Considering ROTC...Wants to go abroad...Where do i start?

[Kendel.G]

Okay I know this is going to be long so bear with me...

I have 3 more semesters of pre-reqs. During my first semester I received a 4.0 (it would have been higher if my school counted grades above 100% because I got 105% and %115 in two classes). I'm cramming in all my sciences at a community college near home before transferring to get my BSN. this summer I had the oppurtunity to go to Germany (currently tapping this out in Kaiserslaughtern) and totally fell in LOVE.

If it was an option to stay here I think I would. But being so near Ramstein, it got me thinking about maybe joining ROTC when I transfer for my BSN. I'm really curious about how all this works.

Should I pick a branch and only apply for one or apply to each branch ROTC at each school? It seems like a great oppurtunity for free school and garunteed job after graduation with the oppurtunity to travel.

Also, with the commitment only being for a few years after school it would be great to not have to deal with student loans in exchange for searving my country. My grandpa was in the Navy so I think I would have a lean towards Navy. But I'm not really picky.

I would really appreciate any stories or advice you all could share. Any help would do. Also is it easier to get a job after you end your service ... I don't think I'd want to have a career in the military ... I really see myself more as a Peds Onc nurse. But I would be open to the option if it made sense with what was going on in life

[Gradius]

Go AF. Best treatment of its personnel, allegedly, much better than Army. Navy has the drawback of you being stuck stationed on a ship, and/or limited to Navy bases along the water. USAF obviously deals with Air Power first so there's a wider selection of locations for bases to be stationed on.

My $0.02.

[SF_RescueNinja]

I was an Army ROTC scholarship recipient with an interest in Nurse Corps so I understand how it works. For the most part you have to be in a BSN program to get the Army ROTC scholarship (you need a B.S./B.A. to commission i.e. become a 2nd Lieutenant). If you are not, you will NOT branch Nurse Corps (Army) as you need a Bachelor's and pass the NCLEX. The commitment is not just a few years... it's 8 years and can vary between active/reserve/national guard/IRR. Also, once you are in the military, you are not guaranteed anything. If you are, it's most likely a lie. You have to work very VERY hard to get the branch (of course you have preference for Nurse Corps unless you wanted something like Military Intelligence or Infantry which is very competitive) and location/post you want. The military can send you anywhere they please as you are needed.

From what I last remembered, they don't seem to be sending many Nurses to Germany --- mostly command positions for Engineering Corps and such. One of my peers who is in Nurse Corps is stationed in TX (which most are).

My recommendation: Although I enjoyed some experiences in the Army, I would prefer the civilian/private sector better than military. The biggest thing for me is, as you expressed, the freedom to work where you want. I don't know the likelihood that spots in Germany would be open for you when you commission. You would probably have a better chance of traveling as a Nurse in ped-onc without joining the military. In terms of cost, working in the civilian sector would make you more money than working as a nurse in the military. Your pay is fixed per rank even if you are a Nurse. This means if you don't join, you would still be able to pay off student loans and live well off without having to worry about where the Army will send you next. Not to sound condescending or anything but I am very wary of people who decide they want to join the military just for the money. I have met many cadets and now-commissioned lieutenants that are looking forward after their military commitment to just get out. Sometimes, their attitude is very detrimental to everyone else around them because they don't enjoy it as they thought they would. I'd advise you to be very careful about that too.

Also, not all schools offer different service branches for ROTC. Some only offer Army. Some offer Army/Navy. Some offer AF. Do your research. When you are in the ROTC program, it consumes your life. There was never really a time where I wasn't thinking about things I needed to do in ROTC or people to call or leadership tasks I needed to take care of. It's very hard to do high-level coursework like engineering and nursing and ROTC at the same time. It's do-able but very tough especially for Army ROTC at least. AF might be easier.

I hope you the best in your research! Good luck!

[SF_RescueNinja]

Good luck!

[PrimaFacie]

Everything ms.chia. said is correct.

Let me just add, I see people transferred to our base all the time and it's not a glam assignment, so they are very unhappy (until they get to know us). You will probably have little to no choice where you will be assigned. If your recruiter says sure, Germany, you could still possibly end up in Iowa or Texas, or Guam.

The only other thing I would add is that if it's travel you want, why not do travel nursing a year or so after you graduate?

Military nursing isn't a free ride on Uncle Sam for tuition. It takes a lot of dedication and adherence to a system of specific routines and protocols and a lifestyle that is extremely different than civilian.

And if you are in and you decide you don't like it, it's not like you can just call mom to pick you up.

Also, it's not that easy to get in anymore. With government cutbacks, recruitment is way down. And Veteran care at bases is gradually scaling down to mostly just clinics, with acute care outsourced to community hospitals.

That said, its a great choice if you want a military career, with some of the best and most dedicated professionals you could ever find.