I’m going into Army ROTC. Will I commission into the Army after graduation?

If you are just going into ROTC, you are not locked in to any service obligation until you are contracted. Your MSIII (Junior) year is typically when you contract unless you are Green to Gold or have a scholarship that requires you to commit from the jump. Your first two years will teach you basic Soldiering and leadership skills while also allowing you to "get a feel" for the military and determine if it is for you.

A commission requires a that contracted cadet complete both his or her academic coursework required for graduation, and Military Science requirements- to include completion of LDAC (Leadership Development and Assessment Course).

It may have changed since I was a cadet, but determination of AD,RC, or NG (as well as branch choice) was determined by where a cadet fell on the national Order of Merit List (OML). The OML is compiled at the end of your Junior year, and two things will determine your future career: your GPA, and your standing in LDAC.

Your cadre will explain all of this to you in more detail.

Isabel Moritz you can go into any of the three. The huge difference between AC (Active Component) and RC (Reserves and National Guard) is that AC is full-time as the RC is part-time for most (they do have full-time positions that you can apply for).

Active Component (AC) - full-time at AC bases, you move from one base to another 3-5 years depending on schools and positions that you may apply for; more likely to deploy and more often; go to active courses

Army Reserves - part-time for most, you live in the community and work your normal job and go for a total of 24 days (weekends) and 2-4 weeks of exercises (training) a year; only move if you are AGR or you want to move, but change units when promoted or want/need to for career progression; deployment is less likely and more spread out; most go to reserve courses (shorter and at reserves schools); can go active (AGR) if you apply and get accept

National Guard - part-time for most, you live in the community and work your normal job and go for a total of 24 days (weekends) and 2-4 weeks of exercises (training) a year; only move if you are AGR or you want to move, but change units when promoted or want/need to for career progression; deployment is less likely and more spread out; most go to NG courses (shorter and at NG schools); can go active (AGR) if you apply and get accept; work for the state unless federalized so may be called up by Governor for state emergencies; may get additional benefits from the state; officers tend to take longer to be promoted as only have certain number of slots of more people competing for them than other components (AC and reserves you get promoted and move to other units that can be outside the state)

Basically activity duty is full time. Being a soldier is your full time job. You have a duty station & that area is where you live & work. Guard and Reserves are similar in that you drill, or work one weekend a month & 2-4 weeks out of the summer. The difference is at the guard places you in one state. Your unit can be anywhere within the state but that’s it. The reserves are federal so your unit is most times close to you, but if you were to be activated or a unit further away needed your more than one closer to you, you could be sent anywhere in the country.