ROTC: The Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP)

[@RandomYummyPickels]

Just to clear a couple things up for some folks. 1. The USAR or U.S. Army Reserves does not have combat roles. However, they do have combat support such as 12B Combat Engineer. 2. The National Guard does have Combat roles such as 11b Infantry, 19D Cavalry scout, 13b field artillery, and etc.. The most important advice i can give anyone is don't let your ego, or any teenage stubbornness, get in the way of the branch you select. I always wanted to be a Marine. At the same time i wanted to be an officer. Now me being an teenager i slacked in high school and NROTC just wasn't gonna happen. At the point i started thinking Active duty, but then i thought what about school? Well USMC reserves wasn't paying for much of anything. So finally looked into the Army. I felt ashamed, i felt like a coward, simply because my ego and heart was screaming MARINE CORPS. After talking to the Army about the reserves and SMP i was excited, until i realized no combat jobs! Now they direct me to the National Guard. I can tell you one thing i NEVER, i mean NEVER, considered joining the National Guard. Everyone i knew laughed at them, called them pussies, etc. However, after talking to a Guard recruiter i realized something. Its time to put that ego away. I thought about what i wanted in my life.. I wanted College, Military, Infantry, and a path to become an officer. Long story short here i am, enlisted in the National guard as an 11Bravo Infantryman. I get college paid for, a path to become an officer, and experience that'll help me throughout my life. While my heart truly wants to be a Marine,but for now i am joining the National Guard. What young teenagers like me need to realize is you have a WHOLE life ahead of you to make decisions. My embarrassment is completely gone from joining the National Guard. All my SGTs are combat vets who do nothing but help me get better. Ive been to Drills for the Army, and I've been to Poole Functions for Marines . Physically the applicants from both branches were about the same. The military is no different than a sport rivalry. While we make jokes at each other, at the end of the day were all there for one reason. All l I'm saying is when selecting a branch don't think about the badass uniforms, or whatever else that interest you. Think about what you want, and what serves YOU best! Many teenagers including myself truly don't know what they want. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. Talk to ever single recruiter you can, even branches you thought never in a million years. Narrow it down and decide. When deciding remember to pick with your heart, but remember you're intelligent!! Use your brain! I know its hard and i know you want it all at 18, but trust me. Maybe you choose one branch now but you can always change in 3,4, or 6 years. Don't let anyone talk you out of something for being a "pussy" or a "wimp." Ive met better National Guard Soldiers than active duty, and vice versa. They're will be winners and losers in EVERY branch. We live in an era where kids wouldn't take up arms if our country depended on it. Be proud of who or what you are, and who you want to become. Because at the end of the day we all wear the same flag, and will do anything to protect it. Men and woman from every branch have died to protect us. No branch should be looked down upon on. The United State of America is the greatest country in the world. Its a privilege and an honor to serve for this amazing land. God bless all my brothers and sisters. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast guard. Past, present, and future. You're all truly an honor to even have a chance to serve with you. I wish the best of luck to everyone considering such an honorable task. Ill also be happy to answer any questions. Thank you all.

[@RandomYummyPickels]

No sir you talk to an army reserve recruiter or national guard recruiter and go to basic training and AIT. Then you enroll in college and join ROTC.

[@jullius.6433]

Thanks for your story. I agree most of us kids think money and wanna be in the marines but I realized too you have to think about your future.

[@narwhallegion8583]

Lol im pretty sure it all is the result of the actual sports rivalries between the service academies

[@LtNOWIS]

1) You don't have to go to Basic or AIT for the SMP program. 2) It's different than just having a GRFD scholarship because you get to drill with a Guard/Reserve unit, and you get drill pay for that. 3) It works with the Guard and the Army Reserve. 4) You can join straight from ROTC without already being a Guard/Reserve soldier.

[@ugadawg92]

yes, but it's not considered SMP until your sophomore year when you can contract with ROTC. But you can still do it all 4 years.

[@registryy]

Millitary minecraft SMP? how join?

[@EdwardIVV]

@scuster45 yeahh, that sounds good. But try to get a couple of sports in there...they like guys to be athletic! Go to your5 local church or fire house to find out community service like meals on wheels and such. And go for the 4 year not the 2 year!

[@juliana23351]

ROTC takes so much hard work. We had to wake up at 6:30 to get ready to march in downtown Sarasota for memorial day. Arrive there at 9 and march for 2 hours in scorching 95 degree weather... -.-

[@zainahmed6502]

Well you're training to be an officer in the military. It's not exactly an after school club.

[@cliffhangr]

if you are contracted, can you still do this?

[@Combat-Janitor]

I just enlisted in the national guard and ship out to benning in jan (11b). From what I've read and what I understand, a college ROTC cannot give you an SMP contract unless you have graduated basic/ait/OSUT etc. You also need 30 college credits (sophomore). Once you sign the contract though, you'll be rendered non-deployable overseas, but if you are in the guard, you can still be deployed state-side. Goodluck and congrats on your enlistment!

[@ugadawg92]

@sahdahimbou Yes as long as you DO NOT take any Guard or Reserve Scholarships. If you take a Guard/Reserve Scholarship then you have to commission into the Guard or Reserve. The Guard Liaisons at the ROTC program will try to convince you to stay Guard, just stick to your guns and go Active if that's what you want to do. Good Luck

[@xRoGuE71x]

@000JonJon000 No, by joining SMP you are signing an agreement to serve 8 years in the U.S. Army in return for tuition assistance and monthly pay.

[@cantttype]

Ya and you get 15 extra points on your accessions packet!!!

[@namelessking2]

If you enlist as a soldier you cannot do rotc. You can do the reserves and do the split-option

[@inventorchris2]

if you are on this can you still go to airborne school in the summer

[@pcharron1983]

Curious what your reasoning for not doing it with the reserves is. Thanks.

[@EdwardIVV]

@EricU72 Awesome, thanks dude. Would you recommend it? I have a 4 year ROTC scholarship and I'm looking into if I wanna do SMP. Can I go active duty in the Army? Or do I go active duty in the National Guard?

[@lancebaker155]

@Music2LoveILU: SMP Cadets are considered non-MOSQed and thus, are non-deployable. As a contracted Cadet in the ROTC program, you cannot deploy to a combat zone. I am very sorry to hear about your uncle... but it is important to clear up misconceptions about the military.

[@MrLove2poop]

Does it has to be Army ROTC because my school has Air force ROTC

[@EdwardIVV]

@EricU72 do SMP cadets get to go to airborne school?

[@michaels5917]

I am mainly considering navy, but if I do SMP would I be able to help out with national guard if there was a hurricane or a riot or something like that

[@Tjlax03]

Do all arotc courses commission you as a 2nd lueitenant.

[@zainahmed6502]

Yes, 2nd Lieutenant is the lower-most commissioned rank. West Point, ROTC and OCS all commission you as 2nd LT, unless you're a Chaplain, Doctor, Lawyer.

[@Horndawg65]

Does this also work with army reserve and does this also mean i have to be in the guard or reserve

[@guitarhamster102]

Hmmm I don't know if I should do this because ROTC will take my bonuses away. =( Guess I'll just do OCS after college.

[@alexc165]

I am in ROTC , and Am planning on going the smp route . The shortest basic and ait is infantry, but the infantry spots are full, does any one know the next shortest?

[@sabers011]

@LtNOWIS False, you must be apart of the Guard or Reserve to be apart of ROTC-SMP, with that you would have to attend basic training along with AIT...

[@baker51516]

is this just for national guard or does the SMP program also apply to active duty cadets?

[@juliannoble6]

After graduating college with smp how long do you have to serve in the Guard

[@XxMrLimeyxX]

can you do this but with the reserves?

[@TacticalConsiderations2023]

Yup

[@vdogg_productions]

@XxMrLimeyxX yes you can

[@beatTHATpunk504]

Can u enlist while ROTC and can u get still get the same experience

[@RED88241]

Can't be combat arms in the reserves either.

[@voldymore69]

i already signed my contract but havent shipped off to basic, can i still sign up for smp

[@EdwardIVV]

@scuster45 Hey, I have a 4.0 GPA 1020 on critical reading and math on my SAT and about 20 hours of community service and 4 different clubs. Also 3 sports every year, cross country, basketball and track. If you get a 30 on your act and you do more sports your 11th and 12 grade year you should definitely be competitive for it,

[@chulitah2019]

yo kiero aser una preguta yo toda mi vida es kerido ser un bolutario para estar en el armil nose como pueda entra ok puedo aser kiero k me den una respuesta porfabor eso es lok sienpre es kerido ser

[@carlosmarquez6521]

No se que estas diciendo jajajajaja pero necesitas hablar con un recruiter and then you'll be set

[@tomcamp0226]

I thought this was great. I found another video on KZbin I'm subscribed to that is a short documentary about an ROTC student if you guys are interested. It's subscribed under the person Mattallen858, in my subscritions. It is an amazing documentary

[@onlinetooutdoor2382]

I would love to be part of the SMP.

[@eallstar22]

If you do the SMP program, you automatically get to stay in the national guard after college and you don't have to enlist in active duty, right? I wouldn't want to enlist, I'd like to stay in the reserves/national guard.

[@rod2467]

+eallstar22 It usually depends on the type of scholarship you receive but yes you can stay in guard/reserves.

[@chrisvigil8181]

@chulitah2019 Preguntale a un recruiter. (Español es mi idioma segunda, no sé como se dice "recruiter" en español.) Vives en Los estados unidos? Si no hablas ingles, necesitas a aprenderlo

[@937bossman]

88m