Cpl Kevin Henderson4591544<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Did you earn your college degree to specifically become a military officer? If not, what made you decide to enlist after obtaining it?2019-04-30T01:38:22-04:00Cpl Kevin Henderson4591544<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Did you earn your college degree to specifically become a military officer? If not, what made you decide to enlist after obtaining it?2019-04-30T01:38:22-04:002019-04-30T01:38:22-04:00SSG Private RallyPoint Member4591639<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I joined with my BS already completed and I was a year into my MS. I chose to enlist because I didn’t feel that I was equipped with what I would need to really be a leader and an officer. I wanted to learn from the best and from what I had heard, that was from NCOs. I knew that I wanted to be one first. Now that I am one and have learned so much, I may look into it at some point but I love being an NCO.Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2019 3:50 AM2019-04-30T03:50:19-04:002019-04-30T03:50:19-04:00MSG Frank Kapaun4592101<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Yes I did, but through a combination of circumstances, the opportunity to attend OCS never presented itself to me.Response by MSG Frank Kapaun made Apr 30 at 2019 8:33 AM2019-04-30T08:33:38-04:002019-04-30T08:33:38-04:00LCDR Joshua Gillespie4592107<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Honestly? Yes. I decided at a very young age that I wanted to spend my professional life as a military officer... try seven years old. Pretty much every decision I made regarding extracurricular activities, dating (i.e. not dating), etc. over the next decade revolved around that choice. I spent my junior and senior years of H.S. largely filling out paperwork, going through physicals, PRT tests, and interviews to get one of a handful of slots for a Congressional appointment and selection to the Academy. Once there, I chose my major based not on what I wanted to "do" professionally... but what I felt I could earn the highest QPR (translate-GPA) in towards service assignment. I wanted to fly... and I did eventually get my shot... and a degree in History to accompany it.<br /><br />I didn't make it to winging.<br /><br />I didn't end up serving the "thirty years" I expected. I ended up working on a construction crew making about $8/hr after serving a few years, mostly deployed at sea. I begged, pleaded, and did eventually get "back in"... went to Afghanistan...ended up being unable to get a permanent billet anywhere afterwards, and finally packed it in after about ten total years. I worked hard, and eventually climbed the ladder a bit in civilian life-my degree being more a liability than a benefit. At forty, I'm finally back where I might have been professionally and financially had I been able to stay on active duty... but I'll never get it back the pride, satisfaction, and purpose of wearing the uniform and leading the finest people on the planet. <br /><br />My advice? decide what's more important to you; the degree, or serving in the Military. If the latter is more important, research what steps you can take to remain viable long-term, even if it means staying on the enlisted side. Education is important, and there are many ways to skin a cat... but the commissioned side is very (understandably) competitive, and few make it to full-retirement.Response by LCDR Joshua Gillespie made Apr 30 at 2019 8:35 AM2019-04-30T08:35:39-04:002019-04-30T08:35:39-04:00CPT Lawrence Cable4592221<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>There was a recession and I was out of work. Not the only reason, but the one that drove me to take that final step. I stayed enlisted for a couple of years when the Battalion XO asked if I was interested in OCS since I had a Degree already. I thought that I could do it better, so I went. Missed being close to the squad, but it gave me a lot of opportunities to do things that I would have gotten to do enlisted.Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Apr 30 at 2019 9:19 AM2019-04-30T09:19:50-04:002019-04-30T09:19:50-04:00MAJ Ken Landgren4593170<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>After graduating from college the only thing available were accounting jobs so I went OCS.Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 30 at 2019 3:30 PM2019-04-30T15:30:54-04:002019-04-30T15:30:54-04:00LTC Jason Mackay4593180<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I earned a degree to commission.Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Apr 30 at 2019 3:35 PM2019-04-30T15:35:29-04:002019-04-30T15:35:29-04:00MAJ Patrick Hairston CISSP, AWS Certified Cloud Architect4594089<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Basically, yes. But I was also 74B(25B today) and I wanted to make rank.Response by MAJ Patrick Hairston CISSP, AWS Certified Cloud Architect made Apr 30 at 2019 8:55 PM2019-04-30T20:55:43-04:002019-04-30T20:55:43-04:00CPT Melissa Scheller8105877<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I obtained my degree and the came in direct commission. I thought about ROTC but it would only cover tuition and fees no housing or food. Since I had to work my way through school I would have found myself with ROTC requirements as well as a part time job. I decided I did want a Military experience so I came in direct commission, as an Army Nurse! Loved my time in service!Response by CPT Melissa Scheller made Jan 28 at 2023 7:50 PM2023-01-28T19:50:04-05:002023-01-28T19:50:04-05:002019-04-30T01:38:22-04:00