Best army officer career specialty for becoming general?

Question

I'll be going through rotc w/ a 4 year natl. scholarship for the next 4 years, and then will get my commision as a 2nd lt. For those with military experience, or knowledge, what would be the best army career specialty/path to become a general in around 25-30 years after i get my commision?

I was thinking armor (tanks), field artillery, or aviation (helicoptors)

Answer 1

You should read General Arnold Schwarzkopf's autobiography, "It Doesn't Take a Hero." It's very inspirational, especially for a young Army officer. In the book, he talked about which corps he wanted to be assigned to when he graduated from Westpoint. He chose Infantry, knowing it wasn't the most glamorous of the combat arms, but he felt it would give him the most direct and surest path to becoming a general. It worked!

Answer 2

Army Officer Careers

Answer 3

Your first two promotions will be automatic. You'll make 1Lt after 2 years, captain after 2 more years. Once you get to captain, it'll probably take 5 years to pin on major, maybe sooner since your branch is army and there is a war going on.

Once you get to major, You're at the point in the pyramid where things start to get a little steeper. It gets harder and harder as you go up. You should expect a minimum of 25-30 years before you get your first star, if it does happen. I am not so sure that you don't get to choose your career specialty. I think with the scores you have, you can choose anything you want, as long as there is a need for it.

To answer your question though, If you want quicker promotions, go combat arms. Armor, Infantry, Aviation (maybe artillery, but preferably armor)

-This is a more respectable way to make general. You will have to go to the war college at ft. leavenworth, otherwise, I don't think you'll make general.

-many of the members from other military branches will not say this, but their whole function is to support the men on the ground. No matter if it's a strategic comman center in the midwest, or what have you.

Answer 4

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RE:
Best army officer career specialty for becoming general?
I'll be going through rotc w/ a 4 year natl. scholarship for the next 4 years, and then will get my commision as a 2nd lt. For those with military experience, or knowledge, what would be the best army career specialty/path to become a general in around 25-30 years after i get my commision?

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Answer 5

Unless your an honor grad from your college, you will not get the branch you requested. After you have attended Advanced camp, usually before your senior year, you'll receive your branch assignment. Combat arms have the most general officers. I agree with the others that you should attend airborne and air assault school during your ROTC experience. You should also be awarded the ranger tab. I do not agree that you will not become a general officer because you're and ROTC grad. Most of the General Officers are ROTC grads, simply because of the amount of ROTC commissioned officers versus Academy grads. After you're commissioned, you'll go to your basic branch school, and then to advanced school. You should also know that the number of general/flag officers is set by the government of the United States. Whether or not you are appointed to the rank of BG or better also greatly depends upon your assignments and your Officer Efficiency Evaluation reports, and whether you are evaluated as someone who is selected for early promotion. Usually, General Officers are not appointed until the 30 year mark. Good Luck!

Answer 6

My only experience is as a warrant officer helicopter pilot. The commissioned officers in my units were in branches other than transportation. In Vietnam, for instance, the commanders of aviation companies and battalions were infantry branch officers. At Ft. Sill the aviation commanders were artillery officers and so forth. But the ones who spent the most time in an aviation role seemed to be passed over for promotion more often than those who stayed within their branch discipline. Infantry officers need to command infantry soldiers, armor officers need to command tankers, etc.

I went in in 1967 and got out after nine years of flying. I gave them a chance to keep me though. One day I walked into the battalion commander's office and demanded that the army either make me a general or I'm outta here. Oh well. It's been great in civilian life too.

Answer 7

Right now I would go with Aviation, Infantry (with parachute wings) and Armor, pretty much in that order. It is much harder to get a star in Field Artillery. Ranger School is a big help. It is also harder to get your star with an ROTC commission than out of West Point. The commissioning source and branch for every general since WWI are public record. Check for yourself.

Answer 8

Combat Arms...usually 4 Stars are Infantry Officers, some exceptions...but make sure you have Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault, and Expert Infantry Badge...as an Infantry Officer you will be looked down on if you don't have Ranger...you will already have one strike against you...you are not a "Ring Knocker" (West Point Graduate)

Answer 9

There is a new MOS just for this......Puckering Up - 101.

Seriously, I would look into a combat-related MOS (Infantry, Field Artillery, or Armor). Most people want to join the Army to do something other than fight, so I suspect the competition might be a bit less rigid here.

Answer 10

Combat branch and you got to have the CIB (combat infantry badge) showing that you have been under fire. Not going to rise to high without that ticket being punched. All of the schools Ranger etc will help. But field service in a shooting war is the big thing.