Can anyone shed some light on the process for prior service w/ VA, going back in active as an officer?

2022-02-11T02:56:32-05:00

Prior service with 5+ years out, VA disability, looking to return to service (active duty) as an officer. Prior service Marine looking at Air Force or Army. I have been out of the country, government contracting. I tried to contact recruiters vis linkedin as well as both AF and Army website direct recruiter contact. I get help but not as much as I need as they both kinda brush me off because I'm not physically in the states yet and also because I have 40% disability so they want their CMO to look at my civilian and military medical records first, oh and I have to have my benefits stopped before I even speak with them..

Anyone have any recommendations on what the process or how hard it was for you when going back in or trying to and perhaps what type of things you had to do and just really what the whole process was like and perhaps what all you had to do? My VA disability is 40%, according to both recruiters I must give up my VA (which is true, of course) - I contacted VA already and they said all I have to do is fill out a form to request my benefits to freeze due to returning to active service. I don't care about going to either branch basic and ait or tech school. Just care to get back in.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2022 12:35 PM

2022-02-11T12:35:01-05:00

Air Force is going to be a lot harder than Army. They have a prior service quota and they are very strict in who they allow in. Even if you are going Officer, you are still prior service.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Feb 11 at 2022 12:44 PM

2022-02-11T12:44:37-05:00

You would have to enlist in the Army to attend OCS and OCS is competitive. That means you have to be physically capable of passing MEPS, a four year degree, a good GPA and a good set of LOR's. If you are interested, there is usually a Officer Recruiting team associated with each recruiting area. If you can get through MEPS, you are dead in the water already.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2022 3:44 PM

2022-02-11T15:44:58-05:00

You cannot get VA disability while on active duty status.
You should not have to stop your benifits before starting active duty.

Sorry you are struggling to get a recruiter to asssit. Being overseas probably does not help but there are recruiters everywhere.

I'm assuming you have looked into the requirements to commision.... your other option would be, as CPT Cable mentioned, enlist again for OCS or regular enlistment and then apply for OCS. The reserves has direct commisioning but also requires membership before submitting a packet (you can keep your VA while in the reserve).

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2022 12:48 AM

2022-02-13T00:48:46-05:00

There is an RE Code on your DD214. RE-4 you would have to petition for an upgrade and then require waivers. RE-3 would need pretty high waivers but can be worked depending on what caused the code, RE-1 or 2 pretty easy. To address the VA compensation issue that you are currently receiving. If you deny that for any reason, to include re-enlistment of the armed services, you can never claim those same disabilities with the VA again. To clarify lets say you have 40% for PTSD, then you "FREEZE" that compensation to join the Army again. In order to receive VA compensation again, you would have to injured again in a way completely unrelated to the previous condition. As a former recruiter who tried to help many prior service guys out before they dropped their benefits, I'm telling you check everything before you sign off on anything. If you have to Call MEPs and ask the doc yourself what the likelihood of passing a physical is. Personal OPINION though, if you have anything over 30% its never worth it!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2022 4:28 PM

2022-02-13T16:28:19-05:00

If you are rated as 40% disabled, you're probably not going to pass a commissioning physical for the Army or Air Force. The physical requirements for commissioning are significantly more stringent than the physical requirements for enlisting.

You didn't state your age, but you're out of the military over five years and (I assume) four years of college, you might already be at or above the maximum age for commissioning in these services.

Honestly, you might have a better chance joining the Reserves, commissioning there and trying to join active duty after that

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2022 6:33 PM

2022-02-13T18:33:16-05:00

Your actual medical conditions will determine if you can reenter service. The VA uses a completely different set of rules to determine disability than the military does for service readiness. There really is no relationship between the two.

Best of luck.

Response by Sgt Howard Pierce made Feb 16 at 2022 2:31 PM

2022-02-16T14:31:36-05:00

For Marines, go see the Officer Selection Officer in your local area.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Feb 23 at 2022 12:59 AM

2022-02-23T00:59:34-05:00

You’ll have to pass a commissioning physical at MEPS and meet entry level standards. Turning off VA Conpensation is the easy part.

I take it you are looking to commission via Army OCS or USAF OTS. Those will be very competitive. I do t know if you have a degree or license that would allow for a medical direct commission program, but all will have the same physical requirements.

Response by PO2 Robert Sangari made Feb 23 at 2022 1:26 AM

2022-02-23T01:26:55-05:00

You've been out for 5 plus years, I highly recommend that you better hurry up and get your application into the AirForce. According to the October 21 SOPG, under Table D-1 line 45 (pg 50) it states:

An applicant is ineligible if:
- Has been separated from a regular component of the Armed Forces for 6 or more years.

BUT, then it states to refer to 5.30 for an enlisted eligibility determination, so it's possible to get a waiver but has to be approved by the recruiting command. **THIS IS FOR ENLISTED TO ENLISTED - ONLY** This rule does not apply for prior's going from enlisted to commission. If you are prior (which you are) you don't have to worry about this limit, no the slots. Going officer you are treated just like a fresh civilian.

When a recruiter knows you have been or are collecting VA disability, generally they instantly consider you to be a disqualify. This is because you have a disability but they will need to see what exactly that disability is. Your recruiter will review it and forward it to the CMO for a review and determination. So it depends on the severity of your disability and if it's classified as a DQ under DoDI 6130.03 Volume 1. But you need to weigh the fact that if you tell the VA you are no longer disabled and give up your VA payment, if you do not get selected by the officer board, you can't just turn around and say, oh, my knees hurt again, so you may wind up losing your VA disability forever. Only you can decide it it's worth it to you.

OTS selection is not a slam dunk process because you have a degree. You need to be selected and you have to apply like you would for a school scholarship or job application. Remember AirForce has dorms, not barracks. They have jobs, not and MOS. A board of senior Air Force officers at HQ AFRS will review your application. Selection is competitive and based on your desires, qualifications (such as aeronautical ratings, type bachelors or master's degree, or civilian or military specialty skills), and specific Air Force manpower needs. Each applicant is evaluated for character, academic accomplishments, community service, and leadership potential. As part of the selection process, board members review both objective and subjective factors. Objectively, the board considers each applicants academic discipline, and AFOQT scores. Subjectively, board members evaluated work experience, accomplishments, adaptability, character, leadership ability, potential for future growth, and other recommendations. For active duty enlisted members, performance reports and commanders recommendations are also evaluated. A minimum of three AF Colonels reviews every application. The selection process is similar to an AF Officer Promotion board. Key to the entire process is that no single factor leads to an individual's selection.

You need to make sure you meet the minimum qualifications for commission as an officer first which are as follows:

Age: 18 - 40 (Must join before 29 for rated jobs like Pilot, Air Battle Manager, and Combat Systems Officer)
Four-year bachelor's degree, or be within 1 year of obtaining it with a signed document from your school saying you can complete it within a year
US Citizen (by birth or naturalization, but must be a full US Citizen)
No disqualifying medical/mental health/criminal problems

Meeting these criteria is the bare minimum – a competitive applicant will have a strong college GPA (ideally in a STEM field), past leadership experience, good AFOQT scores, and a strong personal statement about why you want to join the Air Force. Selection truly is based on a “whole person” concept; one strong section will not guarantee selection just as one weak section will not exclude you from selection (assuming you meet the minimums of course). I did see an earlier post stating that you were past the age for OTS, according to the SOPG, you can accept

Since you are claiming VA, you will need to make sure you bring ALL of your medical documentation. Every single paper, from civilian to military. You already said it but make sure you get a most recent medical done so everything is current. Your recruiter is going to want to look at it and they will need to hand it over to the CMO. The CMO will require you to submit that initial claim evaluation from the VA when your rating got approved. If the CMO approves you, then your clear to been by MEPS. That is the umbrella process.

As with enlisting, you must work with a recruiter to go through the OTS application process. You must work with a dedicated officer recruiter that covers your region to submit your application package. Contact information for your local officer recruiter is generally hard to find and it will probably take a few weeks of chasing leads and unanswered phone calls before you are able to establish contact with them. A good day is going on the AirForce website and speaking with the live chat to have them provide you with the direct contact for the officer recruiter. You could also download an app called "Aim High Us Air Force" which will give you recruiters information as well. Reaching out to your local enlisted recruiter is a solid first step, although be prepared to be screened by having to take a practice ASVAB and some recruiters may push you to enlist instead.I recommend you try to score a 90 on that practice ASVAB. It looks appealing!

For the application package, this is what is sent to the selection board for review and isn't dissimilar from the college application. Here are the things it will consist of and also things you should take note of.

Your Degree/GPA is important. Not sure what yours is? But you will be required to submit official transcripts from every college you’ve attended. If you have yet to graduate you will be required to complete a form that shows you are scheduled to graduate within the next 365 days. This form is usually filled out by your advisor or the registrar’s office but each school will vary slightly in the process. The minimum GPA for applicants is 2.50 and STEM degrees are valued. That’s not to say that non-STEM degree holders cannot be selected – there are plenty of pilots with history and music degrees. Average GPA for those selected is closer to the 3.5+ range for most boards, but again, if you have a poor GPA, you may still be selected if you have a strong application in other areas.

The AFOQT or Air Force Officer Qualifying Test is a standardized test that all officer applicants must take, whether they come through OTS or ROTC. It is similar to the SAT or ACT in that it is an academic test – it is not necessarily an aptitude test like the ASVAB. The test consists of twelve sections that are combined in various permutations to produce five composite scores: Pilot, Navigator, Academic Aptitude, Verbal, and Quantitative. If you are applying for a rated position you will also receive Air Battle Manager and Combat Systems Officer scores. There are charts online that show how the composite scores are calculated from the individual sections.

The test is completed at your local MEPS station just like when you enlisted, or sometimes a local AFROTC detachment if available, and I recommend wearing a watch to keep track of the time, sometimes the proctor will not provide an easily visible clock. Smart watches are prohibited in the testing area, along with calculators, phones, or any other electronic devices. I would very strongly advise against taking it without having studied a bit and taken some timed practice tests. Taking your practice tests while timing yourself is key; the material isn’t extraordinarily difficult but the short time allotted for each section will kill you if you aren’t ready for it. You can only take the AFOQT twice in your life, with a roughly six month waiting period between attempts, so make sure you study and nail it the first time, or it'll delay your application even longer. Most recruiters want a combined minimum of 150 on the Academic Aptitude, Verbal, and Quantitative sections, though a competitive applicant should look to be higher than that.

Your package will also contain letters of recommendation detailing your abilities as an employee, leader, student, etc. The number of letters required seems to vary by recruiter but you should count on needing three to five strong letters. They can come from anyone except immediate family, but my advice is to have some diversity in your sources. I was required to submit three letters and I used an undergrad professor, a grad school professor I also worked for, and a former employer I’ve known since I was a child. Some people get hung up on titles and will attempt to get letters from the most impressive people they know regardless of the strength of their relationship. Yes, it looks nice to have a letter from that O-6 or state senator your parents know, but I believe that a sincere letter from someone who can honestly speak on your positive qualities carries more weight than a generic letter from someone who barely knows you, and anyone reading the letters will be able to tell how well the author knows you.

You will also need a personal statement. Your personal statement is your chance to show the board why you want to join the Air Force and why you would make a strong officer. It's your only opportunity to dress the board directly and show why you should be selected outside of your standardized metrics like GPA and AFOQT scores. The statement is limited to 20 lines so you have to be concise. I strongly recommend working through various drafts for a few weeks until you find something that you’re happy with. The space constraint is going to force you to leave out things you want to say so work on it for a while and eventually you’ll get it to a point that you’re content. Every word counts here so having someone read it over is not a bad idea.

As long as your medical has been approved by the CMO and you're clear to been by MEPS. Then at some point you will go to your local MEPS which I know you already know, but you'll need to complete a physical again. Since you are claiming VA disability yours will be a little bit longer but this is nothing more than a comprehensive physical to make sure you are fit for service. You will do hearing and vision tests, give blood for testing, give urine for urinalysis, fill out a form documenting your entire medical history, meet with the MEPS doctor one-on-one to go over any questions they may have about your medical history, and do some basic exercises to demonstrate dexterity. You will then meet with a second doctor to do a very brief one-on-one physical that includes checking of your testicles/vagina and anus, so don’t be shocked by this. One tip: make sure your ears are clean and wash your anus before you get seen. This is the same physical that the you did when you enlisted, albeit some things were added but there are a ton of sources online that go over it in depth, so I won’t bother re-explaining it here. You will need to bring all of your medical records from civilian to VA, they will actually have a copy already.

Last step and after your transcripts and AFOQT results are in you will be scheduled for an interview with an officer that is part of your local recruiting squadron. This is similar to a standard job interview, although they tend to focus a little more on leadership than on specific skills or education you may have. Wear a suit, shave, and have a nice clean hair cut before going and everything will be fine.

Good luck!

Response by SSG Adrian Walker made Apr 6 at 2022 7:37 PM

2022-04-06T19:37:09-04:00

I wish that someone had been there to help me with this problem, I was trying to figure out reenlisting during my time in Iraq and Afghanistan and ended up doing the wrong thing and re upped. I'm not saying that is wrong for you my friend, remember that you have already been there and have nothing to prove but a lot too lose.Look at the pros and cons before you decide to do something life altering brother.