Are there US Army Officer Recruiters, other than the regular enlistment soldiers?

Question

My recruiter keeps pushing me away from becoming an Officer (even though I am eligible). Is there a way to contact a recruiter who only specializes in placing officers?

Answer 1

Above answer is wrong. The MEPS has nothing to do with OCS. They only finalize your packet. You must submit an OCS packet through your recruiter, attend a local board and then your records are forwarded to a centralized board for final selection.

Only the Air Force has Officer Recruiters. The Army recruits for Officers, we actually have a requirement of how many OCS packets we have to submit.

Things of interest, though. You must be a US Citizen, under 29 years old (waivers possible, but not probable, to age 32), clean background, including juvenile, no drug usage and score with a GT of 110 or higher on that portion of the ASVAB.

OCS Candidates are offered NO incentives, except Student Loan Repayment (Army only). No job guarantees at all (that goes for all branches for Active Duty OCS contracts). You need to ask your recruiter why you are being steered away from OCS. Is it because of a lack of qualifications....or does he/she have your best interest at heart.

I have had many Undergraduate and Graduate Degree holders not go OCS. Some desired language training, a particular field or needed the bonus money for their family. If you meet the requirements still, you can go OCS while enlisted.

Example, I had a husband and wife team, both had their MS, but racked up over $140,000 in Student Loans, drove a crappy car and never had a honeymoon. They got a combined $130,000.00 Student Loan Repayment, $80,000.00 in bonus money (they maxed out) and enlisted for a Military Intelligence job attending language school in Monterey together for a year. They would also both get a Top Secret clearance. At the end of that year, they had honeymooned in Mexico, owned two brand new cars and bought a house in North Carolina where they were going to be next assigned. Now they are both submitting OCS packets to start the course after the 3 years are up for the Student Loan Repayment. Guess what field they are most likely going to be in--MI, due to their background.

Answer 2

All recruiters are enlisted. They have a CO of their recruiting station who is an officer, but that person doesn't do any recruiting duty. Recruiters do more than just talk to you and try to sign you, they run background checks, sometimes they have to get people in shape, they keep in contact with parents sometimes, and they'll be the last person you see from home before you report for Basic.

If you can be an officer, insist on being an officer, and don't take "no" for an answer. If you want to join, and the recruiter won't help you put in an Officer Packet, find another recruiter.

With that being said, being an officer doesn't give you the right to bully and boss people around. You don't want to be the Lieutenant who makes demands and tries to throw his weight around at a Sergeant Major. You will be dealt with.

Tips on being a good officer:
1) You need a college degree. It's a requirement, and the experience makes you a well-rounded person.

2) Max your PT test. Score the 300. Troops will respect you more.

3) Be humble, always willing to learn, and don't ask anyone to do something you wouldn't do yourself. The NCOs run the military, not the officers, contrary to popular belief. Take care of them and they will take care of you. Respect is a two-way street.

4) Find an experienced E-7 or E-8 and let them mentor you. You'll be fine.

Good luck.

Skylor Williams

Answer 3

Each MEPS unit has a regular chain of command. The recruiter you're working with seems to have some sort of agenda to increase the enlisted base and ignore the officer base. It wouldn't surprise me to hear their mission is to maximize the number of enlisted they are able to recruit. In the US, people who have completed their under graduate studies aren't exactly at a premium, and they too are qualified for OCS, but if the army really doesn't need more junior officers, than you may not be in as big a demand as you might think.

Ask to talk with the commanding officer of the MEPS station, or the senior NCO. They will give you the straight scoop as to why the recruiter is playing dodge ball with you .

Answer 4

I don't think the Army has specific officer recruiters. However, when I enlisted due to my draft being an eminent event I took the Army battery of tests that the enlistment office had and was told that I could do anything. I enlisted, went to DLIWC in Monterrey, CA, studied Russian for a year, went to Ft Benning, GA to Infantry OCS and became a 2Lt, went to Airborne and Special Forces and other schools and, of course, Vietnam. If you already have certain degrees you may apply for a direct commission. Of course, things may have changed.

Answer 5

The Air Force has officer recruiters, so I would imagine the Army does too. I have no idea how to contact one. Try google, I guess.

Answer 6

Not that I know of, but the recruiter has little or no say in what you do in the military. When You go to the MEPS station, take your college transcripts and tell them when you sit down with your counselor that you qualify for officer candidate school. You may still have to wait to apply until you get to your first duty station, though.

Answer 7

Sergeants have a saying, "I'm not an officer (a recruit saluted him by mistake) I work for a living." The recruiter will steer you into whatever the military is in need of. They don't need more officers, they need ground pounders to walk the streets of Baghdad.

Answer 8

Try calling this no. 1-800-USA-ARMY, ext. 181.