Posted on May 24, 2018
How would you critique my essay entitled "Why I want to be an officer"?
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Any critiques for my essay as to "why I want to be an officer" would be greatly appreciated. I am currently working on my packet for OCS. I am prior enlisted Army SGT (13B), with a degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
I have always had a desire to serve and be a part of something bigger than myself. This was true when I first enlisted in the Army, with my current civilian job working for the Department of Energy on a Special Response Team, and my desire to become an officer now. An officer in the Army must not only be able to command and lead those below him/her, but develop policies and procedures that would make it easier for others to command those below them.
As an enlisted soldier I made the rank of SGT in under 2 and a half years. I have no doubt that I would have had a successful career as an enlisted soldier, if I continued down that path. The biggest thing that was holding me back is that I knew that I could do so much more for the Army as an officer versus enlisted. I will always cherish my time as an NCO though, and would not change that experience for anything. After graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the path to an officer commission started to form.
I know as an Army officer I will be an exemplary model for the NCOs, junior enlisted, and peer officers that I work with. I will show them that they can always strive to do more and be better than they were yesterday. There is no such thing as perfection, but with the right motivation I will show my fellow soldiers that they can achieve even more than they imagined. There will be different opportunities and challenges along the way, but I have never shied away from difficult situations. With the example I set as an officer, and the leadership that I bring to the unit, I will ensure mission readiness and troop welfare are at the forefront. In doing so, I will also help the overall mission of the Army.
With my prior enlisted experience, degree in emergency management, and over 11 years with a special response team, I know I will excel as an Army officer. No matter what branch that I may end up in I will bring with me, a strong work ethic, a strive to make those around me and myself better, honor and integrity. In the end, I am not looking to become an officer for what it can do for me, but what I can do for the Army. When the unit and people under my command succeed at their mission and raise the bar for the next soldiers that come along, that will be my reward.
I have always had a desire to serve and be a part of something bigger than myself. This was true when I first enlisted in the Army, with my current civilian job working for the Department of Energy on a Special Response Team, and my desire to become an officer now. An officer in the Army must not only be able to command and lead those below him/her, but develop policies and procedures that would make it easier for others to command those below them.
As an enlisted soldier I made the rank of SGT in under 2 and a half years. I have no doubt that I would have had a successful career as an enlisted soldier, if I continued down that path. The biggest thing that was holding me back is that I knew that I could do so much more for the Army as an officer versus enlisted. I will always cherish my time as an NCO though, and would not change that experience for anything. After graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the path to an officer commission started to form.
I know as an Army officer I will be an exemplary model for the NCOs, junior enlisted, and peer officers that I work with. I will show them that they can always strive to do more and be better than they were yesterday. There is no such thing as perfection, but with the right motivation I will show my fellow soldiers that they can achieve even more than they imagined. There will be different opportunities and challenges along the way, but I have never shied away from difficult situations. With the example I set as an officer, and the leadership that I bring to the unit, I will ensure mission readiness and troop welfare are at the forefront. In doing so, I will also help the overall mission of the Army.
With my prior enlisted experience, degree in emergency management, and over 11 years with a special response team, I know I will excel as an Army officer. No matter what branch that I may end up in I will bring with me, a strong work ethic, a strive to make those around me and myself better, honor and integrity. In the end, I am not looking to become an officer for what it can do for me, but what I can do for the Army. When the unit and people under my command succeed at their mission and raise the bar for the next soldiers that come along, that will be my reward.
OCS
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Army)
Enlisted-to-Officer
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 43
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Well written; brevity leads to familiarity. You have made several important points and as long as you meet the age and physical requirements I believe you'll do quite well. Congratulations Lt!
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http://www.usuhs.edu
Look at their PhD programs in boomed sciences, hose can be done by warrant, commissioned, and civil service, there's a specific page for their them, just search for USUHS doctoral programs....
Look at their PhD programs in boomed sciences, hose can be done by warrant, commissioned, and civil service, there's a specific page for their them, just search for USUHS doctoral programs....
The mission of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences is to educate, train, and comprehensively prepare uniformed services health professionals, scientists, and leaders to support the Military and Public Health Systems, the National Security and National Defense Strategies of the United States, and the readiness of our Uniformed Services.
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Air Force Institute of Technology - Wikipedia
The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education for the United States Armed Forces and is part of the United States Air Force. It is located in Ohio at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton. AFIT is a component of the Air University and Air Education and Training Command.
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Look at FEMA for their college level online emerg !epmgmt training....also, I think your background is suitable for multiple submissions, it !erepy depends on how flexible you'd be for more training...USCG Auxiliary, I'd read is affiliated with a !asters in Homeland somewhere near the Naval Postgrad School (NPS) in Calif, I don't know if active duty can try for itz I'll see if I can find the site I'd seen, which I think was by USCg Aux in WW state....
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http://www.ocsfoundation.org
Look at this, I might've already sent it...it doesn't include Army WOCS, NOAA BOTC which is an OIS, there's also an AMEDD OIS I'd read about, I can't recall the na!e at the moment, I'm unsure if it takes Army MSC, however UEPHS also sends to their OIS orograms, and incls sending to USCG...would the ideal of hlth info mgmt (HIM) appeal to you at all in any svc in their clinical side? As I'd said, I realize it might not be what you'd wanted however, it'd at least be a way...then, too, look at AGR, Guard Tech, and Rwserve Tech, hose full time support programs, the ARNG has hose state level part time OCS programs, ANG I think uses USAF OTS, I'm unsure if ANG has part time OCS type programs, I'd read ARNG does for sure, though I didn't know if you might want to try for that. Next, also, ha e you done any actual FAA flight training? Sport pilot? Private pilot? Instrument raring? Multiengine? Commercial? Rotary wing as opposed to fixed wing? Have you tried to make use of any mil aero clubs at all? How about Civil Air Patrol (CAP) senior squadron flight training, I don't know if it exists, I know it does for kids as cadets, however, CAP has its own corporate aircraft, so you might ask...then, too, USCG Auxiliary APIs an instrumentality of the USCG, whereas CAP isn't for the USAF, though both get tasked with missions...USCG Auxiliary has an observer program for its aviation flotillas, I've looked at those myself, my disability keeps getting in th e wah, though...
Look at this, I might've already sent it...it doesn't include Army WOCS, NOAA BOTC which is an OIS, there's also an AMEDD OIS I'd read about, I can't recall the na!e at the moment, I'm unsure if it takes Army MSC, however UEPHS also sends to their OIS orograms, and incls sending to USCG...would the ideal of hlth info mgmt (HIM) appeal to you at all in any svc in their clinical side? As I'd said, I realize it might not be what you'd wanted however, it'd at least be a way...then, too, look at AGR, Guard Tech, and Rwserve Tech, hose full time support programs, the ARNG has hose state level part time OCS programs, ANG I think uses USAF OTS, I'm unsure if ANG has part time OCS type programs, I'd read ARNG does for sure, though I didn't know if you might want to try for that. Next, also, ha e you done any actual FAA flight training? Sport pilot? Private pilot? Instrument raring? Multiengine? Commercial? Rotary wing as opposed to fixed wing? Have you tried to make use of any mil aero clubs at all? How about Civil Air Patrol (CAP) senior squadron flight training, I don't know if it exists, I know it does for kids as cadets, however, CAP has its own corporate aircraft, so you might ask...then, too, USCG Auxiliary APIs an instrumentality of the USCG, whereas CAP isn't for the USAF, though both get tasked with missions...USCG Auxiliary has an observer program for its aviation flotillas, I've looked at those myself, my disability keeps getting in th e wah, though...
SERVICES FOR: Candidates Alumni Officer Families
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And there's also NOAA Commissioned Corps, they have their own flight unit, though they're the smallest...further, look into going technical warrant, see what fields are open, I've read of shortages in Army for technical warrants in various fields, another thought, OK? And look at USMC platoon leaders course (PLC), it's less well known, though with the Bach done, I'm not sure if you'd have to do it, I'd submit packets to all OCS programs in all svcs, and see what you'd be told....
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I realize that was a lot, I was merely trying to offer some errant thoughts as they occurred to me, when I was in USAF, one midrange NCO I was tasked to teach engineering, as he was going for what was at the time called the Airman Eeucmand Commissioning Program! (aECP), which I gather is rather akin to Green and Gold now, I !erepy !mention that to try to illustrate what I'd had to do, we had another NCO who'd wanted to go to USAF OTS, I also helped ed that one as well somewhat, another assignment I had...I'm here if you'd want to ask anything more, I hope all that was of at least some usez I'd be most eager to hear more, if you'd care to elaborate at all by all means....
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Further, do you have any flight interests at all? Would you have any e search interests? Where might you wish to be assigned, as an installation, imreapizemthat's tied to branch, I !erepym!mention that as another aspect to be considered in what you write, possibly....
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SGT Luis Guzman
One last thought, I currently fly around in a small helicopter for my job, and I love it. I love being in the Air, that's why I contacted the AF first. I cannot be a pilot do to my age and I wear glasses, but I would love to be in the Air as part of my job. I took the AFOQT and scored a 70 on pilot and 86 on navigator. The last thing I heard groom anyone is that they will keep my packet for a year, and let me know if anything comes up that they want to interview me for. Not saying that that couldn't happen, but as I'm waiting to possibly gear back from them, I'm getting closer to be 40.
In the end it's my own fault for waiting so long.
In the end it's my own fault for waiting so long.
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Capt Daniel Goodman
What you sent is fine, thus far...how much STEM stuff have you done? Actual course titles, OK? Math? Physics? Chem? Bio? Comp sci (CS)? IT? Actual engineering? Electrical? Mechanical? Aero engrg? Materials science? Be exact, be specific, it'd help !e try to suggest stuff, OK? Also, if you'd consider the clinical side, look at USPHS Commissioned Corps, they don't do flight, however, they do use heal info mgmt (HIM), I realize it might jot initially be what you'd want, I get that, however, they do also use Bach level engnrs, and tend to have the highest age limits of all the svcs, just a thought, OK? Look at USPHS COSTEP, there's a Jr and Sr level, their analogue to ROTC, I'm unsure what the age limits are, I've heard also that ROTC can in some limited fashion be used for masters or doctoral, I'm unsure about COSTEP, call the USPHS toll free phone line, [login to see] , and ask, you might have to leave word, however, it could be a commissioned route for you, although it might need more coursework or a change in direction, you could also try Army Med Svc Corps (MSC), USAF boomed Science Corps (BSC), and Navy MSC as well...Army also has that direct commission cyber program I'd read ofz USCG has a direct commission engineer program, I don't know if either would take what you've got, you could always ask, OK? Elaborate more, do a really detailed bio sketch, GPA, actual course titles, as I'd said, hobbies, interests, reading, sports, martial arts, it'd help me get a more complete perspective about you, OK? Really try to send something long, well composer, and thorough, take your time, and give me sheer bulk, run remember, the more detail you give, the more I or others here might be able to suggest, OK?
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Capt Daniel Goodman
And idmalso look at going mav/WSO, you never know, you might qualify for hose, in one of the svc flight programs, despite the no-pilot thing, I'd done the aeromed eval for Navy NFO, I passed, I was never able to go interservice, I generally find most don't think of being navigator or WSO, everyone always tends to think of pilot...if you can go nav/WSO, or even submit a packet to any svc for it, why not at least try, you know? I !EAM, I don't know what the age limits are for Navy/WSao in all the svcs, however, does no harm to ask, certainly....
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Now...also, what branch would you want, of you stayed Army, at least initially, if you got a first choice, and why, knowing that would also help explain your motivations for OCS, or an OIS...next, what other svcs have you looked at, if any, and why, also go into a comparison between the svcs, I'm just trying tomoffermyou thoughts for your essay, you understand....
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