  lol.

Answer
No age waivers for ROTC are given, due to the other options that "older" members have.  Transfering to another state is really easy, each state has coordinators that help facilitate soldiers that move, benefits of being a citizen soldier.

remember, never too old , its "over qualified"