Posted on Dec 23, 2018
Is it possible to go from active duty to NG OCS while still active?
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I'm over 35 and would like the opportunity to become an officer. NG allows you to commission all the way til age 42.
Posted in these groups: 
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Army)
OCS
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Army) OCS
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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Short answer is absolutely. Call the Guard recruiter in your State you want to attend.
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So I've looked into this myself (over 10 years AFS, so fed OCS wouldn't even look at my packet), and from everything I've read and everyone I've talked to, the only way to do it is within 6 months of ETS get with the NG and prepare to contract with them, the day after you ETS you can be in the Guard with no MEPS nonsense.
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I was not active duty when I became commissioned at 33 years 9 months. I am listed when I was 31 and a half. Which officer candidate school are you going to? Are you going to Fort Benning or are you going to a state OCS?
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SFC (Join to see)
Sir I haven't been accepted yet. I was just wondering if there is a way to put in a packet for NG state OCS from the active duty side.
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LTC (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) personally, I think they are mutually exclusive. My graduating class Honor Graduate was an E7 drill sergeant. Last time I checked, he made LTC. Not sure if he's still in. I suspect you need to be in the Army National Guard already. Check with a retention NCO or a recruiter at your nearest Army National Guard Armory nearest your future home of record. Unlike active duty, you will be able to come in as an E7 and then apply for OCS. Hopefully, they send you to OCS Benning and you can knock it out quickly. My OCS was Strung Out Over about 16 months with 3 days a month of training with a couple of 15 days active-duty portions. Some states have Consolidated OCS. Not sure if it's still done at Fort McClellan Alabama. For some reason, active duty doesn't like you to be commissioned through National Guard OCS in the event that you want to go active duty again. This never affected me since I never applied to go to the active component. It didn't keep me from getting deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. I switched over to the Army Reserve after 10 years in the guard. If you find issues with your promotion to Captain or higher in the Army National Guard, switch over to the Army Reserve and you will find it much easier to find major and Lieutenant Colonel slots especially in the training command. Just food for thought if you are successful and make second lieutenant. You will do fine now that our military is expanding. It will be a piece of cake for you to be like My Honor Graduate and help the OCS company in Cadence calls.
COL (Join to see) MAJ (Join to see) CSM Charles Hayden CPT Chris Loomis
COL (Join to see) MAJ (Join to see) CSM Charles Hayden CPT Chris Loomis
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