What interesting opportunities are there for junior officers?

On active duty, one of the most career-forward roles you can compete for is Aide de Camp. These jobs are usually summed up as “political boot camp”, giving JMOs an early look into a much higher level of MDMP, force management, and operations coordination than you’ll ever see at the lower echelons. The best part, however, is that you’ll be proving your worth to the same Commanders and General Staff who select next-generation leaders and help shape the force. Navigate this well, and you’ll likely get assistance in lining up the next great assignment — hopefully a command, since that’s the single greatest experience you’ll have in the military IMHO.

JF

Actually you want to first make sure you're punching the pedigree tickets. "Opportunities" many times are one-offs that might satisfy the stomach for a couple of years, but you wind up with One of One OERs, many times signed off by someone no where near your designator. That turned out to be a drag on me as I first was going to Antarctica for a few years and then two tours with the Marines. So I hit the O-4 board with 15% select rate and most my Fitreps as One of One. That guaranteed me finishing off in the reserves. My advice is to be so good in your mainstream, they'll spot you for something you never dreamed of that it can't fail because you're going to do it. Even then, like me, it can ultimately work against you. Board sitters have a hard time figuring out one-offs to mainstream. Seen that a lot when I was sitting them.

Tactical-level LT positions set a solid foundation for a successful career. I think you will find opportunities as a Company XO or Assistant S3 interesting and will set you up for success as a CO CDR. Rushing to get to the CPT positions you reference will cause you to miss out on these important LT positions.