The Ultimate ROTC Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Excelling in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps

Table of Contents:
Preface and Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Part 1. How To Improve Yourself -- Chapter 1. Education -- Chapter 2. Physical Fitness -- Chapter 3. Nutrition -- Chapter 4. Garrison -- Chapter 5. Land Navigation -- Chapter 6. Field Leadership Reaction Course (FLRC) -- Chapter 7. Situational Training Exercises (STX) -- Chapter 8. Patrolling -- Chapter 9. Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) -- Chapter 10. Life as a Cadet -- Chapter 11. Leadership Philosophy -- Part 2. How To Improve the Battalion -- Chapter 12. Things We Do at Truman -- Chapter 13. Improving Our Battalion -- Appendix A. RECONDO Constitution -- Appendix B. OPORD for Patrolling -- Appendix C. Sample Physical Training (PT) Plans -- Appendix D. List of Exercises -- Appendix E. The Military Alphabet -- Appendix F. Military and Civilian Time -- Appendix G. Radio Phraseology -- Appendix H. 9-Line MEDEVAC Messages -- Appendix I. Recommended Books -- Appendix J. Army Ranks -- Appendix K. Battle Drills Smart Sheets -- Appendix L. Variable Lanes Smart Sheet -- Appendix M. Acronyms, Abbreviations and Specialized Terms -- Bibliography -- Index.


Are you or is someone you know interested in Army ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps)? People join ROTC for many reasons. Some want a guaranteed job once school is finished. Others need help paying for college, want a challenge, or feel a special calling to be a leader in the most powerful military in history. For anyone interested in this topic, The Ultimate ROTC Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Excelling in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is a must-read necessity.

Cadets come from all walks of life, including students from high school beginning their first year of college, veterans who want to get an education and return to the military as officers, and enlisted personnel who are taking advantage of receiving a free education as they work to transform from an enlisted soldier to an Army officer. The expectations, learning curve, requirements, and tasks in cadet life will be new to you or will be conducted in a manner you have never experienced.

Author David Atkinson had no idea what to expect as a new member of ROTC (2007). With some extra effort and hard work he adjusted and rose to the top of his class. The Ultimate ROTC Guidebook will show you, step by step, how to do the same thing he did—and much more. Within these pages you will learn what to expect and get specific and practical tips on how to excel at every level of training. There are already documents that explain how to wear your uniform correctly and what awards are available, but only this guide will tell you how to complete a mission above the standard, explain how to reach your peak fitness level, and how to improve your battalion as a whole. Using the information in this book, Atkinson became a Distinguished Military Graduate (top 20% in the nation).

The Ultimate ROTC Guidebook shortens the learning curve and will help you perform better than you believed possible. If you are planning to join, have already contracted, or are simply curious about what it takes to turn a US Army cadet into an Army officer, this book is essential reading.

David Atkinson is an active duty Medical Service Corps 2LT with the 3rd of the 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, NC. He is a 2010 Distinguished Military Graduate from Truman State University (bachelor of science degree, Magna Cum Laude) and was certified as a Health Fitness Specialist by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). While in ROTC, 2LT Atkinson ranked 80th out of more than 5,300 cadets nationwide and earned several awards including Cadet Battalion Commander (highest cadet rank) and the Superior Cadet Decoration Award (the highest award given in each battalion). He also finished in the top 20% of his Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) class (the highest category in performance summary), and is Airborne qualified. This is his first book.