Becoming An Army Officer...

Army ROTC is one of the best leadership courses in the country and is part of your college curriculum. During classes and field training, you will learn first-hand what it takes to lead others, motivate groups and how to conduct missions as an Officer in the Army.

Army ROTC is a program designed to allow college students to earn an officer's commission in the United States Army, Army National Guard or Army Reserve concurrently with their degree. Officers are commissioned in the grade of second lieutenant immediately upon completing ROTC and degree requirements.

What kind of jobs would I perform as an officer? Officers are leaders. Typically as a new lieutenant you will be responsible for leading a platoon of about 30 soldiers in one of the Army's 16 basic branches. If you are a nurse, you will care for soldiers and their families in one of the Army's many modern health care facilities. To find out more about the branches of the Army, click here Branch Orientation

• I am a current WMU student
  • Introduction
  • Simutaneous Membership Program
  • Leaders Training Course
• I am interested in Nursing
• I am a high school student planning on attending WMU
• I am a current enlisted soldier on active duty in the Army
• I am an enlisted soldier in the Michigan National Guard or Army Reserve

Current WMU students

Introduction

If you are a current WMU undergraduate or graduate student with at least two full academic years remaining before completion of your degree, you may qualify for a 4, 3 or 2-year Army ROTC program. Which program you enter will be determined by your academic level and previous military experience (if any).

WMU students take Army ROTC courses for many reasons. Some just want to know more about the Army and learn what it is to be a commissioned officer. Some have already decided to earn their commission as a second lieutenant by participating actively in our program. But, regardless of your particular situation, starting Army ROTC at WMU as a freshman or sophomore is as easy as signing up for any other elective course at WMU. Simply add a section of either MSL1010 (freshman level) or MSL2010 (sophomore level) for the fall semester, or MSL1020 or MSL2020 respectively for the spring semester. Each class consists of a class and lab once weekly. These are elective credits that may apply to your WMU degree. Once enrolled in one of these Military Science electives you can take your time to become familiar with the different Army ROTC options available. You are under no obligation by simply taking the elective classes. If at any time you choose to become an active cadet in order to seek a commission, just let us know and we'll start working on getting you qualified.

If you are a freshman or sophomore and have already completed your class schedule for the coming semester, you can add a Military Science class at any time until the completion of the drop/add period. If you want to join ROTC after the official drop/add period, contact the ROTC Department a 269-387-8120 to find out how.

If you are in your second semester of your sophomore year or you have less than 3 years remaining at WMU you will be completing the two-year ROTC program. The 2-year program has several means by which you can earn constructive credit for the first two-years of ROTC.The 3-year program compresses the first and second year requirements into one year.

Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP)

If you are a current WMU freshman or sophomore you can opt to enlist in the Army Reserve or Michigan Army National Guard while you complete your degree. You can concurrently earn your commission as an officer through the Army ROTC Simultaneous Membership Program (Freshmen may serve in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard while participating in ROTC but are not eligible for SMP benefits until they attain sophomore status with WMU). You can enlist in the Guard or Reserve and attend your required training during the summer after your freshman or sophomore year. Upon your return to campus you can elect to enter the SMP program. Current enlisted members of the Guard and Reserve are also eligible for this program. In the SMP you participate as an ROTC Cadet on campus and drill with your Guard or Reserve unit as an officer apprentice. Rather than perform duties in your enlisted MOS, you will work in concert and under the direct supervision of a commissioned officer, assisting her/him in their officer duties. While drilling and during annual training you will be paid as an E-5 (unless you are already a higher pay grade). Once you have completed Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) you will be qualified in your selected Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Most MOSs carry with them substantial cash bonuses. The Army National Guard or Army Reserve Recruiter can provide details on bonuses. Once you are MOS qualified you will be entitled to the Montgomery GI Bill (Selected Reserve) which pays $333 per month while you complete your degree as a full-time student. You may also be eligible for an "Officer Kicker" of $350 per month.. As a member of the Army Reserve or Michigan National Guard you will be eligible for up to $4500 per year Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA). As an ROTC SMP cadet, you will receive a monthly subsistence allowance of $350 your sophomore year, $450 your junior year and $500 your senior year. All benefits are tax free. Drill pay and annual training pay are considered compensation and are taxed.

So, let's do the math. Here's a benefit package for a typical MOS qualified Reserve or Guard SMP cadet.

 

Leaders Training Course (LTC)

If you have at least 2 full years remaining in your college career, you can choose to attend a summer program called Leader's Training Course. The Leader's Training Course (LTC) is a 28-day training and leader development program at Fort Knox, Kenturcky. It is a prerequisite for the Army ROTC 2-year program for anyone without prior military service who hasn't participated in ROTC for the first two years. By completing LTC, students earn credit for the first two years of Army ROTC. This enables them to enter directly into the ROTC Advanced Course and earn a commission as an officer in the Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard upon completing their degree at WMU.

LTC Requirements:

• Two full academic years of undergraduate or graduate course work remaining to complete degree
• Meet the Army height and weight standards
• Be medically qualified
• Pass physical fitness requirements

Training begins in Jun with the last start date in July

1st Cycle: 14 Jun - 12 Jul

2nd Cycle: 19 Jun - 17 Jul

3rd Cycle: 25 Jun - 23 Jul

Contact Brett Johnson at the Department of Military Science at WMU to confirm your eligibility and make a training reservation. 269-387-8122.
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Interested in nursing?

What does it take to be an Army Nurse? The answer isn't just white shoes and a stethoscope. It's not just sharp clinical skills coupled with the attributes of understanding and compassion. It is much, much more.

The profession demands the ability to think on your feet in an emergency. The ability to intuitively evaluate a situation, determine the best course of action, and take charge, which is precisely what Army ROTC is uniquely designed to teach.

Army ROTC is not boot camp or basic training. But, unlike most college courses that teach one discipline, Army ROTC teaches leadership skills that translate to any field, whether it be law, engineering, or, in your case, nursing.

As a nursing student in the Army ROTC Bronco Battalion, you'll combine Military Science classes and a summer internship known as Nurse Summer Training Program, or NSTP, with your regular WMU Bronson School of Nursing program.The result upon graduation is a presidential appointment as a commissioned officer in the Army Nurse Corps. Nursing students at Grand Valley State University, Hope and Calvin Colleges are also eligible to participate in ROTC at Western Michigan University.

The Nurse Summer Training Program (NSTP) is a voluntary three to four week clinical experience for nurse cadets between their third and fourth years of school. During NSTP nurse cadets will be assigned to a preceptor (a serving Army nurse) at one of the Army Medical Centers or Army Community Hospitals in the continental United States, Hawaii or Europe. NSTP cadets are assigned to a ward and gain hands-on experience in all aspects of clinical nursing.

Advancement and Compensation

As a newly commissioned Army nurse you will earn a base pay and allowance of a second lieutenant around $42K (2009 pay chart). This will increase to around $53K after two years and up to $70K in as little as four years. The raises continue to increase at a generous rate throughout a career in the Army to where a Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years in service makes around $109K in 2009 dollars. After twenty years an Army nurse will qualify for a full retirement with benefits equaling 50% of their base pay for life.

As you progress in the Army, your rank and level of responsibility will also increase. It is not uncommon to see a staff nurse become a head nurse in just three or four years. To help you advance professionally, the Army Nurse Corps offers courses in a wide range of nursing specialties. This takes place around the end of the second year of service. Specialties include:

• OB/GYN Nursing prepares you for uncomplicated and complicated antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum and gynecological patients. The OB-GYN course lasts 16 weeks and is offered at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) in Hawaii.
• Critical Care Nursing trains nurses in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, physics, CPR, inhalation therapy, diagnostics, psychological and sociological problems, and ethical and legal considerations in the care of critically ill patients. This is a 16-week course conducted at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, D.C., Madigan Army Medical Center (MAMC) in Washington State, or at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas.
• Perioperative Nursing prepares a nurse for all phases of operating room nursing, including advanced skills related to surgery and the principles and techniques of supervising and managing an operating room. The Perioperative Nursing course lasts 16 weeks and is taught at BAMC, WRAMC and MAMC.
• Psych/Mental Health Nursing prepares the Army Nurse to provide specialized care to emotionally distressed individuals both as inpatients and outpatients. The Psych/Mental Health Nursing course is 16 weeks and is offered at WRAMC in Washington, D.C.
• Community Health Nursing provides skills and knowledge in preventive medicine at an entry level. This is a nine-week course at the Army Medical Department Center and School at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
• Emergency Nursing prepares the nurse to function in any clinical setting that meets the environmental nursing standard for emergency nursing. The focus is on the fundamentals of emergency nursing such as respiratory and cardiovascular disease, hematology/oncology, trauma management, hepatic disorders and infectious diseases. The Emergency Nursing course is 16 weeks and is offered at BAMC in San Antonio, Texas.

Getting Started at WMU

Second Lieutenant Erin Mellem is First Army Nurse commissioned from the Bronson School of Nursing

The Bronson School of Nursing guarantees admission to the professional nursing program for ROTC Cadets who meet specific criteria. This may include direct admission to the professional nursing program for high school seniors.

Nursing students or pre-nursing students can get started a number of different ways. Freshman and sophomore pre-nursing students can simply register for one of the one-credit Military Science electives without obligation in order to explore career opportunities as an Army Nurse. Once in class you will have the opportunity to learn what it takes to be an Army officer.

Many times a nursing students academic standing (sophomore, junior, senior) does not accurately reflect the time remaining to complete the nursing degree. If you have at least two years remaining before graduation you may become eligible for ROTC by attending the Leader's Training Course or LTC the summer before your" junior" nursing year. LTC is a 28-day leadership and training experience at Fort Knox, Kentucky. It is designed to help prepare students who have not been involved in ROTC and have no prior military experience to enter into the 2-year Army ROTC program.

Exceptionally qualified candidates may be eligible to have the requirement to attend LTC waived by completing the Accelerated Cadet Commissioning Training program (ACCT). ACCT consists of approximately 20 hours of seminar/class meetings to help prospective nurse cadets to "catch up" and be prepared to enter the final two years of Army ROTC. ACCT is taught here on campus and can be conducted in the summer or in the early fall.

Scholarship Opportunities

Army ROTC reserves scholarships specifically for nursing students. These scholarships are similar to other Army ROTC scholarships, but cover some additional expenses for nursing students.

If you are a Nursing student, or prospective Nursing student, and are interested in learning more about the opportunity to serve as an Army Nurse, please feel free to email or call for an appointment with the Scholarship and Enrollment Officer, Brett Johnson at 269-387-8122.

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High school students

High school students who are applying for admission to WMU can enter Army ROTC with no obligation by registering for Army ROTC classes during Freshman Orientation. All incoming wmu students will attend Freshman Orientation in the summer before they begin classes. During Orientation all students will meet with an academic advisor to build their class schedule to satisfy the degree requirements for their major. All students may elect to take Military Science 100 level classes as electives without military obligations. All MS1 level courses are 1 credit each and count as WMU elective credits.

High school students can apply on-line for 4-year Army ROTC scholarships at www.goArmy.com/ROTC. Applications should be completed and submitted on-line no later than 31 December of a student's senior year. It is recommended that students apply as soon as they receive their ACT/SAT results during their Junior year: the sooner the better. Scholarship applicants are required to interview in person at the Department of Military Science. Applicants will also be administered the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) during the interview visit. For more information, contact Brett Johnson.

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Current enlisted soldiers in the Army

Enlisted soldiers meeting time lines for the Green-to-Gold Scholarship Program can apply on-line. Soldiers ETSing and applying for admission to WMU should contact the Department of Military Science at WMU at 1-800-WMU-ROTC or direct to Brett Johnson at 269-387-8122.

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Enlisted members of the Guard or Reserve

Enlisted members of the Guard or Reserve enrolled in the ROTC Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) are non-deployable until they graduate and are commissioned. Combine this aspect of ROTC with the opportunity to become an officer while receiving significant financial assistance and you have a package tailor made for the serious college student/soldier.

How to Enroll: Contact Brett Johnson at WMU Department of Military Science, (269) 387-8122

For National Guard specific information contact Staff Sergeant Matthew Johnson, (269) 387-7918 or (269) 532-8706.

For Army Reserve opportunities contact Sergeant First Class Joshua Haddock at (269) 372-2593 or (877) 683-9272.

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