Any Officers in the Military here?

I know we have a a lot of Military members in here, I had some questions for those that where officers or hell anyone really if they might know.

What path did you take getting into it?
Did you get any say it what area you went into?
If you could do it all over again would you?
Does your degree play into what you will go into, or is it just the fact that you have a degree?

And just any other thoughts you have on doing something like this.

I have been contemplating doing this for a few years, and now that graduation is getting close and im almost down to the Weight standards for the Military I have been thinking about doing this again.

Thanks for any comments and or advice.

I'm a communications officer in the USAF. I got a ROTC scholarship out of high school. I attended SMU and did ROTC cross-town at UNT, all while living in The Colony. Whew - I couldn't afford to do all that driving today with our fuel prices!

My BS was in Comp Sci. I would say that it did play a part in the career field I chose, although our career field and many others don't necessarily have specific degree requirements. Some do (medical, engineering, law, etc.)

I never planned on staying in past my 4 year commitment. Now I've been in over 10 years, Uncle Sam is paying for degree #3 (PhD at Tx A&M), and I don't have a single regret.

My suggestion is to talk to an OTS recruiter for the branch(es) you're considering. Let them know what you're interested in, and find out what your chances are for getting into the career field you want. Some are easy, others are extremely competitive.

Glad to answer any other Q's. Shoot me a PM if you want to chat.

Navy 1974-1979

What path did you take getting into it? ROTC scholarship

Did you get any say it what area you went into? No

If you could do it all over again would you? Probably, but I would have fought like H3ll to not go Nuc.

Does your degree play into what you will go into, or is it just the fact that you have a degree? Because I had an engineering degree & wasn't qualified to fly, I was basically forced into the Nuclear Submarine program.

Thanks for the info. The main branches I have been considering are USMC, USAF, and Navy. Pretty much in that order. I need to get into a recruiter and talk, just always here horror stories about them, so figured I would get some info from people that have gone through it. I also will have to find out if my past condition of Asthma will be a problem. Last time I was treated for it was when I was 12, and now im 23 and have done a few tri's, a half marathon and tons of 100K bike rides with no problems, so im hoping that will not be an issue.

oh and 3 degree's that is awesome, I never knew they would pay for that many degrees.

Thanks again.

I don't know if just any recruiter can help you. You need to talk with one that can help you get an OTS/OCS slot. Each service probably even handles it differently. I'm sure the ROTC det at UTA could point you in the right direction, too. They're versed in officer commissioning programs.

Speaking for my son:

What path did you take getting into it?
Naval Academy

Did you get any say it what area you went into?
Yes

If you could do it all over again would you?
Can't answer that.

Does your degree play into what you will go into, or is it just the fact that you have a degree?
He will use his ME degree and may stay in the Nuc field.



Hey david 42
What do you find so bad about the Navy Submarine Program. My son actually volunteered for it and doesn't seem unhappy. (Although the huge bonus he got may have helped.) Are you still active duty?

Ryanh1801 said:

Thanks for the info. The main branches I have been considering are USMC, USAF, and Navy. Pretty much in that order. I need to get into a recruiter and talk, just always here horror stories about them, so figured I would get some info from people that have gone through it. I also will have to find out if my past condition of Asthma will be a problem. Last time I was treated for it was when I was 12, and now im 23 and have done a few tri's, a half marathon and tons of 100K bike rides with no problems, so im hoping that will not be an issue.

oh and 3 degree's that is awesome, I never knew they would pay for that many degrees.

Thanks again.

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The armed forces have some excelent tuition reimbursement policies and some great plans set up to help you save for advanced degrees. There are even benefits once you get out of the military, and some schools offer military discounts so that students don't have to pay any tuition out of pocket.

There are several plans some federal, some differ by branch of military, so if you are using the military to get an advanced degree make sure you do your planning and understand the benefits of each thing you plan on taking advantage of. Some require you set aside some money from your paycheck, others are completely free, others require that you take specific types of courses. This is important info to know so you don't get screwed, as there is no such thing as a special case within a huge bureaucracy.

Active duty Marine Corps officer/aviator. Spent some time in the infantry as an enlisted Marine, and then was selected for a commissioning program during which I went through Navy ROTC while remaining on active duty.

Sticking to what I know (USMC), you would want to go see an OSO (Officer Selection Officer). If you go to officer.marines.com, you should be able to get in touch with your local OSO. Unless you plan on going into the legal program (JAG officer), your degree makes absolutely no difference. I have a sociology degree as a pilot, and there are aerospace engineers who are grunts (not too many though).

Don't know about the asthma. The OSO will definately be able to help you with that. You mentioned making weight. Definately keep going with that. If you are looking to go the Marine route, work the pullups and endurance. They expect you to show up to OCS ready to go, not to get you in shape.

Oh, and one other thing. I made sure to put Marine officer before aviator. That's definately a mindset that's important to us. First and foremost, you're a Marine always, and then whatever your job happens to be. Some people consider it semantics, but I just wanted to illustrate the culture you'd be getting yourself into if you decided to go this route.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck.

Donasay said:

The armed forces have some excelent tuition reimbursement policies and some great plans set up to help you save for advanced degrees. There are even benefits once you get out of the military, and some schools offer military discounts so that students don't have to pay any tuition out of pocket.

There are several plans some federal, some differ by branch of military, so if you are using the military to get an advanced degree make sure you do your planning and understand the benefits of each thing you plan on taking advantage of. Some require you set aside some money from your paycheck, others are completely free, others require that you take specific types of courses. This is important info to know so you don't get screwed, as there is no such thing as a special case within a huge bureaucracy.

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All very true.

My gigs have been even better. Right now, my active duty assignment is to go to school (3 yr graduate degree). So not only do they pay for tuition, fees, etc., but I get my full pay while doing so. Same thing when I got my master's degree. There's no way I would've done this otherwise. It's really incredible.

Active Duty Marine Officer/student aviator

I got a BS in mech engineering and worked professionally as a design engineer for a year before going to OCS summer 2007. If I had decided on this path early enough I would have looked into ROTC but I'm not sure if I would have done it. I had a good time being on my own in college and enjoying myself. I've been constantly challenged and I look forward to every day. Not that many people say that about their life these days.

As far as choosing what you do in the Marine Corps, pilots, NFO's, and lawyers are contracted before OCS. In other words, once you commission and complete some basic infantry platoon commander training, you're going to be a pilot/NFO/lawyer unless you screw it up or are medically disqualified. For other MOS's, you earn a gpa during above mentioned infantry platoon commander training. You submit your list of preferences, and your gpa along with the needs of the Corps decides your MOS.

benko said:

Active duty Marine Corps officer/aviator.

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What do you fly? Please don't say 46's.:cross: I can't believe they're still flying those things. I saw one crash on the flightline in Okinawa. Split right in half while I ducked from flying blade weights. (Can you tell I was on $hitters?)

MV-22 Osprey
https://www.2maw.usmc.mil/MAG26/vmm266/photoalbums/miramar/miramar4.jpg

Donasay said:

There are several plans some federal, some differ by branch of military, so if you are using the military to get an advanced degree make sure you do your planning and understand the benefits of each thing you plan on taking advantage of. Some require you set aside some money from your paycheck, others are completely free, others require that you take specific types of courses. This is important info to know so you don't get screwed, as there is no such thing as a special case within a huge bureaucracy.

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Thanks for the info, I will probebly never go back to school, unless its law school.

benko said:

Active duty Marine Corps officer/aviator. Spent some time in the infantry as an enlisted Marine, and then was selected for a commissioning program during which I went through Navy ROTC while remaining on active duty.

Sticking to what I know (USMC), you would want to go see an OSO (Officer Selection Officer). If you go to officer.marines.com, you should be able to get in touch with your local OSO. Unless you plan on going into the legal program (JAG officer), your degree makes absolutely no difference. I have a sociology degree as a pilot, and there are aerospace engineers who are grunts (not too many though).

Don't know about the asthma. The OSO will definately be able to help you with that. You mentioned making weight. Definately keep going with that. If you are looking to go the Marine route, work the pullups and endurance. They expect you to show up to OCS ready to go, not to get you in shape.

Oh, and one other thing. I made sure to put Marine officer before aviator. That's definately a mindset that's important to us. First and foremost, you're a Marine always, and then whatever your job happens to be. Some people consider it semantics, but I just wanted to illustrate the culture you'd be getting yourself into if you decided to go this route.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck.

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Thanks for the info. Ill have a pretty similar degree. CJ with a minor in Soci.

Coastarine said:

Active Duty Marine Officer/student aviator

I got a BS in mech engineering and worked professionally as a design engineer for a year before going to OCS summer 2007. If I had decided on this path early enough I would have looked into ROTC but I'm not sure if I would have done it. I had a good time being on my own in college and enjoying myself. I've been constantly challenged and I look forward to every day. Not that many people say that about their life these days.

As far as choosing what you do in the Marine Corps, pilots, NFO's, and lawyers are contracted before OCS. In other words, once you commission and complete some basic infantry platoon commander training, you're going to be a pilot/NFO/lawyer unless you screw it up or are medically disqualified. For other MOS's, you earn a gpa during above mentioned infantry platoon commander training. You submit your list of preferences, and your gpa along with the needs of the Corps decides your MOS.

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One of my Buddies was there that summer. I have heard that about the corps and pilots, but never knew if it was actually true.


Thanks to everyone for all the info.

Problems with subs? Zero shore time & a couple of admiral juniors. As one of the Jr's put it, "Subs are great! You can stay at sea all of the time." And we did.

I switched to SOSUS for my last 18 months. I probably could have made a career of that had I started there, but I was too pissed to stay in.

Just remember, in the Air Force the enlisted send the officers into combat...

homebrewer_99 said:

Just remember, in the Air Force the enlisted send the officers into combat...

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Why do you think I joined the Air Force!!!

benko said:

MV-22 Osprey
https://www.2maw.usmc.mil/MAG26/vmm266/photoalbums/miramar/miramar4.jpg

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That's awesome! Do you have to be rated for Fixed wing and Helos?

Yep. You start with single engine fixed (which everybody does), then move on to multi-engine fixed (with the C-130 guys) and then go through the helo syllabus. It's a long pipeline, but doing almost 300 knots at 200 feet is well worth it.:rockin:

Ryanh1801 said:

I know we have a a lot of Military members in here, I had some questions for those that where officers or hell anyone really if they might know.

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Former Army officer (1999 - 2004) here.

What path did you take getting into it?

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ROTC scholarship out of high school. I went to a private university that now costs over $144,000 for a four year degree for just under $10,000.

Did you get any say it what area you went into?

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Yes. In the Army, based upon your academic standing, scores in various ROTC evaluations, an performance at a basic training camp between your junior and senior year gives you a total ranking, in relation to other cadets. The higher your ranking, the more likely you'll get your choice.

If you could do it all over again would you?

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Absolutely. It got me my degree, allowed me to travel, taught me about myself, my limits, leadership, human nature. It made me the man I am today.

Does your degree play into what you will go into, or is it just the fact that you have a degree?

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In the Army, you just need a degree. I was a History major, and was a recon scout platoon leader, then a basic training company commander. Some people do use their degrees to teach at West Point, but that's about it.

And just any other thoughts you have on doing something like this.

I have been contemplating doing this for a few years, and now that graduation is getting close and im almost down to the Weight standards for the Military I have been thinking about doing this again.

Thanks for any comments and or advice.

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Seriously consider this. It's a young man's game. Are you willing to give up everything you have, move wherever you're told, regiment every minute of your day? Do you really want to subsume your self into service to your country, regardless of your personal safety? In today's climate, have you made your peace with the current military operations in support of national foreign policies? If those national policies change with a new administration, could you support them regardless of your personal convictions?

NOVA Brewer said:

Seriously consider this. It's a young man's game. Are you willing to give up everything you have, move wherever you're told, regiment every minute of your day? Do you really want to subsume your self into service to your country, regardless of your personal safety? In today's climate, have you made your peace with the current military operations in support of national foreign policies? If those national policies change with a new administration, could you support them regardless of your personal convictions?

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Listen to this wise man. I think this is military service in a nutshell.

Ryanh1801 said:

What path did you take getting into it?
Did you get any say it what area you went into?
If you could do it all over again would you?
Does your degree play into what you will go into, or is it just the fact that you have a degree?

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I became an Officer after being enlisted for 15 years. ( I am in the Air Guard.) I went to a wonderful, 6-week course called The Academy of Military Science. Yup, six weeks and they still salute me and pay me just like all those people that went to USAFA for 4 years ! ! In fact, I probably get paid a lot more because of my prior-enlisted time.

Before the flame wars begin from the folks commissioned by other means, the average time in service for an AMS graduate is 9 years. AMS does not spend very much time at all teaching Air Force Basis ( like marching, wearing the uniform, and stuff like that.) Hence the short 6-week course. They skip all the basics and go straight to teaching about Officership.

As an Air Guard Officer I had complete control over my choice of career fields. I knew I wanted Intelligence, so I simply waited until an opening came up and inteviewed for the position. I don't recommend this unless you are very patient. Take the opportunity to get the bars and work the system to transfer to a different career field in the future. But be prepared to get a crappy job that nobody else wants.

If I could go back and do it all over again? I would in a heartbeat!! I would try to get my bars a bit sooner, but all in all I am satisfied with my career so far.

My degree is not related directly to my job as I have a BS in Science Education. The teaching aspects of my degree certainly help when I need to teach pilots about intelligence things, but it was a checklist item for my application package to have a 4-year degree to qualify to become a lieutenent.

USMC 2006-present

What path did you take getting into it?
OCS
Did you get any say it what area you went into?
Yes..... but that doesnt mean much
If you could do it all over again would you?
Absolutly
Does your degree play into what you will go into, or is it just the fact that you have a degree?
You could major in underwater basket weaving at it wouldnt make much difference *but* they do look a little more favorably on science/ technical majors but it is by no means a requirement or even very important.

if you decide to talk to a recruiter make *sure* you talk to an officer recruiter. one of my buddies got talked into enlisting since it would "look better on his OCS application". you dont want that.

Hey Coastarine,are you terrorizing the populous in a Turbomentor or have you moved to the next level? :rockin:

Air Pirate said:

...Hey Coastarine,are you terrorizing the populous in a Turbomentor or have you moved to the next level? :rockin:

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Sadly, I got held up after TBS with some flight physical NOMI B.S. and am still trying to escape from Mike Co.

Shouldn't be long now though. I'm IFS complete and once I get down to pcola I'll start API.

Navy Enlisted 1982 -1990 Officer 1990-2006

What path did you take getting into it?

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Finished Degree on active duty Applied to AOCS

Did you get any say it what area you went into?

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Yes, I applied to be an Aviator and got it (had to put 3 choices on application got my first choice) If they gave me something different I didn't have to accept it.

If you could do it all over again would you?

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Yes, But if I did it again I would finish my degree first, and go in as an Officer

Does your degree play into what you will go into, or is it just the fact that you have a degree?

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Unless you are going into a specialty field that requires it, No (i.e. to be an Engineering Duty Officer, you need an engineering degree in any discipline) I went to flight School with a BA in History, they paid for me to finish my ME degree later as well as 2 Masters and a Masters Certificate.

I don't know if just any recruiter can help you. You need to talk with one that can help you get an OTS/OCS slot.

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Can only speak for the Navy here, but NO not just any recruiter can help you and many enlisted recruiters will try to get you to enlist not refer you to the Officer recruiter. (The Officer recruiters are almost never located at the sattelite sites, you will find them at the MEPS or at times manning booths on College campuses)

Sadly, I got held up after TBS with some flight physical NOMI B.S.

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When did NOMI start getting involved in flight physicals? All my waivers were directly from NAMI (or did they streamline medical too?)

its streamlined now