Posted on Nov 4, 2018
I'm looking to join the reserves as an officer once I finish my bachelor's in December. Can anyone offer any advice?
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I finish my degree next month and I'm assuming to join the army reserves directly after as an officer. Can anyone tell me what I'm looking at as far as a timeline? How I should prepare? What questions should I ask the recruiter? I've heard they try to lie and trick potential recruits so I'm trying to do as much research as I can before I go in. Also, how much time would I be looking at being away from home for training?
Reserves
Officer
Potential Recruit
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 37
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Well, first you do need to speak with a recruiter and do your research on what you want before you let them influence you. Yes, recruiters most certainly do lie if they're under pressure, (told me I could be Navy SEAL in the Army, but I knew that was nonsense from the get go) but if you know what you want, they'll level with you.
If you want Army reserve component, you have the Reserves (Federal Componant) and National Guard (Federal and State with Combat Arms).
If you can ensure a federal OCS slot at the school, then you can knock it out in 12 weeks after 10 weeks of BCT.
If you go National Guard, you have federal, traditional, and accelerated OCS. If you don't get federal, you will have to do traditional one weekend a month for 18 months before commission. If you're approaching 42, you'll get a better chance at attending accelerated 8 weeks, but they attrition rate is high.
Either way you will come in as an E4 through basic training, then go to OCS. If you don't pass you'll stay enlisted. If you do graduate, you'll be on an Order of Merit (class ranking) list which determines who gets first pick for a branch. Sadly, your branch will not be completely up to you, but if you're lucky like I was, I got first pick.
Hope this helps in as much detail I can give. Anything else, just ask.
Best of Luck
If you want Army reserve component, you have the Reserves (Federal Componant) and National Guard (Federal and State with Combat Arms).
If you can ensure a federal OCS slot at the school, then you can knock it out in 12 weeks after 10 weeks of BCT.
If you go National Guard, you have federal, traditional, and accelerated OCS. If you don't get federal, you will have to do traditional one weekend a month for 18 months before commission. If you're approaching 42, you'll get a better chance at attending accelerated 8 weeks, but they attrition rate is high.
Either way you will come in as an E4 through basic training, then go to OCS. If you don't pass you'll stay enlisted. If you do graduate, you'll be on an Order of Merit (class ranking) list which determines who gets first pick for a branch. Sadly, your branch will not be completely up to you, but if you're lucky like I was, I got first pick.
Hope this helps in as much detail I can give. Anything else, just ask.
Best of Luck
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CPT (Join to see)
Amanda Price No matter the school, make sure it's complete, because no one will tell you if it's not. Everyone is busy and it will slip their mind. You need to be self directed. Also, you need to keep up with your person of contact every week for updates.
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What is your degree in ? I came in as a 1LT direct commission with a Bachelor’s in Nursing. The timeline from start of packet, commissioning and receiving orders took about 9months. As a Reservist, you will have to attend DCC (direct commission course) and BOLC which is 2 months worth of training away from home, but done separately. Also plan to have one month off to coordinate your Battle Assembly (drill schedule). Best of luck!
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Amanda Price
I just graduated nursing school (bachelors) and plan on working for a couple years (so I can get my trauma and emergency nursing certs) before trying to direct commission. I know you kind of explained it in Thisbe post but could you possibly explain to me how exactly that would all work if I tried to direct commission and be active duty as a nurse?
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MAJ James Fitzgerald
Amanda Price - This link may help you. Find someone you know that has walked this path, or someone you can trust to guide you. Nurses are in demand, both civilian and military. The current environment indicates a consolidation of the medical corps within the military, but nothing is in concrete, not even wet cement. Here is the link:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&ved=2ahUKEwii6Ojj7NLgAhWPGt8KHYKjC_oQFjAJegQIChAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnurse.org%2Fresources%2Fmilitary-army-nurse%2F&usg=AOvVaw35UHFIfNykU5EhLNuL6OJh
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&ved=2ahUKEwii6Ojj7NLgAhWPGt8KHYKjC_oQFjAJegQIChAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnurse.org%2Fresources%2Fmilitary-army-nurse%2F&usg=AOvVaw35UHFIfNykU5EhLNuL6OJh
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Well, first off, you don't join as an Officer with a BA or BS unless you have been in ROTC or a select few Medical specialties. You would have to go enlisted then apply for OCS.
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Col Jincy Hayes
Please don't pass incorrect information. If you are an expert in the area, fine. If not, don't mess with somebody's life and career. I know MANY people who were told they had to enlist and then ask for an officer program. Most were enlisted and pissed off because they got but scoop.
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CPT Kurk Harris
She can submit an OCS packet through her local reserve recruiter, but that is not always easy to get for reserves. Active duty is easier, or was when I recruited. The trick is to find a recruiter willing to hold a high grad alpha prospect for the OCS process which takes months when he probably needs the contract for enlisted side today.
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PO2 Ralph Thompson
You can check with each branch to see what you can do without joining active duty. Just use your head, there is no rush to do it correctly. When I was in the reserves many many years ago you could if you qualified, go into Reserve Officer Candidate School. It was a very abbreviated toe in the water, but that was during the Vietnam war. Things change so like I say just take your time and check with several recruiters and there is NO rush. Recruiters jobs are to get you signed up & never see you again, but most are decent men and women.
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