NCM enlistment or ROTP?

[jman263]

This has been a big monkey on my back for the last couple of months. I'm a few years away from graduating high school and am now looking at what I'm going to do with my future. Ever since I joined cadets I have been aiming towards joining the army, specifically in the combat engineer division. Up till last month I had everything planned out: I wanted to apply for the ROTP and become an engineer officer that way. If that didn't work then I would enlist as an NCM. But after my second year at VACSTC I learned more about the differences between being an officer and being an NCM, and because of it my views started to change.

I myself like to be the one doing stuff. I'd like to be the one building and be out in the field. From what I have learned/been told, this is not the job of an officer. But at the same time becoming an officer would be a very great thing for me to do. I would love to have the chance to learn both the leadership of being an officer and the skills to be a field engineer, at the same time and at university.

Now to be honest, I have not been given a whole lot of information between being an officer and being an NCM. Plus what the people I talked to told me was quite biased. So I have been very split on this topic. Hopefully here I can obtain a better understanding and be able to get a better standing on what I would like to do.

 

[jpr]

Keep in mind that we are still young, there may be an opportunity to do both. A guy I knew (albeit briefly) did 3 years as enlisted infantry and just re-enrolled into ROTP as an infantry Officer Cadet. I believe he was in his low 20s.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Despite the ? in your Subj line, I didn't see an actual question in your post, however keep in mind that not only Officers are "leaders".  Jnr lvl leadership begins at the Cpl level.  MCpls, Sgts, WOs, etc are all leaders as well.

Just something to keep in mind while you folks are still young and all that jazz.

However, at this point in your life, just focus on doing the best you can in school.  Regardless of the NCM or Officer route you may decide to pursue, a strong education will benefit you (and in the event something happens in life that prevents you from even being able to join).