Can any of you Aggies explain your school's relationship to the military?

6,013 Views | 36 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by clarythedrill
M1Buckeye
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I'm a Buckeye from Ohio. I don't know of your history and traditions, but I like what I see.
stoneyjr78
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AG
"Sir, there were 18,000 aggies who served during WWII, more than any other school including the United States Military Academy at West Point NY."

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. John 15:13. This memorial is dedicated to those aggies who died for their country since WWII. Here is inscribed in spirit and bronze a tribute to their valor and devotion to their country. Gift of the classes of 1967, 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72."

"Governor Cokes' advice to the students was "let your watchword be duty. Know no other talisman of success than labor. Let honor be your guiding star in your dealings with your superiors, your fellows, and with all. Be true to a trust reposed as to the needle to the pole, stand by the right even to the sacrifice of life itself and and learn that death is preferable than dishonor."

TAMU has a uniformed corps of cadets that runs between 2,000 and 3,000 with ROTC mandatory for the freshman and sophomore years. At the end of the sophomore year, contracts can be signed with the cadets choice in services of Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, and Coast Guard depending on the needs of the service. I don't know about the Space Force. Typically, the cadets score a little higher on grades than the rest of the student body. Cadets can also apply for military and civilian scholarships. There is physical training, discipline, mandatory call to quarters for studying, and strict regulations against hazing as defined by state law. There is a tremendous camaraderie. Aggie cadets do well in competition with other ROTC cadets. It can be harder and lonelier for minorities but the university snd cadre are heavily recruiting so the cadet corps will show the diversity of the state.

Aggies have done very well in the military and business. It's engineering and agriculture areas are superb. I hope this answers some of your questions.
hut-ho78
cavscout96
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TAMC was chartered under the Morrill Land Grant of 1862

First proposed when Morrill was serving in the House of Representatives, the Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862 set aside federal lands to create colleges to "benefit the agricultural and mechanical arts." The president signed the bill into law on July 2, 1862. It granted each state 30,000 acres of western land, to be distributed by each senator and representative, and funded the construction of agricultural and mechanical schools.

In addition to agriculture and engineering, the curriculum included compulsory military training (pre-ROTC).

Due to unfortunate circumstances in the early to mid 1860's, the establishment of TAMC was delayed until 1876.

Participation in the Cadet Corps remained compulsory until the late 1960's.
M1Buckeye
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stoneyjr78 said:

"Sir, there were 18,000 aggies who served during WWII, more than any other school including the United States Military Academy at West Point NY."

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. John 15:13. This memorial is dedicated to those aggies who died for their country since WWII. Here is inscribed in spirit and bronze a tribute to their valor and devotion to their country. Gift of the classes of 1967, 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72."

"Governor Cokes' advice to the students was "let your watchword be duty. Know no other talisman of success than labor. Let honor be your guiding star in your dealings with your superiors, your fellows, and with all. Be true to a trust reposed as to the needle to the pole, stand by the right even to the sacrifice of life itself and and learn that death is preferable than dishonor."

TAMU has a uniformed corps of cadets that runs between 2,000 and 3,000 with ROTC mandatory for the freshman and sophomore years. At the end of the sophomore year, contracts can be signed with the cadets choice in services of Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, and Coast Guard depending on the needs of the service. I don't know about the Space Force. Typically, the cadets score a little higher on grades than the rest of the student body. Cadets can also apply for military and civilian scholarships. There is physical training, discipline, mandatory call to quarters for studying, and strict regulations against hazing as defined by state law. There is a tremendous camaraderie. Aggie cadets do well in competition with other ROTC cadets. It can be harder and lonelier for minorities but the university snd cadre are heavily recruiting so the cadet corps will show the diversity of the state.

Aggies have done very well in the military and business. It's engineering and agriculture areas are superb. I hope this answers some of your questions.


Thank you. Aggies should be proud!
M1Buckeye
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cavscout96 said:

TAMC was chartered under the Morrill Land Grant of 1862

First proposed when Morrill was serving in the House of Representatives, the Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862 set aside federal lands to create colleges to "benefit the agricultural and mechanical arts." The president signed the bill into law on July 2, 1862. It granted each state 30,000 acres of western land, to be distributed by each senator and representative, and funded the construction of agricultural and mechanical schools.

In addition to agriculture and engineering, the curriculum included compulsory military training (pre-ROTC).

Due to unfortunate circumstances in the early to mid 1860's, the establishment of TAMC was delayed until 1876.

Participation in the Cadet Corps remained compulsory until the late 1960's.



Thank you.
Smeghead4761
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Another interesting bit of A&M trivia: in 1917 (when membership in the Corps of Cadets was mandatory), following the U.S. declaration of war against Germany in April, A&M did not hold a graduation ceremony in May.

Because the entire senior class had volunteered for the Army.
M1Buckeye
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Langenator said:

Another interesting bit of A&M trivia: in 1917 (when membership in the Corps of Cadets was mandatory), following the U.S. declaration of war against Germany in April, A&M did not hold a graduation ceremony in May.

Because the entire senior class had volunteered for the Army.


Wow. Now THAT is a tradition worthy of pride!
AgBQ-00
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AG
We are one of five designated Senior Military Colleges. The others being VMI, Virginia Tech, Norwich, and the Citadel. A&M offers commissions into all branches of the military and provides the military with a ton of officers. Historically we have had former students participate in every US foreign engagement since the Spanish-American war, and have the honor of having 8 former students receive the Medal of Honor.

MOH Recipients

Link to Corps of Cadet information
M1Buckeye
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AgBQ-00 said:

We are one of five designated Senior Military Colleges. The others being VMI, Virginia Tech, Norwich, and the Citadel. A&M offers commissions into all branches of the military and provides the military with a ton of officers. Historically we have had former students participate in every US foreign engagement since the Spanish-American war, and have the honor of having 8 former students receive the Medal of Honor.

MOH Recipients

Link to Corps of Cadet information


That's awesome!
CanyonAg77
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Langenator said:

Another interesting bit of A&M trivia: in 1917 (when membership in the Corps of Cadets was mandatory), following the U.S. declaration of war against Germany in April, A&M did not hold a graduation ceremony in May.

Because the entire senior class had volunteered for the Army.

To be accurate, the school organized a "graduation" ceremony at Leon Springs, Texas, where most of the senior class was training.

https://theeagle.com/news/local/a-m-class-of-1917-honored-for-100th-anniversary-of-wwi/article_e33a191f-a18b-5105-89bb-1f2109cf5faf.html

CanyonAg77
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https://today.tamu.edu/2017/05/02/texas-am-system-regents-honor-class-of-1917-cadets/

Quote:

On this month 100 years ago, administrators at the institution that would become Texas A&M University canceled graduation ceremonies the only time ever in the history of the campus and released all seniors for active military duty as the country went to war against Germany.

Most of the approximately 120 cadets at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas underwent military training at a camp in Leon Springs, Texas. A few members of the class were sent to Houston for naval training, and a small number went to Parris Island in South Carolina to be trained as Marines.
Ultimately, four members of the Class of 1917 died in the war effort, including three in France and one stateside during training..

Now, a century later, the Board of Regents at the Texas A&M University System unanimously passed a resolution honoring the Class of 1917.

Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said the members of the Class of 1917 will be remembered as some of the most courageous and most dedicated students to ever be part of the A&M family.

"The members of the Class of 1917 were heroes," Chancellor Sharp said. "Their selfless service stands as a model for all of us."

Speaking for the Board of Regents, Chairman Cliff Thomas said the Class of 1917 deserves to be honored and remembered.

"The Board of Regents always will remember the sacrifices of the Class of 1917," Chairman Thomas said. "Those young cadets exemplify the core values that we hold in such esteem as Aggies."
Rabid Cougar
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This is the highest of all Aggie Traditions.

Aggie Muster
AgBQ-00
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Rabid Cougar said:

This is the highest of all Aggie Traditions.

Aggie Muster
Agreed!
Warrior 66
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There are actually SIX Senior Military Colleges (SMC), as designated by Title X, US Code:

Norwich
The Citadel
VMI
Va Tech
North Georgia
Texas A&M

Texas A&M is the youngest of the SMCs, has the largest Corps of Cadets of all the SMCs, is the only SMC west of the Mississippi River, and consistently commissions more officers into the military each year than any other SMC.

SMCs are required to maintain a full time Corps of Cadets, have a "code of conduct" to help develop character by which all cadets live, all cadets must take military training (ROTC), all cadets seeking a commission must maintain the same military training standards as the military academies, and the institution must offer a bachelors degree.

Cadets at an SMC are authorized to take the ROTC program all four years, but taking a commission upon graduation remains optional. At Texas A&M, approximately 45% of cadets take a commission. The other 55% pursue careers in both the private and public sectors.

Unlike ROTC at other schools, the Department of Defense is prohibited from closing or reducing the ROTC programs at an SMC, even during time of war (full or total mobilization). This exists primarily because SMCs are usually expected to produce large numbers of military officers during time of war to fill shortages.

Another distinction of the SMC system is that all cadets at the senior military colleges are guaranteed active duty commissions when they graduate.

Texas A&M remains one of the largest and most visible SMCs in the nation, and continues to provide high caliber men and women to become leaders in the military and across a wide array of career fields throughout our state and nation.
clarythedrill
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Commandant79 said:

There are actually SIX Senior Military Colleges (SMC), as designated by Title X, US Code:

Norwich
The Citadel
VMI
Va Tech
North Georgia
Texas A&M

Texas A&M is the youngest of the SMCs, has the largest Corps of Cadets of all the SMCs, is the only SMC west of the Mississippi River, and consistently commissions more officers into the military each year than any other SMC.

SMCs are required to maintain a full time Corps of Cadets, have a "code of conduct" to help develop character by which all cadets live, all cadets must take military training (ROTC), all cadets seeking a commission must maintain the same military training standards as the military academies, and the institution must offer a bachelors degree.

Cadets at an SMC are authorized to take the ROTC program all four years, but taking a commission upon graduation remains optional. At Texas A&M, approximately 45% of cadets take a commission. The other 55% pursue careers in both the private and public sectors.

Unlike ROTC at other schools, the Department of Defense is prohibited from closing or reducing the ROTC programs at an SMC, even during time of war (full or total mobilization). This exists primarily because SMCs are usually expected to produce large numbers of military officers during time of war to fill shortages.

Another distinction of the SMC system is that all cadets at the senior military colleges are guaranteed active duty commissions when they graduate.

Texas A&M remains one of the largest and most visible SMCs in the nation, and continues to provide high caliber men and women to become leaders in the military and across a wide array of career fields throughout our state and nation.
This is not true for the Army ROTC department. You must be contracted to the Army to enter your junior year in Army ROTC, and all contracted Cadets who graduate WILL commission unless they fail the APFT or HT/WT. That is how it is at Norwich. A&M may do it different I guess, but Norwich follows Army policy on that.
AgBQ-00
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AG
I missed one. I stand corrected
HollywoodBQ
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At VMI, my daughter participated in Army ROTC through her MS III Year and only dropped out of Army shortly before Advanced Camp or whatever it's called now.

Presumably she would have had to sign an Army contract to go to camp in 2019.
CanyonAg77
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Just by way of comparison, our Zoomie kid had no service obligation for the first two years of USAFA. However, if they showed up for day 1 of fall class, then they incurred a service commit.

The main difference, of course, was if they decided not to commission, their AFA career was over. Couldn't finish last two years at USAFA.

I did know two cadets that graduated and didn't serve. One was medically unfit, though I'm not sure if that was just before or just after graduation.

The other tore up a knee as an IC (intercollegiate athlete) and repeated surgeries by AF docs did not help. They knew by the middle of her senior year that she medically could not commission. Officially, she should have been kicked out of school.

Cooler heads managed to slow roll her medical disqualification until graduation. So she got her degree, but not a commission.
Warrior 66
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Its just not worded well, but the rules at Texas A&M are the same as Norwich.

Cadets seeking a commission at Texas A&M will stay in ROTC all 4 years. Those not seeking a commission take ROTC their freshman year, and 1st semester of their sophomore year. After that they transition to the Hollingsworth Center for Ethical leadership - a program designed to provide leadership instruction for those entering the public and private sectors upon graduation.
Rabid Cougar
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Commandant79 said:

Norwich
The Citadel
VMI
Va Tech
North Georgia
Texas A&M
All in the south except Norwich.
Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Vermont.

Very interesting.
OldArmyCT
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Interesting tidbit...classmate of mine hurt his knee playing football in HS, disclosed same on his physical prior to enrolling at A&M under a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship. Dad was an active duty Colonel. He was smarter than most of us, graduated in 3 years, asked the Army if he could take grad school his 4th year, they questioned if he could finish in 1 year but he convinced them and did. So after 4 years of school he has an MS in Industrial Engineering, reports for his induction physical and fails due to his knee. Asks for a waiver, is denied. Father intervenes, denied again. Goes into the civilian world and makes a fortune. Thank you Uncle Sam for the free, no-obligation education.
Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.
Rabid Cougar
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OldArmyCT said:

Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.
D&C Cadets? Easy. We played Corps, built life long brotherhood, got okay grades and wore extremely cool Boots!

After that we continued to do crazy Corps indoctrinated/engrained things in the civilian world. And in some cases, such as my multiple Chic-Fil-A owning fish buddy, became filthy rich.

It's nice to have a Two Star (as O-8) ol' lady too.
JABQ04
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OldArmyCT said:

Interesting tidbit...classmate of mine hurt his knee playing football in HS, disclosed same on his physical prior to enrolling at A&M under a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship. Dad was an active duty Colonel. He was smarter than most of us, graduated in 3 years, asked the Army if he could take grad school his 4th year, they questioned if he could finish in 1 year but he convinced them and did. So after 4 years of school he has an MS in Industrial Engineering, reports for his induction physical and fails due to his knee. Asks for a waiver, is denied. Father intervenes, denied again. Goes into the civilian world and makes a fortune. Thank you Uncle Sam for the free, no-obligation education.
Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.


I had a fairly intensive DODMERB physical for my scholarship. In fact I went into it failing as I had a very badly broken finger, delayed surgery the doctors wanted, and had to get cleared 6 months later to keep my scholarship. Summer/Fall 2000
CanyonAg77
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I was always skeptical of some of the Vietnam era medical deferments. I'm sure we can all name public figures with those that seem questionable.

But when our daughter put in her medical papers, we had to have a doctor modify a chart entry for "sinusitis " to "common cold", because sinusitis could have been disqualifying.

This was around 2006, and they were apparently having lots of trouble with the dust in Iraq
HollywoodBQ
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JABQ04 said:

OldArmyCT said:

Interesting tidbit...classmate of mine hurt his knee playing football in HS, disclosed same on his physical prior to enrolling at A&M under a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship. Dad was an active duty Colonel. He was smarter than most of us, graduated in 3 years, asked the Army if he could take grad school his 4th year, they questioned if he could finish in 1 year but he convinced them and did. So after 4 years of school he has an MS in Industrial Engineering, reports for his induction physical and fails due to his knee. Asks for a waiver, is denied. Father intervenes, denied again. Goes into the civilian world and makes a fortune. Thank you Uncle Sam for the free, no-obligation education.
Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.


I had a fairly intensive DODMERB physical for my scholarship. In fact I went into it failing as I had a very badly broken finger, delayed surgery the doctors wanted, and had to get cleared 6 months later to keep my scholarship. Summer/Fall 2000
Yep, in my era, for my Army ROTC Scholarship, I spent all day at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood getting examined every different way. If there was anything wrong with me other than my eyesight, they would have found it.

I got to overhear some great Enlisted Men in the 1980s stories about the benefits of getting stationed in West Germany and going on TDY assignments. A little over the top for a 17 y/o living in Waco.

The one part that cracked me up and all of my woke (now locked down) Australian friends can't believe was when the doctor asked me if I was a homosexual. I laughed because a - I couldn't believe it was a serious question and b - does anybody answer "Yes"?
HollywoodBQ
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CanyonAg77 said:

I was always skeptical of some of the Vietnam era medical deferments. I'm sure we can all name public figures with those that seem questionable.

But when our daughter put in her medical papers, we had to have a doctor modify a chart entry for "sinusitis " to "common cold", because sinusitis could have been disqualifying.

This was around 2006, and they were apparently having lots of trouble with the dust in Iraq
Best Vietnam Medical story I've got was the full timer E-8 who worked at our Armory.

Apparently he had some family lineage going back to Prussia where everybody in his family were warriors. His father was a big WWII hero.
(I was told these stories in the mid-1990s and just now looked them up. Fascinating. I met the man a few months before he passed away in 1996)
https://www.shsu.edu/academics/military-science/cadets/organizations/ranger-company.html
https://www.shsu.edu/~pin_www/T@S/1996/Schuder.html

So, this fellow goes to enlist and gets disqualified at MEPS in Dallas.
He rushes home, enlists in the National Guard and gets an all clear physical from the local hometown doctor and goes on to serve a career in the Guard. Never got deployed to Vietnam but at least he got to serve.

So, yeah, some of those Vietnam era medical records are definitely questionable.
Smeghead4761
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Rabid Cougar said:

Commandant79 said:

Norwich
The Citadel
VMI
Va Tech
North Georgia
Texas A&M
All in the south except Norwich.
Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Vermont.

Very interesting.
The South maintained much more of the martial element in its culture well after that element began to decline int the North. A very large part of it was the chivalric self-image of the planter culture, but it was also a response, at least in part, of fear of slave revolts, especially after Nat Turner's Rebellion.

There are also military junior colleges, which grant commissions conditional on the officer completing a 4-year degree. i know of three of those - Mann in Alaska (this may have been where Ted "Theodore" Logan's dad was going to send him), Marion in Alabama, and NMMI.
CT'97
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Many if the descendants of the officers who joined the Confederacy were persona non grata at West Point and those families wanted to continue the military traditions. So an importance was put on creating options for them to gain that military training as well as the education they would have received at West Point.
Texas A&M - 148 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.
stoneyjr78
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The federal government set up agricultural and mechanical colleges mandated to also teach military courses with the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. They could not discriminate but could set up separate and "just" schools. The southern states could not do so until after they had rejoined the United States. TAMU ane Virginia Tech are two such schools. HBU examples are Prairie View and Tuskegee. VMI and the Citadel were state schools founded prior to the Morrill Act. USMA was founded prior to the Morrill Act for the purpose of producing engineers for the US Army.

https://www.nap.edu/read/4980/chapter/2
hut-ho78
OldArmyCT
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Another story...I went thru helicopter pilot training and the last week they gave us one more physical. Friend of mine had a scar on his stomach area, doc points and asks what that is. Kid replies "Appendix, just like my records state." Doc says nope, what is it really, kid says "Spleen." For some reason that is a disqualifier for flight, he immediately gets pulled out of line and they tell him a board will meet the next day to discuss. He goes before the board and tells them he's flown just fine up till now and he's going to go to Vietnam and get killed anyway so why waste all that money spent training him. He gets his waiver, survives Vietnam and retires as an LTC 25 years later.
Rabid Cougar
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JABQ04 said:

OldArmyCT said:

Interesting tidbit...classmate of mine hurt his knee playing football in HS, disclosed same on his physical prior to enrolling at A&M under a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship. Dad was an active duty Colonel. He was smarter than most of us, graduated in 3 years, asked the Army if he could take grad school his 4th year, they questioned if he could finish in 1 year but he convinced them and did. So after 4 years of school he has an MS in Industrial Engineering, reports for his induction physical and fails due to his knee. Asks for a waiver, is denied. Father intervenes, denied again. Goes into the civilian world and makes a fortune. Thank you Uncle Sam for the free, no-obligation education.
Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.


I had a fairly intensive DODMERB physical for my scholarship. In fact I went into it failing as I had a very badly broken finger, delayed surgery the doctors wanted, and had to get cleared 6 months later to keep my scholarship. Summer/Fall 2000
Took the hearing test 7 times in 1984 PH year for Marine Corps Scholarship and didn't pass any of them. 80% hearing loss in right ear. Even offered to sign a waiver. Even P.X. Kelly couldn't save me from a Navy doctor.

AND that is how you become D&C...
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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Navy vet WW2 here. Went in Corps. One fall semester to go - Needed last course of MS -

Not offered until Spring. Took both senior MS courses that spring - got commissioned in Jan!

Asked nobody ! Ended up in Germany at HQ12AF. Got ist LT in 6 months due to inactive Navy reserve

including 8 years extra longevity pay!

Big raise ! Top that !
Jock 07
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Commandant79 said:

At Texas A&M, approximately 45% of cadets take a commission. The other 55% pursue careers in both the private and public sectors.



Just curious, is that 45% strictly ROTC commissions, or does that include other commissioning sources outside of ROTC?
CanyonAg77
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AG
I've wondered that, too. Lots of guys went Marine PLC in my day, and some may go OCS after college. Maybe not enough to skew the stats, but it would be interesting to know.
clarythedrill
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HollywoodBQ said:

At VMI, my daughter participated in Army ROTC through her MS III Year and only dropped out of Army shortly before Advanced Camp or whatever it's called now.

Presumably she would have had to sign an Army contract to go to camp in 2019.
The reason for pushing them out prior to the MSIII year is to reduce the Instructor to Student ration, since the MSIII year is all about prepping the Cadets for summer camp.

VMI gets around that by providing the Army department with civilian instructors to augment the Officers/NCOs, so they have a much better ratio. VMI also uses that additional year of instruction to go towards their little degree in Leadership. It works for VMI.
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