Distinguished Graduate (DG) from ROTC

[ClearedHot]

Alright chucklemelons…disregard some of the crap in this thread.

DG can be a nasty word in ROTC because it sometimes turns into a popularity contest. Hopefully your detachment will pick the most qualified and well rounded individuals.

Now to the gouge…DG out of ROTC these days is much more than something to file away in a drawer. As of last year, those selected as a DG also get a commitment from the Air Force to send your sorry butts to graduate school. Now that the masters program is back in vogue, this can make your life a lot easier. Yes taking a year off from flying is not always fun, but if you want to make this a career, this is a good deal. Trust me, when you get a bit older, having choices is a GOOD thing. I am not telling anyone to suck up or to plan your entire career while you are still in college, but don’t discount what could be a good opportunity.

[FallingOsh]

CH - At what point do you stop flying for a year to get your masters? Does getting DG mean you are guaranteed grad school at any point in your career? Thanks for the help.

[ClearedHot]

If you are an ROTC DG, at some point while you are a captain or young major they will likely send you to AFIT or a civilian university to get a masters.

There is no such thing as a guarentee (policies change all the time), but for the time being the USAF has commited to sending DGs to grad school.

Here is what worked for me. I was NOT a DG out of SOS or ACSC. However, I have been a DG out of all flying training programs.

[Guest Ice9876]

Thread Revival

Here's my question. I'm coming up on my first OPR do I need to get ROTC DG included somewhere in there or will it be noted some other way by a promotion board down the road. Thanks.

[Guest FreedS4]

Another question...if someone was given DG as a December grad, do they have the option to give another DG at May commissioning?

[osulax05]

Another question...if someone was given DG as a December grad, do they have the option to give another DG at May commissioning?

Depends on the size of your commissioning class... like any DG award the top 10% receive it so if you have roughly 15 or more people commissioning there will likely be another DG.

clear as mud?

[ram02]

Thread Revival

Here's my question. I'm coming up on my first OPR do I need to get ROTC DG included somewhere in there or will it be noted some other way by a promotion board down the road. Thanks.

If you were a DG from ROTC, it should appear next to your commissioning source info in your SURF. It won't go in your OPR as it's more of a background piece of info. If it isn't there, ask the personnel types how to get it updated. I think I wound up showing the folks at the education office my DG certificate to get it changed, but that was a number of years ago, so my memory regarding that is a little fuzzy.

[brabus]

Mine doesn't show up in SURF and I've been to education office/MPF/every other shoe office on base and have been told 69 times that they don't know anything about it and it's someone else's job. I gave up...that was 1.5 yrs ago. Anyone recently get this shit figured out? Will it even make any difference to me? If not, I could care less.

[brickhistory]

It will (should) show up in your records from here on out.

If it doesn't - check vmpf now- make sure you have the documentation that shows you earned it and get it in your records.

A DG is a good thing from any source - school, PME, and/or undergraduate anything training. Like begats like - it's amazing to see the DGs from, say, SOS, get selected later for IDE or the like. Or a DG from UPT going to WIC. Of course, but not always, it means the individual is good to start with so it's not a surprise.

But DG is a good thing to earn.

[usaf36031]

Wait...are you guys implying that ROTC awards actualy mean something on active duty? I thought that his post was a joke and I was about to congratulate him on it.

I can understand DG from SOS meaning something, but ROTC?

[brabus]

If it doesn't - check vmpf now- make sure you have the documentation that shows you earned it and get it in your records.

That's the problem, it's not in vmpf and not one idiot shoe on this base seems to know anything about it. I just got so pissed dealing w/ those retards that I gave up. Maybe I'll give it another shot (sts) sometime soon.

Wait...are you guys implying that ROTC awards actualy mean something on active duty?

I know it did mean something years back...i.e. DG out of ROTC was given pref for AFIT, etc. I'm not so sure it matters anymore, but like Brick said, it can't hurt.

[usaf36031]

I'm 99% certain our det didn't even do "DG". It sounds to me like it's become an internal thing.

[ram02]

Wait...are you guys implying that ROTC awards actualy mean something on active duty? I thought that his post was a joke and I was about to congratulate him on it.

I can understand DG from SOS meaning something, but ROTC?

If you earned it, then yes, it should be accurately reflected in your records. We're not talking about some silly ROTC award like the "warrior flight ribbon" or whatever. DGs are one way to set yourself apart from your peers in a positive way -- don't cheat yourself out of an opportunity down the line (i.e. promotion to major, selection for special programs, etc.) just because it might look "toolish" to have the fact you DG'd a commissioning source appear on your SURF.

[Boxhead]

Mine doesn't show up in SURF and I've been to education office/MPF/every other shoe office on base and have been told 69 times that they don't know anything about it and it's someone else's job. I gave up...that was 1.5 yrs ago. Anyone recently get this shit figured out? Will it even make any difference to me? If not, I could care less.

There is a little letter your ROTC Det gave Big Blue that has a whole bunch of information on there, one of those nuggets of info is your commissioning code. If that is wrong, Big Blue will never know, and no matter how many pieces of paper you show them it will not matter. That initial code needs to be right. I have no idea what those codes are, just passing what I was told when I got my stuff (back in 2000, so may be outdated info)

[brabus]

Boxhead, any idea which office on base handles this? I remember going to Education and MPF...both had "no idea" and said it was the other guy's job. After 2-3 trips to each office, I gave up. I remember the education office having a commissioning code on me (I went in to find some info about GI Bill)...I think that's the one you're talking about. Maybe I'll stop by those asshat's office when I get some time.

[Guest Ice9876]

Just got mine fixed.

I went to Formal Training with the DG memo from my ROTC CC. Formal Training gave me a print out of the change so I'll try to back track how he did it the best I can. Looks like he went into Oracle Applications, Assignments Folder, typed in my SSN, then to extra assignment agreement. then into Commission Agreement. Inside Commissioning Agreement they need to change Source of Commission from "D" to "C." That will change your SURF on Block 1 to show "DG ROTC 4-YR PGM." Note it didn't change in formal training section, but on the source of commissioning box. Hope this helps.

[jimbobpow13]

Can you still make O-6, O-7 or do you have to be a DG to get those. I am a pilot select but I don't think I will be DG. I just don't want my career to already be limited because I didn't get DG.

Thanks.

[Slander]

Short answer: yes. It's nice to have, it looks good, but your career is definitely not limited because of it. Don't believe me? Go look up any WG/CC or GO on af.mil and see how many of them were DG from their commissioning source.

[Glenn]

Went to a commissioning this morning and they announced a recipient of an "honor graduate from rotc". Anyone know if this is just a rename of DG or whole separate award?

[GearMonkey]

I can understand DG from SOS meaning something, but ROTC?

Seriously? So four or six weeks of drinking the blue kool-aid is a better measure of performance than 2-5 years of ROTC. I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one.

I think that DG out of ROTC or USAFA are some of the only ones worth recognizing. Each indicates exceptional performance over a lengthy period of time. Plus, pretty much everyone is on a level playing field from the start. These two factors give a better look at an individual and take a lot of the guess-work out of the equation. This is why an ROTC DG will follow you but one from Field Training will not.

I can do without other DGs. Either the program is too short for a quality evaluation or there aren't enough people contributing to said evaluation.

[That Guy]

Went to a commissioning this morning and they announced a recipient of an "honor graduate from rotc". Anyone know if this is just a rename of DG or whole separate award?

Most likely the same thing. As a Distinguished Graduate your cadre must submit a specific IMT Form recommending you. You're then racked and stacked and the top 10% of all ROTC commissionees earn the award. It's not a ribbon or anything else, it just goes into your permanent record. This past year there were over 2000 total graduates, so there were around 200 DG's.

[Hacker]

The fact is that no DG alone really means jack squat in the grand scheme of things.

If you have a record that is all ready average, then a DG out of ANY formal training program is going to help push you into that higher tier.

A record that has multiple DGs from formal training programs, however, is going to be looked upon very favorably.

[HerkDerka]

Seriously? So four or six weeks of drinking the blue kool-aid is a better measure of performance than 2-5 years of ROTC. I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one.

Here's the thing to remember. Everybody goes to a commissioning source, but not everybody goes the PME in-residence. Big blues loves her some PME.

Hacker really said it best. In the big scheme, no DG stands alone. But add them to a history of above average performance and they push you above the herd.

HD

[Duck]

Most likely the same thing. As a Distinguished Graduate your cadre must submit a specific IMT Form recommending you. You're then racked and stacked and the top 10% of all ROTC commissionees earn the award. It's not a ribbon or anything else, it just goes into your permanent record. This past year there were over 2000 total graduates, so there were around 200 DG's.

Some Dets are automatically awarded a certain number of DGs based on their size. If the CC thinks someone else should get it, he can submit the IMT and then they compete on the national level.

[Riebs]

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20...-Air-Force-ROTC

It does exist! Recent DG grads.