Well...I got the call.....

[Would_be_Artillery]

I did not get accepted for the first round, what a surprise. Now my life is really in the shiter, not only has my first year at University more or less gone to waste, now this. My morale is at an all-time low, I don't even want to apply the next year, I feel like my entire career path has been shot down and relying on it again would be another year wasted.

Man, I think the problem was I saw it as a granted, like it would happen for sure. I'm just as lost as ever and i'm getting really scared because now I want to change my degree, but now that a military career seems unlikely, I just don't know where to go. RCMP? City Police Dept? I have always wanted to be an authority figure, and my options are very limited. Joing as a NCM is out of the question, officer or nothing, no offense to non-coms.

What are my options now?

 

[ekpiper]

Well, I can imagine how damaging it could be to not get into ROTP, but bear this in mind: General (Ret.) Rick Hillier wasn't accepted into ROTP his first shot.  He applied again for Civvy U and then got accepted.  You can apply again in your second year, and if that fails, you can graduate and go Direct Entry.  A degree is not a waste in this job culture.  If you change your major, you can even apply twice more, as long as you have 2 full years left in your degree.  In the mean-time, consider joining as an NCM to get experience, or volunteering more.

ekpiper

 

[captloadie]

I'm hoping the tone of your post is due to the disappointment you are experiencing, and not indicative of the type of person you are. From what I read in your post, it isn't that hard to infer why you weren't accepted.

I don't even want to apply the next year, I feel like my entire career path has been shot down and relying on it again would be another year wasted.

I have always wanted to be an authority figure, and my options are very limited. Joing as a NCM is out of the question, officer or nothing, no offense to non-coms.

To me what you are saying is you are too good to be NCM, yet, you don't have the perseverance to see something through when it gets difficult. These aren't good qualities in any Officer, nor in a competent NCM.

 

[Would_be_Artillery]

I hardly think this is true and even if it were the case, it would be unjustified for all the Army ROTP selection board knew.

I do not want to be a NCM because I have always dreamed of leading, not following. I could no bear to take orders from a young Lt., knowing full well I could have been in their possition. I'm not exactly excited about going to places like Afghanistan, but thats the job, the sweet thing of it would have been that I had a responsibility over 30 individuals. I'm not sure what goes on back behind those curtains but it isn't difficult to believe someone out of Quebec beat me. I'm not going to complain now but perhaps me not being born in Canada is also one of those things that makes me less-competitive.

I won't lie, this is frustrating, and anyone who wouldn't be frustrated in my position woudn't be human.

 

[PMedMoe]

You can be a leader as an NCM as well.  I have no problems "taking orders" from a young Lt.  I know full well, I could have been in their position, too, I just chose not to.

I tend to agree with captloadie, you seem to have a bit of a chip on your shoulder.  Of course you're frustrated, but ekpiper gave you some advice.  Pull up your socks and try again.

Oh, and being born outside of Canada is not an issue as long as you meet the citizenship requirements.

 

[tsokman]

Why could you not bare taking orders from a young LT...Sounds flippant to me. Anyways just intuitively a senior NCO is probably a better small unit leader then a fresh green 2nd LT.  Wouldnt a senior NCO have a better chance of being accepted as an officer then someone straight off the street...

 

[gszd55]

As an officer candidate (DEO) myself, I really can't let this go.  I think your attitude toward leadership could very well have been your downfall.  I don't have any military experience yet, but I have tons in the civy world and I can tell you that in any context being a good leader is not about the 'sweet thing' of having 30 people under you.  Leading is putting yourself last before the 30 people in front of you.  And if you don't think NCMs lead, you are missing something pretty large on the CF story I've been reading about.  Further, from whom do you think those young Lt's take their orders from, so they follow too, chain of command. Judging from your selfishness, I'd neither want to lead or be commanded by you into battle.      <edited for grammar>

 

[tsokman]

Maybe you should watch the movies Catch-22 and The Manchurian Candidate...

 

[ballz]

I could no bear to take orders from a young Lt., knowing full well I could have been in their possition.

I got news for ya buddy, a young Lt's best man is his WO and SNCOs, people that could have been in his shoes, and any young Lt that doesn't realize that (had you ever gotten to the rank, it sounds like this could be a problem for you) isn't a very good one.

I'm not sure what goes on back behind those curtains but it isn't difficult to believe someone out of Quebec beat me.

What's your point???? So did someone from every other province and territory. Tons of 'em.

 

[tsokman]

Hey if I was a green 2nd Lt I would even take advice from a Pvt 1st Class if it made sense....

 

[PMedMoe]

Hey if I was a green 2nd Lt I would even take advice from a Pvt 1st Class if it made sense....

We don't have Pvt 1st Class in the CF.  :

 

[tsokman]

oh ok I wasn't sure about that...there's Private with three levels right...How do you refer to each level of the rank Private...

 

[PMedMoe]

oh ok I wasn't sure about that...there's Private with three levels right...How do you refer to each level of the rank Private...

Off topic:

Pte(R) - Recruit
Pte(B) - Basic
Pte(T) - Trained

All still called Pte, whether they have a hook or not.

Back on topic.

 

[tsokman]

What makes you think being a leader is so great you'll be blamed for everything...

 

[PuckChaser]

What makes you think being a leader is so great you'll be blamed for everything...

You again.....

We have a leadership principle in the CF, its says "Seek and accept responsibility." That means its a privilege to be a leader in the CF, and you should be taking every opportunity to do so.  I'm sure you'll do well with your PER having Leadership Potential: Low, because you don't want to be "blamed for everything".

 

[tsokman]

haha...I was just trying to point out that leadership has positives and negatives thats all just to humble him....

 

[mewingkitty]

I'm not exactly excited about going to places like Afghanistan, but thats the job, the sweet thing of it would have been that I had a responsibility over 30 individuals.

I've typed out four responses to this now. I can't seem to accurately express my horror at this statement.

 

[tsokman]

I thought this was quite odd as well....Seems like you just think leadership is an end in itself whereas it seems more a means to the mission..i.e the mission is the reference point not the commander...

 

[gszd55]

I've typed out four responses to this now. I can't seem to accurately express my horror at this statement.

Ditto. Sickening actually, it bothered me the moment I read it.  I hope the recruiting process is 100% successful at weeding out this type of attitude.  Seems like its working in this case...

 

[Would_be_Artillery]

Well, being openly insulted is one thing, but some of these posts are just unhelpful and meaningless to me. I can care less what any of you think of my desire to be an officer, not a non-com, an officer. I find some posts annoying, when it is an officer taking offense at my disinterest in being a non-com. I have not said one bad thing about NCMs, I just stated I do not wish to be one. To take offense at that is just childish.

It is convient to dictate what someone else should or shouldn't be, but ask yourselves, the officers, would you trade your position for that of a NCM, if you had the chance of doing it over again?

The military, like anything else in our capitalistic society, is an organization that encourages advancement. I have too much going on in my life to get angry on these forums. I just find it very annoying when someone quotes you and simply says "I find this disturbing...", if that is the case then you misinterpreted the post, but alas.

You all accuse me of snobbery but you are equally as snobby, ignorant and quick to pull the trigger, suggesting you stalk these forums just waiting to pounce on someone. Sad. I have not said or described or done anything that would reveal enough of my character for you all to draw on such insults and generalizations. You take a statement and build around it a giant assumption of who I am. I have been called selfish here, for no other reason that of not wanting to be an NCM. Wow. If that is the intellectual grade of the existing officers, the recuiting centres seem to have raised their standards since.

I cam here to seek realistic advice, but have been treated shamelessly like a child. This further aggravates me, but again, this forum is the last of my frustrations at the moment. So thanks. Thanks for nothing.