Introduction
There’s a lot of different ways to serve in the military. If you have already looked at some of the details about commissioning as an officer right out of high school and going through the pipeline, then you might realize that your only other option is to enlist if you decide it’s not for you.
Some of you might be wondering how you can serve in the military and go to college, and maybe your recruiter has overflowed you with the different programs that exist.
In this article, I’ll help you understand the various options that exist for going to college if you decide to enlist first. I’ll also share my contact info at the bottom if you want to hear more about my experience.
Can you do NROTC / ROTC while enlisted?
You can do ROTC to commission as an officer in any branch while enlisted once you apply from your current unit. You’ll receive full enlisted pay while attending school and it’s a great option if you want a break from an active duty lifestyle. Your eligibility window starts at E-5 (Sergeant) and above.
MECEP and STA Program Explained
This program is competitive to be selected for but any military member who self studies leadership in their free time and works out consistently will stand out as a strong candidate.
Eligibility requirements explained
MECEP (Marine Enlisted. Commissioning Program)
- E5 or above with 1 year left in contact, 3 year minimum time in service
- Exceptionally high physical fitness test scores (try to get max points for all elements)
What Being Enlisted and Doing NROTC / ROTC is Like
When I was a Midshipman, I barely understood why we had prior enlisted personnel training with us and running our staff. After talked to them and working with them over the years, I got a full understanding of their experience.
While the college lifestyle can be busy depending on your major, the prior enlisted guys never thought twice about it. Fleet life is busy in itself, so only having a few hours commitment to the unit each week was a big break for them.
If you’re really on the fence about enlisting or trying to go straight into the officer pipeline, check out this article.
Most of them were using their GI bill to fund their classes
They were still receiving their full active duty pay while attending classes. When they commissioned, they received enlisted and officer pay which really adds up. The prior enlisted guys were always more dialed in when it came to military classes. Often times, our unit heavily utilized the prior enlisted to plan training and to teach classes on combat casualty care, maritime navigation etc.
As a prior enlisted in NROTC, you don’t get summer break.
The NROTC tour is considered a duty station, which means you will only attend for 3 years like every other station. This means you have to take college classes over the summer as well as the regular semesters. The good news is that midshipman go home for summer (since they don’t have leave days) and the unit does next to nothing all summer- making your military commitments next to none during that time.
Prior enlisted Navy can’t study whatever they want.
They can major in a vast majority of degrees relating to mechanical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, physics, and degrees along those lines that actually serve a purpose in the Navy. Prior enlisted Marines can study whatever they want.
At the end of the day, the Marine Corps wants you to have a degree but it doesn’t need to be specific to math, physics, or computers. A lot of prior enlisted Marines chose degrees in civil affairs, political science, history, philosophy, and business.
What MECEPS and OCs think of NROTC / ROTC
I worked with quite a few MECEPS and OCs throughout my four years. Here are some of the big points after talking to a few of them:
It’s more relaxed than actual military life
The college midshipman get chewed out for small things, but the prior enlisted guys stay way more under the radar and aren’t micromanaged by the instructor staff. This is for good reason too. The MECEP program is competitive, and only solid prior enlisted guys get selected for it. This means you’re recognized as someone who doesn’t need too much attention while in the program.
Navy prior enlisted have to choose a major on the tier list
These are majors that relate to the Navy in some way. They are often more challenging and require a lot of self study. The same is true with air force prior enlisted as well. You also aren’t really allowed to change your major unless it’s another degree on the tier list.
Army and Marine prior enlisted help the ROTC staff with training events
This means making the calls to Range Control on nearby bases for a rifle shoot and coordinating with corpsman to teach combat casualty care. The ROTC staff will rely on prior enlisted guys to help with the execution and supervision of training events since they have quite a bit experience doing this type of work anyway.
It’s great for family life
You’re essentially living as a civilian and only wear your uniform for a couple hours a week for ROTC events. It’s a great time to have kids, tell your spouse you won’t be getting deployed anytime soon, and study whatever you want while getting paid as an active duty member. A lot of prior enlisted will apply for this program so they can give their families a break from the constantly moving lifestyle that normal military life asks of them.
Even though your schoolwork can keep you busy at times, the discipline and habits you built during your first enlistment will serve you well in college.
Related Questions
Here’s some other commonly asked questions for further clarification.
How competitive is getting selected for ROTC while enlisted?
Marine NROTC is the most competitive. They want to see near perfect Physical Fitness Test scores and good letters of recommendation from your unit. Navy ROTC wants to see high potential for success in their major on the Tier List as well as Air Force ROTC. Army ROTC looks for all around noteworthy performance in military duties for selection.
Do I have to go to boot camp again to be an officer?
You still have to go to Officer Candidate School (OCS) once you get selected for an ROTC program. Marine Corps is the most challenging, followed by Army OCS, Navy, and Air Force in that order. There’s a few different names for this school across the branches, but it’s basically officer boot camp.
You need to be more than decent at running and calisthenics to do well at OCS. For more info on boot camping training vs OCS training prep, check out this article.
Conclusion
Being enlisted while doing ROTC entails a lot of responsibility, but it’s also a great opportunity to use your GI bill while getting paid and keeping the rank you’ve earned. It’s also a really good opportunity to help shape other college students in ROTC who have no prior military experience. Once done with the program, you can either join the reserves or go active duty as a 2ndLt or Ensign.
Thanks for reading! If you have any further questions or comments, feel free to reach out at theyouculture@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to respond.