There was when I got commissioned. At that point ROTC grads who got Active Duty instead of Reserve/Guard where given Reserve Commissions (may have been some variance with the private Service Colleges). They could apply and possibly be granted a Regular Army(RA) commission (which is what all USMA grads got.) That put them on less than equal footing to be retained on Active Duty for an entire career. That is no longer the case.
Getting selected for active duty is one other possible difference. The military academies get active duty. ROTC goes through phases depending on the needs of the Army. Sometimes they all get it and sometimes it’s highly competitive.
[QUOTE=HubZilla;17782495 Do you get a faster career track if you’re an Academy grad over an ROTC over an OCS? [/QUOTE]
No, officially. You go to promotion boards at the same time. There’s always the rumor that who you know can indirectly affect getting key jobs or evaluations which can make you look more competitive for an early promotion. Promotion for officers is a rigid, centrally managed process. Your file goes to the board and they pick the best regardless of your commissioning source.
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Is it easier to be in a more desired track (say, USAF fighter pilot) if your resume says Colorado Springs over Texas A&M?
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Let’s put a pin in Texas A&M for a moment and look at normal ROTC programs vs West Point. For the Army, USMA gets heavily put into branches that used to be called “Combat Arms” and is now “Manuever, Fires, and Effects.” The other commissioning sources fill in the gaps competitively. That tends to increase the odds of becoming a General Officer(GO) and especially a senior GO. Some of the other branches actually can be easier to make rank up to Colonel though. What is more desirable depends on personal preference. I believe pilot training is similar for the Air Force Academy but that’s a vague recollection. Take that with a grain of salt.
ROTC programs also exist at Senior Military Colleges designated by law - one of those is Texas A&M. They get treated more like the Service Academies for branch selection I believe but I can’t find the reference to confirm.
ROTC also covers 2 year military junior colleges. After 2 years those officers are commissioned and can serve in the reserve components as a Lieutenant while they do. They need to complete their degree before being accessed onto Active Duty though. If they don’t complete it in time to make Captain they are subject to being discharged.
Officers not going on Active Duty after commissioning are a whole other issue.