The Army ROTC, or Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, is a program which trains college students to become officers in the United States Army while simultaneously earning their degrees. Students may commit to two or four years of Army ROTC training while in school. In exchange for their commitment to the Army, they receive a monthly stipend and, in some cases, a scholarship which can be applied toward tuition or room and board. Upon graduation from college, all students who have completed four years of training as well as all two-year trainees who received ROTC scholarships are required to serve the Army for a period of eight years.
Army ROTC training is split into two components: the Basic Course and the Advanced Course. Each component is designed to spread over two years, thus corresponding to the overall length of a typical undergraduate program. Both the Basic and Advanced Courses involve elective classes, which educate ROTC participants in all facets of becoming an Army officer, as well as field training and physical conditioning.
All Army ROTC participants are rewarded for their time with a monthly stipend. In addition, a large proportion of participants receive scholarships for tuition or room and board, leading many who could not otherwise afford college to consider the ROTC. It should be noted, however, that acceptance of an ROTC scholarship obligates the participant to later serve in the Army for eight years.
Those who wish to enroll in the Army ROTC program normally begin by completing the two-year Basic Course. Should a participant decide to terminate his ROTC involvement following completion of the Basic Course, he is under no obligation to serve in the US Army. If he has received an ROTC scholarship during any part of those two years, however, he must fulfill an eight-year service commitment following college graduation.
Following the Basic Course, those who wish to proceed in their ROTC training commence the Advanced Course. All Advanced Course enrollees must have first completed the Basic Course. Should an individual decide to join the Army ROTC after the first two years of college, he can attend a four-week accelerated Basic Course before beginning the Advanced Course. In addition to class work and field training, participants in the Advanced Course must also attend an intensive five-week leadership program, typically held during the summer.
Once a participant has completed all Army ROTC coursework and received his degree, he is named a second lieutenant in the US Army. He must then fulfill an eight-year commitment to the Army as per the conditions of his ROTC involvement. If he received a ROTC scholarship, he must complete at least four years of active service, spending the remainder of his tenure in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Even if he did not receive a scholarship, he is still obligated to serve for eight years. In this case, however, he must only complete three years of active service, spending the balance of his term in the IRR.
