can anyone please give me any info on rotc for any of the branches--i am going to purdue in the fall and really considering about rotc for any of the branches

how long do you have to serve?
will you most likely fly when you are serving?
which branch do you think is the ebst from your experience and/or knowledge?
also what if i do not fly for the years i serve--wll i still have a chance to be hired by a regional?

thanks all!!!

I was thinking of joining the AFROTC a while back and did some research. I read that on your sophomore-junior year, you are required to attend a boot camp during the summer. If you get a pilot slot, you are required to serve for 10 years and if you are not, then you can get out of the military in 4 years.
I might be completely wrong but that is what I read.

If you want to fly, I suggest you go for the AF since I have read they usually have the most slots but it depends on your class rank what options you are given, so if you are top of your class you can pretty much choose whatever you want, if you are bottom, then you are left with the scraps... probably UAV

And about the regionals, it depends what you fly and how much you fly. If you are stuck with a UAV or Helicopter then you are pretty much out of luck unless the airline you apply to accepts those hours which I think are not that many. but either way, being in the military does look good on your resume.

Again, this is what I have read through the internet and I can't be sure of its accuracy.

I realize you are only a HS senior, but did you put any effort into your research? Google is your friend for most of the answers you desire, and the use of spell-check and proof-reading are also helpful (you are getting ready to go to Purdue, after all).

Most of us were able to find all of these answers before Al Gore even invented the internet. Just a technique, but the amount of effort you put into your research and questions betray the seriousness of your desire.

Spot on! You really need to come to the forums after you have talked with recruiters, ROTC personnel, academy reps, etc. I will throw you a bone however. Go to Baseops.Net Flight Planning and Aviation Weather to get a bunch of info about pilot slots, ROTC, the academy, etc. Word of warning however. Do a SEARCH function first on the topics you need information on.

There are two year and four year programs. I was in a two-year.

Depending on your major (and grades), you might get a scholarship. I got one for engineering.

Normal non-flying commitment is 4 years; Pilot Training is 10. However, every time you go through a training course (say, you finish pilot training and get an F-16), there is another commitment that adds on--don't know what it is now, but probably 3-4 years. When they move you from one base to another (Called a Permanent Change of Station, or PCS), that is another 2 or 3 year commitment. They overlap, but sometimes it is hard to get to the end of the last one. Realistically, a pilot will be in for 10-12 years unless they have early-outs (like two years ago).

A lot of flying in general, and the military or airlines in particular, is extreme attention to detail. I didn't see one upper-case letter in your post, d22. (I'd work on that).

Good luck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by d22block

can anyone please give me any info on rotc for any of the branches--i am going to purdue in the fall and really considering about rotc for any of the branches

I did USAF ROTC and flew F-15Cs.

Service requirements have already been covered.

You will fly in the USAF(or Navy/Marines) if you have a pilot slot when you get commissioned. If you don’t have a pilot slot, you will serve in whatever capacity you are needed. You may have to join and participate in ROTC in order to compete for a pilot slot and you may not know for sure your freshman year. I didn’t get mine until I was a senior.

Which branch is best? You’ll get as many answers as people you ask. The USAF has lots of aircraft, lots of variety in flying missions, minimal rotary wing flying, great facilities on the bases and you don’t spend 6 months gone on a ship. You may spend months gone to some contingency operation, a year remote in Korea, Iraq or some other garden spot. They all have their pros/cons.

You’ll find lots of thread on this forum with plenty of advice to folks in your position who have asked similar questions. Take a look.

Finally, do yourself (and others you may serve with) a big favor. Don’t join the military so you can get a regional airline job. If that’s your goal in life, get your civilian pilot ratings and get a regional job. You will not succeed and you will waste your time and that of your military instructors if your reason for joining is to pursue a civilian flying job. Not to mention, after 10+ years in the military, you probably wouldn’t be able to afford the pay cut to take a regional job after getting out.

To answer your last question: If you don’t fly in the military, you won’t get a civilian flying job unless you have flight experience. Why would they hire you coming out of the military unless you flew? The fact that you served in a service that flies aircraft isn’t going to matter to any airline if you didn’t actually fly yourself. This kind of goes without saying but you did ask the question. Maybe you need to re-phrase if that’s not what you meant.

Good Luck.

My goal is to eventually become a major airline pilot or cargo pilot just like most people. But, I'm saying, if I forsome reason do not fly in the military when I have to serve, but I did fly at Purdue, what are my chances of actually getting that top of the line some day? I do not want to join the military if it will hold me back from one day getting that airline job.

Also, are there a lot of ATC slots in the military? I'm guessing the AF would have the most. That would be something that interests me if I did not fly in the military.

d22 -

It sounds to me like you want to be an airline pilot first and foremost. Therefore - I suggest that you pursue an airline career. If you join the military then I believe that you are going to be very unhappy being an officer in our nation's services because a lot of the job might entail something other than flying.

USMCFLYR

It is called "Military Service" not "Military Stepping Stone to what I want later." If you are not truly interested in the service portion of the deal then look elsewhere.

The military is not for everyone and neither are the airlines. Research both and you may find they are way different than the perception you have of them.

Get a solid non-aviation degree at Purdue.

Navy ROTC, info is 15 years old but

You select your specialty about half way thru your senior year. Based upon a lot of factors, but mainly grades, major, and military aptitude. You can major in anything in NROTC and they will still pay, but you get more points towards your selection score for technical and engineering. (I was poli sci)

You select you airframe after your first phase of training. Based on performance and needs of the Navy. (You'll learn to hate this phrase.)

Commitment is 8 years jets 7 years props and helos after wings, about 9-10 yrs total. In the navy you can instruct in the fixed wing trainer after helos so you can still get about 1500 fixed wing time even if you are a helo guy.