Does anyone here have experience with military commissioning.

Does anyone here have any experience with earning a commission in the military? I spent 6 years enlisted and I've been kicking around the idea of applying for a commission after I graduate next year. I'm not married to the idea, but I'm kicking it around. I'm prior USAF and of course I'm partial to that branch, but I'm looking for info on all the branches (except the Navy).

Is commissioning based on your degree or is it based on the need of the service at that time?

Are there standards on what degree you obtain, and what accrediting agency grants the degree?

Does anyone have any experience?

 

Some degrees allow for direct commission. ex: Doctor, Dentist, Nurse, Lawyer, etc. Most require you to go to an officer candidate school...shouldn't be a problem with prior service.

You have to first ask yourself what job do you want to do in the military? If you want to be a pilot then I would consider all the branches including the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. If you want to be a platoon leader then Army or Marines.

Obviously, you need to speak with a recruiter, be a US citizen and meet the physical and age requirements. Prior service can get waivers for age.

I am prior service as well and looked into the Air National Guard for a direct commission as an officer with a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Unfortunately, they have too many people filling those slots at this time. I like the Guard because you can live in your home state.

Here is a link to the Air Force National Guard recruiting website:

Careers

 

I have experience in this area... Though it was some years ago.

I would recommend that you look at the Air National Guard in your state. With a degree in Emergency Management, you would most likely qualify to attend OCS and take a commission as an EM officer with a facilities engineering unit. These groups train hard for CBRN type incidents, and the teams I have worked with across the country are really top-notch.

You are welcome to PM me if you want to speak in more detail.

 

I am a prior Marine, and attempted for the Marine Corps Commissioning in 2008; but I was dis-enrolled 3 weeks before graduation due to Leadership Reaction Course failure by 1.5%. I went in the Commissioning route when I was 24, and 6 years of service under my belt. Now, I am 27...and still have time to apply, but I just don't want to deal with bias and favoritism again. Therefore, I just remain to be a nasty civilian to march for my future.

I can't speak for other services, but the Marine Corps age maximum is 28 and prior service can get waver up to 35. Your degree does not help you to determine or qualify you a job in the Marine Corps. You can major in Electrical Engineering, but your job can be an adjutant. Therefore, no MOS guarantee in the Marine Corps for Officers. Once you complete your Officer Candidate School, then you’ll commission as 2nd Lieutenant. When you attend 6 months of TBS (The Basic School) will determine your specialty base your wish and from your TBS academic standing.

I have heard that the degree can be National accredited or Regional accredited. However, I have never seen anyone applied for commissioning with a degree from DETC. One Candidate from my platoon received his degree from American Military University; which the institute holds both National and Regional accredited agencies.

After I left, I was recommended to reapply after 1 year. Once I thought about Army, and they told me the same process. But I back out because I am too committed to the Corps…and just want to keep it that way.

 

I had an USAF E-4 that I was stationed with who completed his degree at DeVry University when he was 35. He tried to get a commission in the USAF, but he was denied because of his age. He left and received a commission in the Coast Guard as a 2nd Lt. and now he is on active duty somewhere on the east coast. I lost contact with him, but I remember speaking to him at the time and he said his only issue was his age. The USAF said he had to begin OCS by his 35th birthday, and he was not granted a waiver. That was too bad to cause he was a good dude.

I'm 29 pushing 30 in two months, so age shouldn't be an issue for me. I'm partial to the USAF, but I heard a rumor there is a two year waiting list for OCS due to the economy. I don't know if thats true, but thats what I heard. I trying to get as much info as I can BEFORE speaking to a recruiter.

 

Check out commissioning opportunities with the NOAA and U.S. Department of Health.

NOAA Corps | Recruiting

Public Health, Commissioned Corps

 

USAF OTS selection boards for nonrated officers have been routinely cancelled over the better part of the last eight years and have had the opportunity to be extremely selective (high number of qualified applicants -vs- low numbers of OTS slots). If you are going that route, good luck.

 

I am in the CG (can look your buddy up for you if you want) and am very familiar with our commissioning requirements. I am enlisted but have considered it and will probably apply this next year. Unfortunately, in the past the selection rate has been very low due to the high number of applicants and will only be worse this year and into the next few. We are actually shedding officers at the moment and promotion rates are at a historically low level. This means there will also be less selections for incoming officers as well.

Anyway, if selected you would attend OCS and be paid as an E-5 while there. OCS is 17 weeks at the CG Academy. From there you will either be placed on a ship or any number of land based units. Your "job" or "speciality" will have little to do with your degree but more based on what unit you get stuck at around the O2-O3 level. As was mentioned, that changes with Direct Commission programs such as lawyer, aviator, engineer where you have the chance to come in at a higher rank and are hired to do a specific job.

There is no restriction on what kind of degree you have to have to apply for OCS but you are going before a selection panel (your record will) where they will know what they are looking for in the applicant. The BA/BS is usually a check mark but will come into play if they have been directed to select people that fit a certain mold such as environmental, business, engineer or whatever background.

 

Best advice I can give you is to check out these sites:

ArmyOCS Portal Army
OCS Foundation Portal Air Force
OCS Foundation Portal Coast Guard
OCS Foundation Portal Marines

There's a lot of people that are going through the same things as you on those sites. Never hurts to pop in and ask a question.

 

I believe The big catch all is being able to complete 20 years service before becoming 50. Im 38 and called the navy recruiter a few years ago and was told that I was too old, but they were accepting waivers for Intel. I have 10 years active already.

My advice to you as previously stated is to act quickly and talk to a recruiter. 29 is already too old for most flying commisionings.

 

The Coast Guard uses the same grade structure as the Navy. Thus, there is no "2nd Lt." grade available. I assume this person was commissioned as an Ensign.

Go ahead and talk to a recruiter right away. Find out the facts. It's not like he/she is going to pressure you to serve; the Air Force is highly competitive and doesn't need to sell itself, nor its opportunities.

The Air Force can't grant an age waiver beyond 35 because that limit is controlled by law, not policy. And if I'm not mistaken, the candidate has to complete the commissioning program and be commissioned by 35, not start it.

There are a few exceptions for professional positions (like nurses), which have higher age limits. But for line officers it is 35 (and even that represents a waiver of the policy-based age limit, which is lower).

NB: I've been enlisted in the Air Force (a staff sergeant), commissioned through Officer Training School, worked 4 years in a commissioning program (AFROTC), and commissioned many officers in my (former) career. (I retired in 1996.)

Becoming a commissioned officer is no walk in the park for any of the services--and in this economy, it is even more competitive. Try to get advice from people in the know, including those who've done it.

 

I retired in 2003 as an Air Force Reserve Major.

Commissioning is based on the subject-matter of your degree as well as the needs of the service. Your college transcripts and overall GPA will also be scrutinized. You will also have to take an aptitude test and your scores will also be carefully screened.

The needs of the service are "tighter" now-a-days due to having a lean military. The Reserve Components and National Guards are usually a little easier to get into.

I have not had any experience with "which agency accredited your college" questions... the regs probably state something to the effect that the institution must be accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education. This might even be a "Go-No Go" decision matrix where you just have to get the "Go" to be commissioned.

One thing to remember... your commissioning package will come before a board. You are competing against others for each slot. Only the candidates deemed most worthy for the slots available will be selected. They will be looking at the whole person. Your prior service will be "one-up" on those without prior service. You must strive to continue the "one-up's" for everything they are looking at.

Contacting an officer recruiter is probably the best way to get some "inside" information... they won't want to waste time on you if they don't think you'll make it... so you should be able to get a good idea of your chances...

It's worth it if you can get in. Best of luck.

 

That would be awesome if they count my prior enlisted service record during a commissioning pannel. My military record was spotless (1st Sergeants Award, Air Force Special Operations Command Airmen of the Year, and a Air Force Combat Comentdation from the US Army while serving with an Army unit in Iraq).

But again, I might be too old considering I'm pushing 30 and I only have 6 years of prior service. As for the GPA, what is considered competitive? Also, how long does the "average" selection process take? If its too long, I may have to go reserve/ nat'l guard but I hope not.

 

30 years old isn't too old. A "competitive" GPA is going to vary depending on the candidates facing the board with you... For example... a 2.7 may make it on one board but not the next. I have no idea about how long the officer candidate selection process takes now-a-days... These are all excellent questions for a recruiter.

Military Professional Development Center
The basic eligibility requirements for the program are as follows:

# Have a 4 Year Baccalaureate Degree
# Be a U.S. Citizen
# Be 18 to 34 years of age.
# Be of Officer Caliber
# Be of Good Moral Character & Integrity
# Be in Good Health and Physical Condition
# Be able to depart within 270 days.
# Pass the AFOQT

If you elect to go Reserve or National Guard you might consider enlisting in the reserve unit first... people who are members of the unit will undoubtedly have a greater chances of being selected by the board.

 

I was commissioned through Marine Corps OCS (Quantico, VA); and 30-yrs. old would be pushing the age-limit /waiver option regarding officer candidate school applicants (e.g., active duty).

You may consider State OCS. If you are in California (e.g., “Bay area”), check out this site (e.g., “… max. age 41 Years and 364 Days”). Of course all 50-states have a state OCS commissioning program, for instance:

OCS Prerequisites
California Army National Guard recruiters: Welcome to the Accession Task Force's Web Page.

Washington ANG OCS (e.g., “Age 18-41 (must commission before 42nd birthday)” :
Recruiting & Retention Command - Washington Army National Guard

TXANG e.g., “Commission before 41 years and 364 days of age”: TXARNG - Officer Candidate School

 

Status Update!!

So after contacting recruiters from the both the USAF and the USCG I got some more information which I will summarize below:

Active Duty USAF: No go. I fall under "Tier 3" because of my age and the fact that I am not active duty; and appearantly Tier 3 is the last to get pulled for OCS and the list has been cancelled every year since 2007. (Bummer)

Active Duty USCG: I was told to start my O-packet which I'm suppose to complete entirely on my own. The recruiter told me he would give it a "once over" before its subitted to the selection committee in Feb/ March. (Looks promising, fingers crossed)

The only other branch I may be interested in is the Active Duty USAR, but I have yet to contact a recruiter.

I am in the process of tracking down my old commander, who is somewhere playing in the sandbox, and asking him to generate a letter of recommendation.

 

I thought you would have to have your degree completed first?

 

I don't think you do, but you have to completed your Bachelor degree before receiving your commission status (2Lt). For the Marine Corps, you can attend MCEP, BOOST, PLT Leader Class without a college degree; however, you have to be in school. Once you complete your school, you'll be commissioned.

 

That's cool, it kind of gives you a head start.

 

The deadline is 11Jan and the panel convenes on 16May so the results will be published sometime in June. Also, figure out what is exactly needed in your package to be a desirable candidate. The selection rate from civilian applicants is sub 10%. I am active duty working on a MA and didn't submit a package because I don't think it would be a slam dunk for me either. Hopefully you have a good deal of volunteer experience as well, which is probably the one thing holding me back from being an ideal candidate and something that they take pretty seriously.