How to go officer from enlisted?

2022-03-17T14:20:17-04:00

Currently I'm an E-4 with about 2 years of service. I also have a Master of Science in Criminal Justice. What are the necessary steps to become an officer from the enlisted side?

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 17 at 2022 3:35 PM

2022-03-17T15:35:28-04:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member Here is one previous post with information along with an Army Officer link. You can search on "Enlisted to Officer", then click on "Answers" to find other posts.

https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/how-do-i-go-from-enlisted-to-officer

https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/find-your-path/army-officers.html

How do I go from enlisted to officer? | RallyPoint

So I'm currently active duty with 7 yrs of active duty service. I do not have a bachelors degree at this time but I want to commision as an officer in the army. What are all my different options here?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 17 at 2022 4:55 PM

2022-03-17T16:55:31-04:00

https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/find-your-path/army-officers.html

https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/join-army-officer.html

Officer Candidate School is a 14-week course to train enlisted personnel, warrant officers and civilians with college degrees to be Army officers. Enlisted soldiers and warrant officers must have 90 semester credit-hours of college before applying. Civilian applicants must have a bachelor's degree. Officer Candidate School (OCS) now commissions almost 1,000 officers each year, a figure comparable to the academy's 900.

Path for Army Officers

Stand among the fearless leaders of the Army. The ones with the expertise to confidently guide missions for our nation’s success.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Mar 17 at 2022 5:24 PM

2022-03-17T17:24:47-04:00

I would start by sitting down with my CO and tell him/her you are interested. You will need his endorsement to be competitive anyway. Then your retention NCO should be able to get your application started. Be aware that the application is a lot more competitive than when I went through. Having a Masters Degree helps, having a good GPA helps more. You will need good Evals, decent PT scores and LOR's from you PL, CO and as far up the chain as you can get.
Now the bad news. OCS is a pain in the ass! I didn't find the academics difficult and I came out of an Infantry unit, so the PT didn't bother me. But TAC Officers are not Drill Sergeants and they make your life miserable. Oddly enough, I tied for Top Student.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 17 at 2022 7:12 PM

2022-03-17T19:12:29-04:00

Short term option - apply for OCS
Longer term options - complete your contract (ETS) and come back as an officer or transition to reserve and apply for direct commision

Response by LTC Ray Buenteo made Mar 17 at 2022 8:29 PM

2022-03-17T20:29:04-04:00

Apply

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Mar 24 at 2022 12:34 PM

2022-03-24T12:34:25-04:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member, it would help if your profile was more complete. I'm assuming you're on active duty. First, check all six Service's requirements to become an officer. The requirements are on the Service web page. If you meet these basic requirements, it's time to talk to your chain of command and recruiters. Here's some choices.
-OCS. You can apply for Officer Candidate School in the Army. Your application will flow through your chain of command, so any one in that chain can say "no" and stop the process. You can talk to recruiters from the other 5 Armed Services (Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard) about applying for OCS/OTS. The will probably tell you to complete your enlistment first and then apply. Maybe not. It's worth a try.
-"Green to Gold" programs. The Army offers opportunities for enlisted personnel to become officers. Look up the requirements for these types of programs. Your retention NCO may have information.
-ROTC. If you want to continue to seek higher education now or after your ETS, you might apply for ROTC. Many universities have ROTC programs. Again, research on line. You might be able to complete the academic requirements for a PhD while you also complete ROTC for a commission. The trick here is being admitted to a PhD program.
-There is a pathway for enlisted Soldiers to be appointed to the military academies (US Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy). Go to the web page for each academy to see the requirements.
National Guard. Many state National Guard operate their own OCS. May have different requirements than active duty.