Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: stealth on February 29, 2012, 04:53:02 PM

Title: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: stealth on February 29, 2012, 04:53:02 PM
I'm 14 right now, when I go into high school next school year I'll be 15. Gonna go into ROTC, if anybody has been in it tell me what it's like. All read all the comments looking forward to what you guys have to say.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: M0nkey_Man on February 29, 2012, 05:44:58 PM
          Not too bad, just get to know your PC and squad leader real fast and it goes by pretty smooth. We have a lot of fun in there. The hardest thing you will probably do is the AMI.
We were standing at parade rest for 3 hours and the actual inspection lasted around 10 minutes :lol. Overall, it will probably be your favorite class.
btw, which JROTC are you going in to? Navy, Army, Air force?
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: F22RaptorDude on February 29, 2012, 06:35:46 PM
Depends on who's running the program, at my school its nothing but work and power points and standing around for 2 hours for inspection, at the school next to mine its all physical activity and some work
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: M0nkey_Man on February 29, 2012, 06:37:49 PM
Depends on who's running the program, at my school its nothing but work and power points and standing around for 2 hours for inspection, at the school next to mine its all physical activity and some work
we have apretty good balance of work,fun, and PT
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: F22RaptorDude on February 29, 2012, 06:44:13 PM
we have apretty good balance of work,fun, and PT
Lucky, its nothing but work and hour long lectures
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: M0nkey_Man on February 29, 2012, 07:16:49 PM
Lucky, its nothing but work and hour long lectures
:lol
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: Wildcat1 on February 29, 2012, 08:02:39 PM
I was in NJROTC at my school. It was a lot of fun, great mix of academics, pt, and drill.

If your unit has a drill team, or any extra-curricular stuff, do it. Don't be one of those unmotivated cadets who shuffles around in their uniform just to get out of PE class. Four years on the drill team was without a doubt the best experience of my life. Hell, I still hang out with some of those guys. I made more friends in four years of JROTC than I did at any other time in my life. It didn't hurt either that we got second in the state for drill my senior year :)

Take advantage of any opportunity JROTC has to offer. Go out for the competition teams. As a freshman, there will be many times where you are treated like garbage, delegated to grunt work, and asking yourself "what have I gotten myself into?" The instructors and upperclassmen may seem intimidating and unfriendly, but that's life as a freshman.

However, it all pays off in the end. I made great friends with lots of upperclassmen, and when I was in their position, I felt larger than life. I can guarantee you that I would not have been able to get into a four-year university if I had not sat down with my instructor after junior year to work on my AROTC scholarship application. Your instructors become your mentors for college, and work for you far more than any guidance counselor will (no disrespect).

You will have challenges, there will be adversity, and it will have It's down moments. But hey, that's high school. You will not be the same person when you graduate in four years. JROTC will shape you into a better person. Besides, colleges and employers love seeing "four years of JROTC" on your resume.

So, in short...
-go out for the competition team
-be motivated and dedicated to your unit.
-stick with it, it will pay off in the end.

Take it from me, it is the best program that high school offers. If you have any questions about anything JROTC related, feel free to ask me via PM or this thread.

Best of luck!!! :salute
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: JunkyII on March 01, 2012, 02:31:04 AM
parade rest for 3 hours
:cry me a river....You ever been in a 4 star change of command ceremony? Stood at attention for 8 hours? Been on patrol for 36 hours with 120 pounds of gear on you?

Nothing to worry about going to JROTC or ROTC....start worrying when you actually get into a military branch.

 :salute
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: ozrocker on March 01, 2012, 06:28:14 AM
:cry me a river....You ever been in a 4 star change of command ceremony? Stood at attention for 8 hours? Been on patrol for 36 hours with 120 pounds of gear on you?

Nothing to worry about going to JROTC or ROTC....start worrying when you actually get into a military branch.

 :salute
QFT!!!!

                                                                                                                                                                   <S> Oz
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: AHTbolt on March 01, 2012, 06:41:24 AM
Best thing about JROTC for me was going into the Army as a PFC (E3). I made sergant almost 2 years before others that came in at the same time.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: VonMessa on March 01, 2012, 09:07:42 AM
:cry me a river....You ever been in a 4 star change of command ceremony? Stood at attention for 8 hours? Been on patrol for 36 hours with 120 pounds of gear on you?

Nothing to worry about going to JROTC or ROTC....start worrying when you actually get into a military branch.

 :salute


 :rofl      :rofl         :rofl          :rofl           :rofl
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: JunkyII on March 01, 2012, 09:08:35 AM
Best thing about JROTC for me was going into the Army as a PFC (E3). I made sergant almost 2 years before others that came in at the same time.
Yea some of us took the hard road coming in as a E-1 :D

 :rofl      :rofl         :rofl          :rofl           :rofl
:D
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: VonMessa on March 01, 2012, 09:30:12 AM
Yea some of us took the hard road coming in as a E-1 :D :D

Better that than a Nancy-boy butter bar  :D
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: lmxar on March 01, 2012, 09:45:01 AM
Better that than a Nancy-boy butter bar  :D

Hey now.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: VonMessa on March 01, 2012, 10:31:36 AM
Hey now.

If the shoe fits...  :rofl
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: hyzer on March 01, 2012, 10:34:33 AM
I'm 14 right now, when I go into high school next school year I'll be 15. Gonna go into ROTC, if anybody has been in it tell me what it's like. All read all the comments looking forward to what you guys have to say.

I was in ROTC many years ago in high school, we still drilled with M14's.  In no particular order this is how I remember how to get along:
Get a hair cut, learn how to shine your shoes, learn how to clean your uniform brass and how to position it when wearing it, learn your right from your left, volunteer for extra details like Color Guard or Drill Team,  keep your mouth shut and pay attention.  We had a pair of retired Sergeants major as our faculty advisers.  One was Special Forces, the other had 2 stars on his CIB, they talked - you listened.
I stayed in 3 years and was an E3 when I joined up after high school.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: Wiseguy980 on March 01, 2012, 03:43:12 PM
4 years of Marine ROTC in high school. I even joined our drill team and won a few competitions. Absolutely loved it... but it also showed me that I wasn't military bound. If you're even just a little bit considering joining the military I highly suggest ROTC. Good people, great times, and it will help you decide what you really want to do. Not too mention, you're young, now is the time to try new things before you get old and sore.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: Hoffman on March 01, 2012, 04:44:38 PM
^ What they said.  And if you have any kind of competitive PT team, get on it.  Especially if you're thinking of joining the military.  When everything is equal, and you're up for promotion and you're going against someone with the same schools and background as you, PT is the next metric.  Not only does it reflect well on you, being in a shape other than round and staying in that shape whether you join the military or not will make a lot of your life easier.

Rifle and saber teams are great for meeting friends and learning drill.  Get a copy of the DNC Field manual (Drill and Ceremonies. FM-21 IIRC)  Just... just be careful when you do rifle tosses...

Learn to shine shoes and boots.  Although if you're in a Marine or Army JROTC you'll probably be wearing coraframs(Plastic pieces of toejam) and seude boots nowadays.  A good pair of black leather dress shoes are preferrable if you spend alot of time in your dress uniforms.  It's more maintenance work than the plastic already shiny shoes that never need a shine, but you're in school. Those things will get scratched all to hell and there's no way to fix them when some love muffin steps on your shoes in the lunch line.
With leathers 15 minutes with a cotton cloth, some water, and some kiwi and you're good to go.

May sound odd, but back in high school shining shoes was actually one of my favorite activities, gave me something to do while sitting and doing my reading homework. Also, once you get good at it, it's a nice way to make extra money. :D  15-30 minutes of work for 5$
Get all your homework done a week from inspection and then sit in the corps-room with a sign up.


./sigh  Lots of fun... rifle team... saber team... unarmed drill team, flying model club, rocketry club.  Playing bumper flights with all the cadets.  (You have two flights/platoons of cadets on the drill pad, and the goal is for the two Flight/Platoon leaders to get their flight to run into the back of the other flight using drill commands.)  Great practice.

Although they don't appreciate it on your first day of college ROTC when you correct them on drill and ceremonies. :old:
That's what PT club is for, so that you're used to the front lean and rest position. :D
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: stealth on March 01, 2012, 10:26:55 PM
Reading everything thanks guys. Well at the high school I'm going to is Air Force ROTC. I just don't want to go bald and not having an unfit uncomfortable uniform. If I don't have to do that then I'll be sparkly like boots.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: B-17 on March 01, 2012, 10:29:05 PM
We were standing at parade rest for 3 hours and the actual inspection lasted around 10 minutes :lol.

In uniform with kit?
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: curry1 on March 01, 2012, 10:33:37 PM
I am going to be in the Corps of Cadets and Air Force ROTC at Virginia Tech for the Fall Semester 2012.  I am most afraid that Junky and Vonmessa will make fun of me for being a wannabe Nancy-boy butter bar :cry
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: 4Prop on March 01, 2012, 10:35:15 PM
my freshman year of JRTOC sucked. (I thought). we stood at parade rest for 2 hours, marched in a parade for 4 blocks and stood easy for another 3 and a half. 1 of witch was in the 40 degree rain.

however, stay in and join the real military (USMC) and you will go far.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: JunkyII on March 02, 2012, 12:25:22 AM
I am going to be in the Corps of Cadets and Air Force ROTC at Virginia Tech for the Fall Semester 2012.  I am most afraid that Junky and Vonmessa will make fun of me for being a wannabe Nancy-boy butter bar :cry
Since your becoming an officer I'll let you in on a secret.....your NCOs and enlisted can help you along in your career just as much as your superior officers do. If you take the time to listen to them they will respect you and work harder for you, in turn giving you a good OER.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: ozrocker on March 02, 2012, 06:27:37 AM
The best and most successful Officer's ARE the ones that listen to the NCO's, who will be the
ones training the Louie in the bush. One of the first things a new butter bar will hear is
"Lieutenant, throw that book stuff you learned away. It was written by civilians.
Most of it is worthless in the field". How true.   
                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                         :cheers: Oz
                                                                                                                               
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: AHTbolt on March 02, 2012, 07:54:23 AM
I was in Navy ROTC and was going to go into the Navy because my father and uncle were in the Navy in WWII, but they wanted to make me a Spoon! So I went to the marines, but my head wouldent fit in the jar, so I spent 23 years in the Army as a parahooper and as a tanker.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: B-17 on March 02, 2012, 08:51:36 AM
:cry me a river....You ever been in a 4 star change of command ceremony? Stood at attention for 8 hours? Been on patrol for 36 hours with 120 pounds of gear on you?

Nothing to worry about going to JROTC or ROTC....start worrying when you actually get into a military branch.

 :salute

Standing at attention for almost 6 hours, marching while playing bagpipes for an hour and a bit on either end, in full dress (with the big hats, straitjackets, and plaids, in full July heat on Parliament Hill in Ottawa... And yet we still have it soft compared to some :salute from a Canadian
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: curry1 on March 02, 2012, 12:57:59 PM
Since your becoming an officer I'll let you in on a secret.....your NCOs and enlisted can help you along in your career just as much as your superior officers do. If you take the time to listen to them they will respect you and work harder for you, in turn giving you a good OER.

That's exactly what I keep hearing and I will keep it in mind.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: VonMessa on March 02, 2012, 02:57:48 PM
I am going to be in the Corps of Cadets and Air Force ROTC at Virginia Tech for the Fall Semester 2012.  I am most afraid that Junky and Vonmessa will make fun of me for being a wannabe Nancy-boy butter bar :cry

For my part, at least, I am just breaking balls.  If I were given the chance to do it all over again, I would have went for Warrant officer.

Take to heart the advice about listening to your NCO's while training AND in the field.  These are guys that have been boots on the ground and know the drill.  They will teach you how to properly lead, from the front while keeping you and your troopers alive and healthy.

Never forget, as an officer, s%*t rolls downhill and gripes go uphill.  If the orders suck, the troopers will know it because you are handing out all of the s%*t details BUT, never complain about orders to anyone under you in rank.  Your troops will fare better and respect you for it.  hey can't change the orders, only those that outrank you can.

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ ____

The colonel had three Second Lieutenants eligible for promotion. The problem was, he only had one First Lieutenant Slot available.

The colonel called the first butter-bar into his office and said, "This is a promotion test. If I was to tell you that I wanted a flag pole erected in front of Post HQ by 1700, what would you do?"

The Lt. thought about it for a second, and said, "Sir. I would get a shovel, head for HQ and start digging…."

"You're not ready to be promoted," the Colonel interrupted.

The colonel asked the same question of the next candidate.

"Sir," said the next butter-bar, "I would fill out a CE work order, making sure I made provisions for the appropriate environmental study and….."

"You are definitely not ready to be promoted," the Colonel said.

The Colonel asked the question of the final candidate.

Without hesitation, the Lieutenant said, "Sir. I would call the First Sergeant, and say, 'Top, I want a @#$#@ flag pole in front of HQ by 1700!"

"You're ready to be promoted," the Colonel said.
Title: Re: Going into ROTC, what should I expect?
Post by: JunkyII on March 03, 2012, 12:48:03 AM
Standing at attention for almost 6 hours, marching while playing bagpipes for an hour and a bit on either end, in full dress (with the big hats, straitjackets, and plaids, in full July heat on Parliament Hill in Ottawa... And yet we still have it soft compared to some :salute from a Canadian
Worked with some Canadians in Korea...big  :salute to one of the States best allies