The Military, Education, & Financial Aid

Discussion in 'Military-related education topics' started by Ted Heiks, Jan 22, 2010.

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  1. Dr Rene

    Dr Rene Member

    Military.com is one of the few websites that focus on education opportunities in the military. But I don’t know if it is officially sanction by the DoD or any of the services.

    http://www.military.com/education-home/
     
  2. dave042

    dave042 New Member

    Ted- I'm currently serving in the Army and can give you my opinion. Enlisting with an bachelors degree would automatically qualify him for promotion to E-4. After serving for a couple of years, he should be eligible for promotion to E-5 and if he wanted to, apply to OCS to become a commissioned officer. Be advised even if he selects engineering MOS, he would be performing just about any job the army needs, combat patrols, base security, clearing buildings. Deployments are a minimum of 12 months to 15 months. Not to get off topic but he would have a higher chance of contracting PTSD that being killed in combat.

    I would recommend him to consider the Air Force. Their deployments are from 4 to 6 months and then they go to the rear for recovery. Living conditions on the air bases are way much better than on the FOBs (forward operating bases). The benefits and pay are about the same if not better.
     
  3. Dono

    Dono Member


    Ted,

    Your getting great feedback here. However, I would caution enlisting into any branch with a B.S. He should try for a commission utilizing OTS, OCS, or whatever the branch he chooses calls it. The Air Force is in need of civil engineers and I think that would be the best choice for him. As a prior Army and Air Force enlisted guy, now Air Force officer, I can tell you that going in enlisted and then applying to be an officer may or may not work out. But if you quality to be an officer from the start, why would you cut yourself short by enlisting? If he was in clinical engineering or health systems engineering I would direct him to find out more information on the Medical Service Corps.....since I don't think that is that case then I'll point you here www.airforceots.com. It has much information about OTS and the process for applying.

    I have a friend that enlisted with a Ph.D......he's now an officer but I outrank him because he decided to enlist first...... He should at least try to get commissioned first....if that fails, well, I would look at DoD Civ programs.
     
  4. Jazz

    Jazz Guest

    I added a few of my own comments in bold.
     
  5. major56

    major56 Active Member

    The OCS selection process is very selective. Only about 60 percent of all those who apply are accepted for attendance at OCS (Note: Enlisted [current military] selection rates are relatively higher. About 70 percent of enlisted applicants make it through the screening process). It should be noted that College Graduate (Civilians) and Current Military (enlisted) do not compete with each other for available OCS slots. OSC graduates are commissioned 2nd Lieutenants (2LT) in the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR); Marine OCS graduates commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR); U.S. Air Force OTS graduates are commissioned in the U.S. Air Force Reserve (USAFR) and Navy OCS are commissioned in the U.S. Navy Reserve (USNR).

    Another Army commissioning option is State OCS with the Army National Guard (ANG). Upon successful completion of State OCS, the new officer is commissioned, e.g., 2LT ANGUS (Army National Guard United States /Federal). Prior to enlisting, the applicant, if degreed, could be guaranteed State OCS entry prior to enlisting in the National Guard; moreover, Army National Guard officers upon completion of their Branch OBC (Officer Basic Course) can option, and if seleceted, to remain on active duty vs. returning to their State NG unit. Besides, the vast majority of active duty commissioned officers are Reserve Officers on active duty due to Regular Commissioned officer number limitations under U.S. Code Title 10 - Armed Forces, (e.g., Regular Army (RA) USA vs. USAR or ANGUS, USMC vs. USMCR, or USAF vs. USAFR, USN vs. USNR, USCG vs. USCGR). Of course augmenting into the Regular Officer Corps can be available during one’s military career pattern – there are advantages to both, e.g., serving as a regular or reserve officer on active duty.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 24, 2010
  6. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    If my niece's boyfriend goes with the option of seeking employment as a civil engineer as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense, as suggested upthread, does anybody know what education benefits that carries with it?
     
  7. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    MODS: Why doesn't this thread have its own Sticky yet? :eek:
     
  8. major56

    major56 Active Member

    Regarding DOD civilian workforce employees; DOD does sponsor 2-seperate college scholarships and 3-seperate graduate fellowships.

    http://www.godefense.com/scholarships.html

    DOD Civilian Personnel Management Service:

    http://www.cpms.osd.mil/
     
  9. We did it, WHOO!!!!
     
  10. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    I sent a PM to Randell (who is a Gulf War vet) and he very quickly sent me a return PM saying, "Done." :D
     
  11. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Just a correction - not a Gulf War vet but was almost activated. I was almost activated for the first Gulf War (Desert Shield/Storm), Somalia, Bosnia, and the second Gulf War. I decided after 4 near misses it was time to give up my $98.47 per weekend!

    I was in AIT during the first Gulf War and the graduating class just ahead of me went, during one near miss, I think it was Bosnia, we had to get our living will in order, and during the last near miss (second Gulf War) in 2003 I had to have a full dental x-ray and DNA swab. They cancelled a PT test that weekend to do this. That is when I knew it was serious!
     
  12. major56

    major56 Active Member

    Randell,

    Your honesty is sincerely appreciated!:)
     
  13. Dr Rene

    Dr Rene Member

    Ted,

    Here is the link to the Air Force Personnel Center Civil Engineer civilian website:
    http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/afcivilianjobs/careerfields/civilengineer.asp

    The Air Force typically sends its military and civilian civil engineers to the AFIT Civil Engineer School http://www.afit.edu/cess/ for continuing education and to AFIT http://www.afit.edu/en/academicprograms.cfm?a=masters-doctoral and civilian institutions https://www.afit.edu/cip/ for graduate engineering degrees.

    Also, the Air Force sends some of their engineers to the NPS http://www.nps.edu/Academics/Schools/GSEAS/index.html for graduate engineering degrees.

    As you can tell, I’m a bit biased. Aim High.
     
  14. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Side note - I got my AA from UoP through their Associate of Arts Degree Through Credit Recognition, which never gets much focus here and is probably not well known. They took my military experience, past classes, and CLEPs. I was required to take only one UoP class and pay a $550 fee (covers the class, review of transcripts, and graduation fee) and I earned my AA. It is almost like the Big 3 but only for an AA and only for military.
     
  15. major56

    major56 Active Member

    "The Naval Postgraduate School offers a number of programs where civilians, who are U.S. citizens, are supported with a full salary, generous government benefits, and full tuition waiver while working towards a Master’s or Doctoral Degree. Upon degree completion these students are required to fulfill an obligated service commitment with the Defense Department or in some programs other federal agencies." Also, government civilian employees are eligible for admission.

    http://www.nps.edu/Academics/Admissions/ScholarPrograms/Index.html

    The NPS offers several engineering master degrees either in residence or via DL.

    DL: http://www.nps.edu/DL/Degree_Progs/index.html

    Traditional: http://www.nps.edu/Academics/Schools/GSEAS/Programs/DegreeProg/DegreeProg.html

    A defense-focused MBA and MSN program is also available:

    Resident MBA: http://www.nps.edu/Academics/Schools/GSBPP/DegreeProg/Resident/mba.html

    MSM: http://www.nps.edu/Academics/Schools/GSBPP/DegreeProg/Resident/msm.html

    Non-resident EMBA: http://www.nps.edu/Academics/Schools/GSBPP/DegreeProg/Non-Resident/EMBA/EMBA.html

    MSCM:http://www.nps.edu/Academics/Schools/GSBPP/DegreeProg/Non-Resident/MSCM/MSCM.html
     
  16. Maryland Mom

    Maryland Mom New Member


    I have to speak up here. A Warrant Officer is someone who deserves and gets the respect of others (much more so than a Commissioned Officer who just joined after college). Of course everyone must show commissioned officers respect; which they should. However Warrant Officers get respect because others actually respect them because they earned their position. A Warrant Officer is someone with experience and knowledge that an incomming Commissioned Officer would not have (IMHO).

    Becoming a Warrant Officer or being selected for OCS is a great honor and is (IMO) much harder to achieve than coming into the service as an Officer after graduating from college.
     
  17. Dr Rene

    Dr Rene Member

    Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (Cool)

    https://www.cool.navy.mil/index.htm

    This is a pretty cool website. It explains how Navy service members can meet civilian certification and license requirements related to their ratings, jobs, designators, and occupations. For example, if you were a Navy Supply Officer (Code 310X), this site provides information on professional certifications and advanced education for that career field. The Navy may actually pay the certification fees.
     
  18. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Wow! That is a heck of a deal. Do they still have that program?

    Abner
     
  19. lawrenceq

    lawrenceq Member

  20. jhayes

    jhayes New Member

    Ted, I will be honest...I have tried to read everything before posting, but there was a lot...so I apologize if I say something that was already said.

    If he is going to graduate with a bachelor's degree, there is no need for him to enlist. With a college degree is eligible to be a commissioned officer.

    Speaking about the AF, it would be extremely easy for him to be commissioned as a Civil Engineer. There is always a need for engineers in the USAF.

    While he is on Active Duty, the USAF officer's tuition assistance (as does every other branch of the US Military) of $250/credit hr up to $4500 a fiscal year. That basically equates to 18 credit hours a year. He will incur an active duty commitment for that; however, he will serve that commitment concurrently for his previous commitment. He could get the AF to pay off his student loans, but I am not certain how that works...the recruiter would know.

    He should be clear that he has a degree in Civil Engineering, and wants to attend OTS. Like it was said previously, he could compete for a school slot to AFIT or a civilian school to get his Master's in CE...or he could do it part-time with TA.

    I am currently serving...so let me know if you have questions or if he wants to talk to someone in the military (I am not an engineer, but a couple of my friends are).

    blessings,
    James
     

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