Becoming an Officer?

Question

Now would it be easier to advance to an officer if you:

A.) Enlist in the military with a couple classes of RotC alongside 90 college credits already in your pocket then ask to be recommended.
B.) Take RoTC during college then grad. with a bacholar's


My recruiter mentioned that it would "prob." be easier for someone to enlist and then be promoted to Officer since they would have exp. already. Yet I don't entirely believe it. Does the first option have a high percentage?

Answer 1

finish college first. yes in the Marine Corps, you noticed the officers that had the good conduct ribbon, (given to enlisted only) but recruiters need to make their numbers for the month.
if you enlist, you may get the chance to get a commission, but you may never have the chance. believe it or not, even recruiters lie.

Answer 2

I will agree that you shouldn't trust your recruiter because they don't have your best interests in mind. I will say from experience that I know many Marines that enlisted in the reserves to help pay for school, learn what being a Marine is really all about, see things from the enlisted perspective first before going to OCS. One thing that is a benefit is that you gain time in service that carries over when you become an officer. This translates into more pay but not quicker promotions. The best thing gained from enlisting first is that if your men know you were enlisted first it is easier to gain there respect.

Answer 3

Being accepted for Officer training isn't something that's guaranteed if you have good grades or a university education.

If you enlisted first, you'd definitely gain plenty of valuable experience in a military environment - and thus a higher chance of being selected for officer training.

But why not apply for the full ROTC program right now? Even if you're turned down, you can still enlist and work your way up the ranks or to a recommendation for OCS. You don't have anything to lose by aiming higher.

Don't forget that there's alway demand for enlisted recruits and the military doesn't have to look far for officer candidates - most likely, the recruiter is trying to fill up the positions the military needs rather than what you necessarily want.

Answer 4

Definitely finish college first. It will be easier to get an OCS packet approved. You can still apply for OCS in you enlist with a degree, which is a good idea if you first application out of college is denied. You may not have time to go back to school, no matter what a recruiter tells you, once you are enlisted.

BTW: I served with so many prior enlisted officers I can even count them all. I even served with some that went to the CG Academy after they enlisted.

Answer 5

There are a myriad of options that you can look into.

ROTC while in school. You can get you education or at least part of it paid for through ROTC Scholarship.

OCS - get a degree and go through OCS

Enlist in the Army and get a direct commission after 60 hours of course work (Reserve and National Guard)

Enlist in Guard or Reserve and get GI Bill to pay for school, then go ROTC route and have them pay for your Master's degree. If you are going top be an officer, you will have to get the Master's degree sometime.

Answer 6

all officers must have a 4 year degree in hand before they can be commissioned. how you get that 4 year degree is up to you. Just keep in mind that having a 4 year degree is NOT a guarantee of Commissioning.

ROTC you incur an obligation in your 3 rd year. going enlisted, is NOT a promise you will be picked up.

Answer 7

The easiest path to becoming an officer is to get your degree and then request OCS. The recruiter just wants another enlisted person to add to their quota. I would personally wait for the opportunity for Officer Candidate School, and not accept anything else.

BTW - I can count on one finger the number of officers that I served with that were enlisted first. All the other officers came from the academy or OCS.

EDIT: must have been a recruiter that gave me a thumbs down on this answer.

Answer 8

it doesnt matter which path you take to become an officer. it depends on which one is best for you. professionally i have more respect for those officers who have been enlisted, got their degree, went to ocs. because i know they have been where ive been and done what ive done. if you go through rotc your going to have to join the reserves, you will go to basic training. period.

oh and by the way every single person who has ever gone through OCS has been enlisted first. period.

and everyone who has gone through ROTC enlisted in the reserves. period.

your recruiter is on the right track, far better to have a letter of recommendation from an active officer than one from a civilan.

want more info? email me

cadidiot = cadet+idiot

know the difference between a cadidiot and a monkey?

you can train the monkey

Answer 9

Put simply the easiest way is to do ROTC because you get your degree and you commission at the same time. However you will get much more respect if you go enlisted and then convert!

Answer 10

My husband says to get the degree first. He's an enlisted recruiter for the AF, but he doesn't have a goal on here. lol.