Decisions

The Army has a "Career Satisfaction Program" and it's broken down into three parts: ADSO (Active Duty Service Obligation) for Branch, ADSO for Post, and ADSO for Grad School. You can choose two of the three. Basically, with ADSO for branch and post, you can get your desired branch or post for an additional three years in the Army each. I already ADSO'ed for branch (I'm military intelligence, branch detailed into the infantry FYI), so that stretches my normal active duty service obligation from five years to eight years (coming out of West Point, you already owe the Army five years on active duty, three years in the reserves. Me ADSO'ing for branch just changes my three years of reserve time into active time.)

I don't think I'm going to ADSO for post though because I wouldn't be at that post for very long anyway, considering the whole War on Terror and everything. So basically, it's just not worth it to ADSO for post.

Now ADSO for Grad School, colloquially known as GRADSO. Basically, if I choose to stay in for three years past my normal service obligation, and elect to GRADSO now, while still a cadet, I can go to any graduate school program in the nation on the Army's dime. I'd just have to pay back 3 years for every year I'm in grad school, so basically, I'll tack on an additional 6 years to my Army service obligation.

A Visual Representation of what I'd owe if I GRADSO'ed:

5 years (because of West Point)
+ 3 Years (because of ADSO'ing for post)
+3 Years (to be eligible to GRADSO)
+2 Years (in Grad School, earning my normal Army salary, basically living as a civilian)
+6 Years (because of GRADSO commitment)
=19 years in the Army.

YIKES! 19 years in the Army is a lot to consider, and given that after 8 years, I'll have the Post-9/11 GI Bill anyway, where I can go to any state funded school for free, the GRADSO program is looking less and less appealing. To top it all off, I really want to join the FBI after my Army time is up, and because the FBI has an age limit of 37 when applying, if I do GRADSO, I'd be too old to apply.

So yeah, I don't think I'll be GRADSOing,

In other news, we select our first posts on February 3rd. I sort of have an idea of where I want to go, but am not entirely sure yet. Here's what I'm thinking so far:

1) Italy
2) Bragg
3) Richardson

As you can see, I want to go Airborne. We'll see what I can get though.