  I stumbled by an interesting blog yesterday of a urlLink young lady from North Carolina . The girl is dating a West Point cadet. She's keen on Z28's too...rock on. I posted previously on my urlLink Annapolis aspirations . And as much as us "other" cadets would say we made the "right choice" and may even find ringthumpers particularly snobby...I must say there is still a tinge of envy. Envy is too strong a word. But it is there. Then again, maybe the Brown or Harvard students who're ROTC cadets don't see it at all. heh. By the way, I said this in my officership discussion urlLink below ...but it holds particular relevancy to the topic at hand as well: You should really go read urlLink Absolutely American by David Lipsky .
I could say it's about West Point, but that would describe the book in smaller terms than what it is actually about. Even if you're not interested...read the book anyway, it's a great book regardless of what any preconceptions you may have about it. If you really look at it, it isn't about the military at all. It says some stuff about officership and leadership, but it also says plenty about life in general. Anyway, it's pretty common knowldedge the military has had retention problems of its officers at O-3 levels.
It's also pretty common to find West Point grads having the highest attrition rate among these separations. ROTC grads have a significantly smaller attrition rate and OCS folks even less. This isn't all too surprising. I have my theories. For one, ringthumpers (don't worry, my sister is one as well, so this ain't coming from thin air) can have a tendency to be all hooah'ed out by graduation. They've spent 4 years in garison, and unlike any other garison-time the world over, one can superficially conclude it's all terribly frat-like at these Academies (I'm sure it ain't, but hey, such are outsider conclusions). Regardless, there seems to be a higher cynic rating in the process. ROTC cadets, on the other hand, are "normal" college kids.
Outside of PT, we probably wear a uniform once a week. We only really have one big summer exercise the four years (unless you wanna go to Airborne school, et al. ), an FTX or two per semester, and training pretty much one day a week. We have a chance to refresh, and get away for a while from the military thing. Even the operational, non-cadet Army isn't as structured in one's personal life as the Academies. Academy kids, for 4 years they live military. Though life-encompassing and much more exhaustive in its complexity, thier experience is like basic training...only cadets are cadets for four years.
What I find funny is that MI has pretty high consistent atrition of its O-3's. Also, Field Artillery.
heh.
You want my theory on FA attrition? I think it's because it has all the tough work that the other combat arms have...but less of the glamour and esprit de corps. It's still got more esprit de corps than most the other branches of the Army, but combat arms is a particularly taxing field (get deployed plenty, get the boots muddy more often, separated from the family more, etc). As for MI, I think most intelligence folks have BA's in government or business or other such fields. They get wooed easier by the private sector as they're the talkers...they think they can get jobs easier. That, and plenty branch MI thinking it as a stepping stone into civilian-sector stuff like the CIA or Gestap....errr....I mean FBI. The private sector is a siren call for the sharp kids and consistent high school high-achievers (i.e. Academy cadets). What surprises me is the high retention rate of AG and Chem Corps officers.
heh.
My guess? Private sector ain't so receptive to these folks. Anyway, OCS folks, particularly in the Army, are very often folks with years as prior enlisted.
Thus, they're a different kind of dedication. You know, I wanted to discuss this further. With particular emphasis on my thoughts on West Point (flattering, I assure you). But i think my ADD is kicking in. Or ADHD. Or whatever it's called. I think maybe the folks who made up the title of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were a bunch a nuts who couldn't makeup thier minds.
heh.
Later. 
