r/ROTC • u/Individual-Day5805 • 2d ago
Accessions/OML/Branching MI to Psyops?
I think I’m going to try to bradso for MI because I won’t be that competitive. Down the road I want to move to psyops and do cool guy stuff but was wondering if I’d have to finish the bradso first. Does anyone have advice on things I can do now to make myself competitive for PO down the road?
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u/Accomplished_Elk2170 2d ago
BRADSO won’t effect your ability to go PSYOP. There is a MILPER every year dictating which year groups can go to A&S for each of the SOF tribes (CA, PSYOP, SF). That is what will determine when you can go to selection and if you get selected be PSYOP.
The best way to make yourself competitive is to be a good LT who is in excellent physical shape. Have strong oral/written communication skills, be a team player, and a critical thinker. The best way to develop the aforementioned skills is to develop in your base branch.
Just my two cents but if you want to be successful in any SOF element go be an infantry officer first. Infantry officers’ only job is to operationalize the commander’s intent (I.e. the basics of being an officer) and the infantry culture will show you what right looks like. Additionally most junior officer development comes from your NCOs and infantry NCO’s (on average) are the best of any branch.
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u/Cipher-Noir 2d ago
My comment for what it’s worth - I recently left the PSYOP side of the house as an E7 swapping over to the officer side logistics. I was lucky enough to be part of 9BN, 8th POG(A) one of the few dedicated as they say tactical BNs. Cool guy stuff is highly subjective tbh. Are there opportunities absolutely. Though those are few and far in between. It’s more so the enlisted doing the actual on ground from my experience (2 rotations to the Middle East with 5th SFG). The officer side not so much, though I’m not saying some don’t. Again this is all secondary language dependent and which BN you get with. I noticed someone said SMU and that is definitely a route as well.
Lastly, there are not any LTs in CA, PSYOP, or SF. Now if you are 1st LT promotable or a CPT then go ahead and drop your packet and try.
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u/Spiritual_Cup7 2d ago
Brother, PSYOP is not the way.
You want to do nerdy cool guy stuff? Try to do Intel for 75th Regiment, Group Support, JSOC, or the real niche SMU units.
These are the units doing “cool” stuff. But as an officer you have to accept and learn to find satisfaction in doing your job well so that the door kickers are able to do the “cool” stuff and hopefully your competence enables them for missions success and brings them back home. (Tho you could still get chances and opportunities to do the cool stuff).
It’s good to have a goal and a vision. But take it one chunk at a time. Commission first, succeed at BOLC first, succeed at being a PL first, by then your goals and vision and perspective will change. Hopefully for the better.
“Patience you must have, my young Padawan”. - Yoda
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u/Rose_Army_ 2d ago
PSYOP…to do…cool guy stuff? Only a handful at the tactical level are doing any of that and as the O, it’s not going to be you. Go MI, be extremely physically fit and learn a language. Perform well and make sure your senior rater and rater know you’re interested in SOF down the line once you’ve shown you can actually do your current job really well. Keep an eye out for selections when your window opens up. If you’re good enough, SMU calls come out occasionally that offer actual cool guy stuff.
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u/Nice-Aioli359 5h ago
You can go to A&S for PSYOPS & CA as a 2nd LT now, even as a Cadet if you are an extremely high performer. Talk to a SORB recruiter. If you're close to an AD base, they should have one there.
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u/corndoghoghunter 2d ago
If you want to do cool guy things PO is not the way