Considering career change - interested in Engineer Officer (12A), but recruiter suggested Enlisted (12B) first, then go to OCS - is he right?

If you joined the Guard or reserve as an officer you could pick your branch.

Sounds like your salesperson/recruiter is blowing smoke up your skirt. The advice to contact an officer recruiter is good.

I had an a33h0le Army recruiter run ahead of things and schedule me to head off to basic before I'd signed anything. He insisted I was already enlisted and had to go.

I had to threaten letting the family lawyers have him for a snack to stop an illegal con game...

Fortunately our lawyer's name was familiar to SSgt Sharpe since he'd just been elected to the State House (his associates would have handled the suit)

I walked out with every scrap of paper with my information on it, including a Rolodex card...

The Air Force recruiter was straight with me and I left that job 20 years and two weeks later. Only got orders to Vietnam once and they got cancled as I was boarding the C-141. Spent the rest of the "Vietnam Era" keeping landing systems working for the guys coming home.

PAE is often looking for USAF officers with an Engineering degree (ABET-accredited) for our Base Operations Support contract at the Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM. Our current vacancies for Engineers follow. Please apply to be considered:
Operations Civil Engineer
https://pae.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PAE_Careers/job/US-NM-Albuquerque/Operations-Civil-Engineer_R0054795-2
Engineering Project Execution Manager
https://pae.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PAE_Careers/job/US-NM-Albuquerque/Engineering-Project-Execution-Manager_R0052099
Project Manager (Facility Maintenance and Construction experience)
https://pae.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PAE_Careers/job/US-NM-Albuquerque/Project-Manager_R0051097-2
Thank you for your interest and any referrals you can send my way!
Sharon Wuerl, PAE Recruiter
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DO NOT enlist immediately in any Service. You need to talk to Active Duty officer recruiters from Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force. Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force have Reserve units and Reserve Recruiters. The Army and Air Force have National Guard units and National Guard Recruiters. That's about 12 recruiters. Every Service lists requirements for becoming an officer on their web page, e.g., http://www.af.mil. Review these requirements. The requirements for the Reserve and Guard of any Service should be the same as active duty. I think all of the Services require a bachelors degree to be an officer. If you are a US Citizen and think you can pass the physical and score high enough on the testing, then you should apply for Officer Candidate School (OCS). Recruiters may honestly tell you that the application process may take some time. They may tell you that some people are denied or disqualified. And they may tell you that prior-enlisted service members make better officers.

You know if you can afford to take a year or more to apply for an OCS slot. I say waiting a year is better than serving 4 years enlisted and not getting into OCS. Once you're enlisted, your supervisors and managers will control much of your opportunity to apply for OCS. Waivers are available for some requirements or limits, such as age and some physical issues. Being enlisted won't change any factors that may disqualify you for OCS.

Every recruiter you talk to is working to achieve their recruiting goals. Making these goals is an important part of their performance evaluation and the evaluations of their supervisors, officers, and units. This may cause the recruiter to give you information that pushes you in a direction that satisfies the Service's requirements. These requirements may or may not match your personal goals or be in your best interests. Be very careful. Ask lots of questions. Read everything.

I don't know what your degree is in, so advising you about a particular specialty is difficult. You indicated an interest in Combat Engineering. I'm guessing you might have an engineering degree. In addition to combat engineering, career areas to consider might be, Army Corps of Engineers who handle major civil engineering projects for the Army and other Services. The Navy has the Seabees. An interesting group that builds ports, airports, and other facilities supporting sea-to-shore operations. The Air Force has civil engineering officers who lead units developing and maintaining Air Fore installations. The Army, Navy, and Air Force have engineering officers working in research and development in a wide range of fields from aeronautics to ship building. Your masters degree and any certifications are a plus in making you an attractive OCS candidate.

Your Recruiter wants to write the easy contract. If you enlist it might be several years before you make it to OCS. If go thru the local OCS selection process you will get your basic training and OCS scheduled and guaranteed in the contract. Best of Luck and get another recruiter if you need to.

Good advice from others, speak to an Officer Recruiter. There is no reason to go enlisted and hope-wish-make a deal with the devil to get OCS later.

Also, since you are interested in Engineering as an officer, explore what is available in the other branches of services which may offer other opportunities such as Navy Seabees, Marine Combat Engineers, and Air Force Civil Engineers. I have been both an enlisted and officer recruiter during my career, and I always suggested to my applicants to see what other branches of service have to offer. After all, it is their decision to join and they should be informed to make the best decision. Don't forget the needs of the service (accession quotas) are different between each branch of service and one might be more aggressively recruiting. You do need to decide what type of service best fits your expectations i.e. active duty, Guard, or reserves which is another good reason to explore other branches of service.

Best of luck!

The recruiters want you to sign up for a MOS they'll get credit for in the yearly quotas/goals. I do not believe they'll get any credit for an OCS Option or other Officer contract.

Me thinketh your recruiter is trying to fulfill a quota. You're an engineer and the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. You might also check with the USMC and look into their Combat Engineers - trip to the top could be tougher but the end state is superb

The ONLY Benefit I can see to going in as enlisted before OCS would be pay, depending on how long you waited for OCS; you might be paid at 0-1 (over 2) which might make <Shrug> $50 month difference?

Like Major Jason Taylor told you, the recruiter is looking out for HIS interest, meeting his quota instead of putting you where you should be.

While it's not directly related to your case, I tried for 5 years to take the FAST test for Rotary Wing Warrant, and for 5 years I was always told I was "too critical to the unit's mission" to be released that day, reschedule. When I refused to re-enlist to complete a European tour I had to talk to the Bde Cdr and give my reasons why. When I explained about the school, he asked me if I would reconsider if I could get the school... Maybe, honestly I didn't know, until he made a phone call in my presence and and could offer me a school date before my PCS date. That was too much, if I couldn't do it the right way, I didn't want to go to a rigorous school like that on the old boys network. I turned it down.

I still don't regret it.

If you are interested in becoming an officer, you enlist as a 09S. Before you even leave for basic, you will complete a packet and go to a board before you’re accepted as an officer candidate. If you enlist as any other MOS you won’t go to OCS after basic training. Go find a different recruiter because he’s trying to screw you over.

Once you go to OCS, you’ll compete for your branch.