Oh my gosh, I am so sorry I have taken so long to respond. I tried twice, and it never made it through, so here’s another try:

Yes, I am from Texas. I have heard that they have a pretty good ROTC program. I was watching videos on Det. 825’s (their AFROTC program) page, and part of it featured the… I forget what it’s called, but when they are told what AFSC they will be training for. A nice amount of them were given pilot or CSO slots. Of course, the AFA would be even better, but as you know, that is a difficult goal to accomplish.

Right now, I am the best in my class, but I’m homeschooled, so it’s irrelevant. When I went to public school, though, I was always in advanced classes, so I don’t really know what my grades will be like next year. Wanting to join the Coast Guard is great, heck, I want to join the Air Force, which other branches consider to be wimpy. I have to admit, even I laugh at the jokes occasionally. So, you pretty much aren’t able to join at all?

So, do you mean Southern Methodist University, or some other college? It looks like a pretty nice school. I’ve never really heard much about it. What do you plan to do with degrees in Sociology and Business?

Another question, which I don’t know if you’ll be able to answer, but in the very likely chance that I don’t become a pilot of any kind, I was thinking of maybe being an Intel Officer, Navigator, Command and Control Officer, JAG(I used to want to be a lawyer), or a Communications and Information Officer. There are a few others that I’ve heard of, but I don’t exactly remember the names. Anyways, with the AFSCs that I have told you, would you be able to name any degrees that would help give me an edge?

Also, since I’m going to be in JROTC next year, do you have any tips to help prepare me? I’ve started to exercise on a daily basis, but I know there’s more to it than that. I know that JROTC is a little different everywhere, but when did you have it? My school district has an A day B day schedule, and JROTC is held at a school across town, so they’ll have to bus me over there.

Also, how close do you get with your LCDR? I don’t mean in a creepy way, like dating or being best friends, but like as a mentor, are you able to talk to them about things that are bothering you, or about your future and things of that nature that you could talk to a normal teacher about? Or is it strictly need-to-know?

Can you have braces in JROTC? Of course my parents decide to get me braces when I’m going back to public school and not for the two years I was homeschooled! Do you wear your uniform on designated days all day, or do you change clothes afterwards? If you have any other information about JROTC, that would be great! It may seem like nothing to you, but I’m one of those people who like to know everything I can about something. I like doing research and writing essays, so even the smallest tidbit of information would be useful, at least to me. (Am I weird? Haha.)

Uh, hi yourself.

Nobody says that this was an oil painting... Don't know where you got that. 

Clearly the TI editors saw something that you didn't; I think that it is a wonderful picture, and if you look more carefully, you will see a deeper meaning.

Why, yes. Yes I do think about ROTC or attending one of the academies. Especially after reading In the Company of Men: A Woman at The Citadel by Nancy Mace. I’ve basically decided to make the USAFA my main goal, then, if I’m not accepted, try one of the senior military colleges. Lastly, if I’m not accepted to any of those – hangs head in shame – I’ll settle for ROTC at UT at Austin or Baylor. But hopefully I’ll be accepted to one of the first two. Funny, though. Any of these options would make me the first person in my whole entire family to attend a legitimate college. Everyone that went to college either went to online or community college. I’m also the only one of my cousins with serious goals in my life. Two of my cousins want to become professional volleyball players, which is fine, but to be a pro, you need to actually be able to play. Not to mention my cousin that joined the Army because he, get this, didn’t want to be told what to do…

But anyways, I do think about the Academy a lot. So do you ever actually plan on joining the military, or did you just do JROTC for the fun of it, or structure… what?

Hmm, AF vs. Navy fighter pilots: I don't know which is easier to achieve, but I have some friends still in JROTC that would know that I'll be seeing over spring break. Besides, our LCDR used to be a pilot in the Navy before he retired.

Though I don't think having a Gold Award would help you much, the AFJROTC might. Again, I'm just a teenager; I don't know everything. Go talk to a recruiter from all the branches of the military. They can't force you to commit to a branch before they give you all the information you want to know. Pretty much until you sign the final line before MEPS, you're free to leave the recruitment office and never look back; get all the information you can from someone that would know. Besides, the more you tell them, the more they can help & they may actually be able to find signing bonuses.

Actually, I think you may be right about the title of servicemembers....just another question that it can't hurt to ask a recruiter instead of a teenager with a blog (:

Yeah, as I was thinking about the wookie question shortly after asking it, it dawned on me that I probably didn't want to know why they were called that.

Yeah, I knew that the military did a lot of peace keeping missions and a lot more than just running around with rifles all day, but that was unfortunately after I made a complete fool out of myself.

Y!A can get pretty brutal, so if I ask a question that I really don't want people to know it was me asking, I have a whole other account for that.

I really wish that forum was still up, that would have been awesome to go on.

As for questions, hmmmm... I guess I have a few, I probably have a lot, but can't remember them all. Well, I understand that this could very well be out of your area of expertise, but would you say it would be easier to become a fighter pilot in the Navy or AF? Like, I know it is EXTREMELY difficult to make it, and trust me, I have multiple back up plans because I know that it is very unlikely to become a fighter pilot, even for the most qualified of candidates, but I mean, it doesn't hurt to know the chances for each branch. Also, do you think having earned my Gold Award would give me a much better chance at becoming a fighter pilot and being accepted to the USAFA, or just a slightly better chance. Once again, I realize you may not know this, but it doesn't hurt to ask, right? Also, would being in AFJROTC help either one of these scenarios? I know JROTC is a lot more relaxed than ROTC and the academies, but I was just curious.

That's all the questions I can come up with for now... If I think of any more I will definitely ask!

  Okay so I'll try to answer everything you asked/commented, but I beg patience because you're asking a lot & because I was only in NJROTC for 2 years (freshman & sophomore years before I graduated 2 years early..long story..)

  I was always more interested in the people/leadership side of the military (which is what our JROTC program featured anyway), so I can't tell you much about weapons/aircraft/ships. However, I can tell you a lot about ranks, jobs, terminolgy, etc.

I'm surprised that Yahoo Answers didn't scare you away from the military...people get pretty defensive on there, especially when someone asks a relatively ignorant question...
   All military members are soldiers, but it gets more specific than that. However, if you see a soldier in there camos (or camis are the marines call them) at an airport or someplace & you don't know their rank or branch, they won't be insulted if you simply thank them for serving our country.

I thought only the USAF flew until I was in NJROTC, too.

Definitely not! Soldiers overseas actually do more peacekeeping/surveillance missions than anything else. Even mercy missions! Have you heard of the Navy's Mercy Ships or the USMC using its female soldiers to try to prove to women & children in war zones that Americans can be trusted again?

I was only a C/CPO when I left NJROTC, a female PT team member, academic competition captain, & unarmed drill team squad leader when I left....& I hardly know everything there is to know about the program, so it wouldn't be right for me to pretend I did :P

I wish the Cadet Grunt forum was still running it was a good place for JROTC, ROTC, and military academy cadets from across the country to learn things from each other & from the vets that frequented the forum to guide us. I never found out why it was shut down/where it went. That would have been a great place for you to look for information.

I actually have my closest guy friend still in the NJROTC whose enlisting in the USAF next year, so congrats to you, I know what a hard process it is.
Um, knowing the military to be what it is, "wookies" probably isn't appropriate so I'm not going to ask her that..look up what B.C. glasses are in the navy/usmc & you'll see my point.
We called them "ranks".

No problem! Any further questions?

Okay, so I replied, and it didn't show up! So now I have to retype it! UGH!

Yeah, ranks can get pretty confusing, I've been watching a documentary series about the Navy lately (Carrier) and it shows the men and women serving on a Nimitz class carrier (whatever that means). The, for lack of a better word at the moment, leader of the carrier (I'll call him Captain Smith) is shown on the show from time to time, and every time I see him, I think THEY'RE LETTING A CAPTAIN BE IN CHARGE?!?! But then I remember that a Naval Captain is equal to an Air Force Colonel. But, to answer your question, I memorize ranks because I try to learn everything I can about the military. I, once upon a time, knew almost nothing about the military. I thought that everyone was called a Soldier, and I thought they all went around shooting the enemies all of the time. I also thought that everyone in the Air Force flew F-15s. Anyways, I had been watching a documentary about the USS Reagan (Super Carrier, I believe) and I noticed that they kept calling the pilots Naval Aviators. Well, I was confused, because I thought only the Air Force flew. I thought maybe they Naval Aviators were special AF pilots that flew on carriers. Anyways, I went on Yahoo! Answers and did probably the dumbest thing I think I have ever done. I actually asked if Naval Aviators were part of the Navy or Air Force (because for some reason, the word NAVAL wasn't enough for me). I got a lot of rude answers, telling me I was stupid, which I was, but they could have been nicer. So, that was the day I decided to stop being an idiot and actually learn something about the amazing people who fight for my freedom. The more I learned, the more I wanted to join the military. So, I get the weekly newsletter from Military.com and I take their practice ASVAB (even though I'll be taking the AFOQT). But, in conclusion to a long answer to your rather short question, I guess I memorize ranks because it's something I enjoy.

By the way, you should write an article about ROTC. I know you said you were in NJROTC, and I will be in AFROTC next year (wish I joined this year, but I didn't), but there isn't much material out there on the topic that I have been able to find, so it would be nice to get an insight.

Since your sister is in the USMC (tell her I said thanks), can you ask her why female Marines are called "wookies"? Thanks in advance. And one more thing (sorry), are Naval ranks called rates, not ranks? I haven’t found a solid answer to that question.

(sorry this was so long!)