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Branching Information

Branching for 2008

Here are the various branches, reading down the chart

IN - Infantry
AR = Armor
FA = Field Artillery
AD = Air Defense Artillery
AV = Aviation
EN = Corps of Engineers

These, collectively, are known as the Combat Arms branches = CA

The next group of branches are either Combat Support (CS) or Combat
Service Support (CSS). I have labeled them following the branch name

SC = Signal Corp (CS)
MP = Military Police (CS)
MI = Military Intelligence (CS)
CM = Chemical Corps (CS)
AG = Adjutant General (CSS)
FI = Finance Corps (CSS)
OD = Ordinance Corps (CSS)
QM = Quartermaster Corps (CSS)
TC = Transportation Corps (CSS)

The following branches are known as Special Branches.

MS = Medical Service Corps
MC = Medical Corps

and finally,

IS = Interservice Transfer (i.e., to the Air Force, Marines, or Navy)

Across the top, the column headings show the class ranking, in order of
class merit as it presently stands, of the first cadet to select that
branch (1st CPR), the last cadet in order of merit to select the branch
(last CPR) and the fact that some of the branches "Closed Out", i.e.,
maxed out the number of cadets who could go into those branches. For
example, Armor Branch (AR) was first selected by the number two cadet in
the Class and was last selected by the person ranking 873 in the class
order of merit, at which point the branch closed out and no other cadet
could select that branch.

With respect to Interservice Transfers, no cadet can transfer to the Air
Force, Marines, or Navy unless there is a cooresponding offset of a
cadet from one of the other academies transferring into the Army at
graduation to equalize the numbers. It's a one for one deal. Someone
from Air Force wants to go into the Army and someone from USMA wants to
go into the Air Force. Or maybe a little more convoluted, a cadet from
Air Force goes to Navy, one from Navy goes to Army, and one from Army
goes to the Air Force. You get the idea.

Finally, there are two branches that are closed to women and they are
Armor and Infantry. These are the two front line combat arms branches
that face direct front line combat with enemy combatants. Or at least,
that is the theory. In Iraq it seems that everyone is exposed to enemy
activity at all times.

Now, if you want to take quite a while studying the Army Officer
Personnel Management System you can read the new Army Pamphlet 600-3,
titled "Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career
Management". This pamphlet, 544 pages in size, gives a complete
description of officer career paths, necessity for and possibility of
continuing education, and career path guidance that an individual might
follow in any given branch. Look it up, if you so desire (it's a long,
complicated read), at:

<http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_3.pdf>
 

 2007 Branching Data, Class of 2008