Posted on Sep 25, 2014
Advice for Army OCS candidate after 8 years TIS?
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I have a class date for Officer Candidate School for January of 2015. This is the culmination of years of planning, working, and fretting. It is also the first step into a new world for me.
I don't want to go in there blind and hurt the Army as well as myself with good intentions that cause bad results.
Please give me any advice you deem appropriate for a eight year TIS SSG transitioning from Sustainment into any of the Officer AOCs. I can provide additonal background on request and I have a profile here.
My target audiene is Officers who commissioned through OCS and anyone who has worked under, with, or above such Officers.
Thank you in advance.
I don't want to go in there blind and hurt the Army as well as myself with good intentions that cause bad results.
Please give me any advice you deem appropriate for a eight year TIS SSG transitioning from Sustainment into any of the Officer AOCs. I can provide additonal background on request and I have a profile here.
My target audiene is Officers who commissioned through OCS and anyone who has worked under, with, or above such Officers.
Thank you in advance.
Mentorship
Officer
Transition
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 14
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SSG Beutler,
As someone who knows you, and your leadership style, I have this to say. Relax. You'll be fine, and more than likely you will excel due to your thirst for knowledge and your wanting to see the bigger picture for what it is.
I say bring a little of the NCO corps with you to the school. Make sure your PT and uniforms are squared away. Always be early, and take all commands from the tower (give or take a few, as you are an officer now.)
Just keep calm and carry on. Nothing they throw at you should phase you at this point, simply due to your eight years in. You have a leg up, and some significant reachback, use your tools effectively.
As someone who knows you, and your leadership style, I have this to say. Relax. You'll be fine, and more than likely you will excel due to your thirst for knowledge and your wanting to see the bigger picture for what it is.
I say bring a little of the NCO corps with you to the school. Make sure your PT and uniforms are squared away. Always be early, and take all commands from the tower (give or take a few, as you are an officer now.)
Just keep calm and carry on. Nothing they throw at you should phase you at this point, simply due to your eight years in. You have a leg up, and some significant reachback, use your tools effectively.
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1LT (Join to see) Congratulations on being accepted to Officer Candidate School. This will be a great opportunity for you to challenge yourself and excel in your military career. As you will see in my profile, I too was a former Staff Sergeant (P) in 2008 and was commissioned in 2009. What led me to consider OCS was from a good friend of mine when he was a captain. We talked on and off for quite some time from 2006-2007. Eventually, I decided to apply for OCS and was accepted during OEF 07-08. After, my unit returned a year later, I left a few months later and embarked on a new journey with a whole new set of duties and responsibilities. To me it was the best decision I have made for my career and to lead in the capacity of an officer until I retire...someday.
As a Staff Sergeant you know what it means to complete the mission. Once you become an officer, your task and purpose will drastically change from that of an NCO. You will get to plan missions and lead a platoon/company size element. Your experience will be little as is expected but, your success will be dependent on the relationship with your NCOs. My number one advice to you is to listen and learn from those seasoned NCOs who have a wealth of knowledge and experience among them. Strong Platoon Leaders learn and are well mentored from the "Backbone of the Army...the NCO Corp". Had it not been for them, I would have not been able to successfully complete the mission and meet the commander's intent. Even the junior enlisted Soldiers can show you the way ahead and you must not have the mindset that they are not included. I had a few high speed E-4s that are all now Sergeants in the Army. They too provided some tips and suggestions.
While at OCS, remember that everyone there is a candidate. There is no room for egos or perceived views that prior service holds more of a voice and grasp in OCS. There is no rank and you must leave that off the table. However, you can still provide the discipline and leadership that was instilled in you as an NCO. Everyone knew I was prior service and I was able to help mentor some younger Soldiers through the course. There will be times you may have to pull someone aside and let them know that the right way to achieve a task will involve changes they are unwilling to do. For some, they may just not know any better.
I had to remind a few former NCOs that they needed to walk away and reapproach their way of thinking. It's easy to forget that you have embedded the NCO Creed in your mind for so many years. Just know that you will need to analyze the situation in different frame of mind. Doing this style of assessment will take a while to get used to and it will come with experience from assignments. Your task and purpose will be your focus for success.
OCS will guide you to the transition from NCO to Officer. You must show up daily and accept any challenges in this course as a step closer to being commissioned. If you can have patience, perseverance, willingness, and a positive outlook and attitude, you will be fine. Not all candidates will make it and thus reason why everyone is just a candidate. Being commissioned takes pride in your duties, responsibilities, and as an officer. You will be leading Soldiers and their lives depend on the decisions that come with quick thinking and sound judgment. Once again, you have the senior NCO and other NCOs to trust too.
Hope this helps you some, I can give you more guidance any day. Just let me know and do your best at OCS. The Army needs strong minded officers who care and lead with a passion to fulfill their duties with honor and commitment. Be dedicated to the Army and the Army will then be a remarkable career for you. Take care of the Soldiers and in return, they will take care of you in the end.
As a Staff Sergeant you know what it means to complete the mission. Once you become an officer, your task and purpose will drastically change from that of an NCO. You will get to plan missions and lead a platoon/company size element. Your experience will be little as is expected but, your success will be dependent on the relationship with your NCOs. My number one advice to you is to listen and learn from those seasoned NCOs who have a wealth of knowledge and experience among them. Strong Platoon Leaders learn and are well mentored from the "Backbone of the Army...the NCO Corp". Had it not been for them, I would have not been able to successfully complete the mission and meet the commander's intent. Even the junior enlisted Soldiers can show you the way ahead and you must not have the mindset that they are not included. I had a few high speed E-4s that are all now Sergeants in the Army. They too provided some tips and suggestions.
While at OCS, remember that everyone there is a candidate. There is no room for egos or perceived views that prior service holds more of a voice and grasp in OCS. There is no rank and you must leave that off the table. However, you can still provide the discipline and leadership that was instilled in you as an NCO. Everyone knew I was prior service and I was able to help mentor some younger Soldiers through the course. There will be times you may have to pull someone aside and let them know that the right way to achieve a task will involve changes they are unwilling to do. For some, they may just not know any better.
I had to remind a few former NCOs that they needed to walk away and reapproach their way of thinking. It's easy to forget that you have embedded the NCO Creed in your mind for so many years. Just know that you will need to analyze the situation in different frame of mind. Doing this style of assessment will take a while to get used to and it will come with experience from assignments. Your task and purpose will be your focus for success.
OCS will guide you to the transition from NCO to Officer. You must show up daily and accept any challenges in this course as a step closer to being commissioned. If you can have patience, perseverance, willingness, and a positive outlook and attitude, you will be fine. Not all candidates will make it and thus reason why everyone is just a candidate. Being commissioned takes pride in your duties, responsibilities, and as an officer. You will be leading Soldiers and their lives depend on the decisions that come with quick thinking and sound judgment. Once again, you have the senior NCO and other NCOs to trust too.
Hope this helps you some, I can give you more guidance any day. Just let me know and do your best at OCS. The Army needs strong minded officers who care and lead with a passion to fulfill their duties with honor and commitment. Be dedicated to the Army and the Army will then be a remarkable career for you. Take care of the Soldiers and in return, they will take care of you in the end.
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