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Originally Posted by The Reaper
2. Decide what you want to do. Then welcome to "the needs of the service". Some branches may not release you, even if you make it that far.
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This is very true. One of my PL bretheren was a WP grad, ranger, infantryman, combat vet, spoke three languages and didn't get past the board to even get a slot at SFAS. That's right, he didn't even get to go to SFAS before they shut him down. Great guy, would have made a great ODA commander, but for his year group they already had too many officers trying for SF. Not to mention, Infantry branch needs good CPTs to stay and command companies. Which this guy is doing right now with great success out in Kunar.
Here's the poop they never tell you in ROTC about being an officer. You're a generalist, not a specialist. You'll never spend more than a couple years in any one type of assignment. As we become more senior, we spend more time in assignments that are non-branch specific. While you will of course bring your own area of expertise from your branch background, you will be expected to be flexible enough to adapt to whatever type of unit you are assigned to.
So, be it flying helicopters or doing the ODA thing, remember that this will be the minority of your career. The vast majority of your life as an officer will be to plan and support your specialists, the NCOs and Warrants who are executing the mission. When you are a staff guy, you will work to provide as much information and as many feasible courses of action possible to your commander. When and if you have the honor of command, it is your job to listen to your specialists, your executors, to take into account the work the staff has done on the COAs, and choose the path ahead. To be good at this, you need to know enough about all the facets of an operation to give it the 'smell test'. You won't be the expert at taking down an enemy safehouse, but you will need to know enough to identify when the plan presented to you makes sense and when it doesn't.
I picked up my MS from G-town so it is out of respect for my alma mater (of sorts) I'm taking the time to write all this down. If you can avoid the inevitable cadet delta force fanboyism (I was a ROTC puke, too) go read Mr. Blaber's book The Mission, The Men and Me and learn the leadership lessons within. Specifically, identify where 'Me' lies in the 3Ms and what bearing that has on this conversation.
If what I've told you bothers you, perhaps you should rethink getting a commission. If being an SF Soldier is absolutely what you have to be, being an officer may not satisfy you. I have counseled many cadets in my day and I tell them all the same thing. If you are more focused on being an Army officer and serving wherever and however the service needs, go forward with your commission. If you have your heart set on a particular kind of service, be it Regiment, Aviation, SF, or what have you, you should enlist into that job instead of pursuing a commission. Ultimately both you and the Army will be happier if you understand this.
Good luck. Thank you for volunteering to serve.