Cadets look at professional options at LDAC
By Pierce Yarberry
U.S. Army Cadet Command Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – The Order of Merit List. For Cadets, it represents the sum of all of their training. The list, which ranks Cadets from across the country, is a criterion by which duty stations and assignments are determined. Where they fall on the list will determine where they will be placed after they have graduated and commissioned, and what Army “branch,” or profession, they will serve in.
Cadet Justin Holmes from Kansas City, Kansas who attends the University of Arkansas checks out an artillery sight during Branch Orientation on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. U.S. Army photo by Al Zdarsky
Several factors go into determining a Cadet’s placement on the Order of Merit List. A Cadet’s rank is dependent upon their grade point average, score on the Army Physical Fitness Test, and performance at both their university and at the Leader Development and Assessment Course. The higher up on the list a Cadet is, the more likely they will get their preferred branch.
“Most Cadets already have a good idea of what branch they want before they get to Warrior Forge,” said 2nd Lt. Josh Kennedy, a graduate of Claremont McKenna College.
At Warrior Forge, a branch orientation day brings representatives from Army professions together to help Cadets understand what various jobs entail. Set up much like a job fair, Cadets can visit tents of the 16 different U.S. Army branches. They include: adjutant general corps, air defense artillery, armor, aviation, chemical corps, corps of engineers, field artillery, finance corps, infantry, medical service corps, military intelligence, military police, ordnance corps, quartermaster corps, signal corps, and transportation corps.“Just going in for ten to fifteen minutes has been really helpful,” said Cadet Sharlene Rodriguez of Shippensburg University. “It’s good for a lot of people who don’t really know about each branch.”
Cadet Shannon Roemer of Elmira University wants to pursue nursing.
“Nursing is my number one and only choice,” Roemer explained. “There are so many ways that you can go with it and you can always change. Also, being able to help people played a role in my decision. We got the opportunity to go to Madigan hospital earlier. It was really helpful to talk to lieutenants who have already gone through the process and who know what to expect. It was good to find out what will happen after we graduate.”
Cadets were at each tent for five rotations for roughly 40 minutes. At each tent, representatives from each branch explained to Cadets what a specific branch did and answered any questions Cadets had about them.
“It gives them a lot of information about what each branch offers and the duties and responsibilities associated with each,” said Kennedy.
There were also tents for the National Guard, Special Forces, and Chaplain corp.
“The most common branches that Cadets typically want are military intelligence, infantry, signal and armor,” said Kennedy.
“So far, ordnance is pretty interesting,” added Rodriguez. “So is MP, transportation and signal.”
“I always hear the guys say specifically that they want infantry, aviation and artillery,” said Roemer.
Cadets have to include a combat arms branch as one of their top choices when they list their preferences. As seniors, they will be notified of their branch assignment and will head to their Basic Officer Leadership Course after they commission.
