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When you graduate West Point


Alpo

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How much time do you owe the army before you can resign?


We have this guy in a book. He got the Medal of Honor. One of the benefits of having the Medal is your kids can go to any of the service academies, without needing a congressional appointment.


So my mind ran off on a tangent. It has a tendency to do that.


Let's say that our hero's kid is interested in getting a really first class four-year college education for free, but has no desire to be a soldier. He can go to West Point, because Daddy has the Medal. And once he graduates, he is a second lieutenant in the United States Army.


Could he immediately resign from the Army?


If he went to college on an ROTC scholarship, and got his four years of college paid for, when he graduated he would be commissioned a second lieutenant, and he would have to be a second lieutenant for 4 years. Tit for tat.


Logic says that West Point would be the same way. That he would have to stay in at least 4 years.


I just can't find anything that says that.


Possibly I'm the first one to come up with this strange of an thought, so there was never a need to answer it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Per Larson's link:

 

You must serve a minimum of eight years after you graduate in a combination of Active Duty and Reserve Component Service. 

 

 

Youdaman!

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It is the same commitment for the other services.  It doesn't say what the minimum time on active duty is required.  In 1965, when I graduated from AFROTC, and was commissioned a 2LT, it was four years active for non-rated (ground pounders) and five for pilots and navigators.  The total commitment was seven years, active or inactive reserve.  They've increased the commitments by one year now.  Back when I was commissioned, ROTC grads got a commission in the reserves, academy grads got regular commissions, meaning they had tenure and unless they upgexxxxed, could serve up to 30 on active, whereas active duty reserves MIGHT make it to 20 years if no Reduction In Forces (RIF's) occurred, in which case it was civvy street with NO PENSION!  But Congress changed the law so "trade school" weenies also got reserve commissions on graduation, but could be selected as regulars at some point, generally after four or five years.  If two equally qualified officers going before the selection boards for regular commissions were an academy grad and an ROTC grad, guess who probably got the regular?:rolleyes:  I did what was supposed to be a four-year active tour, but McNamera decided if you weren't going career reserve and your date of separation fell in a certain window, you got a six-month early-out.  There were no slots in my specialty in the active reserves, so I spent the next three-and-a-half on inactive (subject to recall...which didn't happen), and they "ruptured my duck" at the seven-year mark.  Meanwhile, I was working mostly in the aerospace industry.

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Back in the early '70s, most Army and Air Force ROTC cadets received reserve commissions, whether they were on scholarship or not. Those with regular commissions had a minimum service of 4 years, more if they had special training. Midshipmen in the NROTC program were a bit different. Middies that were on scholarship received regular commissions in the Navy or Marine Corps, with a 4 year minimum service. Flight school and nuclear power programs added years to the commitment. Non scholarship middies received reserve commissions and had to serve 2 1/2 years. Depending on the needs of the service, some reserve officers could augment to a regular commission.

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Had a friend of mine, who graduated from MIT with a degree in industrial engineering, who was commissioned through AFROTC.  He stayed on and was selected for a regular commission.  Retired as an O-6 (full bull).  A classmate of mine in AFROTC, who was cadet group commander, and honor grad, was directly commissioned as a regular.  He also retired as a full colonel. 

Hey, troops! Today is Flag Day.  Got to put up the flag.

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When I was commissioned in 1965 all officers were committed to a six year enlistment with four on active duty and two more in the reserves. This also included a clause that you could be held or recalled to active duty at the government's discretion not to exceed a maximum of 30 years combined active and reserve duty and they could not touch you after you reached the age of 60.

 

Lots of things have changed since then.  I'm told that Tommy guns, M-1 rifles and carbines and Jeeps are all gone now and helmets are made out of plastic.

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In Australia its one for one + one.

 

If you do a three year degree and the one year Military trg that's 4 years so you owe 5.

 

I might add some get out earlier if they want to.

 

 

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I’ll add that simply being a “free” education is not enough incentive to get anyone through a service academy. 
 

In high school I had a classmate whose dad was a MoH recipient. Many in my class were applying for ROTC and service academy appointments. She wanted no part of the military and chose to pay her way through school. Smart move. 

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