Posted on Jun 28, 2017
If I enlist and apply to OCS (have bachelor's degree), would I just go to BCT, then OCS for 14 weeks, then back home? Recruiter said NO AIT?
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Responses: 9
MSgt Mark Bucher
Money won't compensate you for the headaches you'll experience. I put my degree to great use, officers manage, enlisted DO! Good luck to ya Sunshine
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On the OCS glide path, you would go to Basic, OCS, and then a Branch specific Basic Officer Leader Course. It use to be called Officer Basic course. It's like AIT for Officers.
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Jessica Walker
See this is what I've read in places, but my recruiter never mentioned the BOLC side of it... I texted him today and got no response.
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TSgt (Join to see)
Jessica Walker - Most Army recruiters don't really know too much about the Officer side of the house. Their knowledge of OCS is pretty much limited to telling you that you got Basic Training and then OCS. Once you sign the paper and get on the plane to BCT, their interest in you pretty much stops.
I find it interesting that the Army is one of the only branches that does not have dedicated Officer recruiters.
I find it interesting that the Army is one of the only branches that does not have dedicated Officer recruiters.
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Jessica Walker
I am running into that! I am going to compare with other branches and make sure I'm not making a mistake or being uninformed! :)
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MAJ (Join to see)
The Branch Specific school mentioned above is also known as BOLC or Basic Officer Leader Course. Your recruiter is correct you won't be required to go to AIT, unless you fail OBC or BOLC.
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First, are you talking about National Guard? If so then he is correct. Your MOS would be 09S, officer candidate. If you joined as anything else then you would have to go to a AIT. But after basic you would go into a Pre-Ocs program then to OCS. That is only for the Guard.
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Jessica Walker, I consider CPT (Join to see) the resident expert on OCS, whether Federal or State, traditional or accelerated. By way of this correspondence, I'm asking him to provide some additional guidance.
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The best advice I can give you is bring these questions to your recruiter, and if not satisfied, go to his supervisor. Also, there are a variety of official recruiting information on websites provided by the specific military branch for you to do your own research. (go to the official branch recruiting websites, not others like military.com) The variety of answers you receive on a forum like this don't always take into account variables such as changes in policy, training paths, etc. Things change, and what may have been true years ago, or 6 months ago, may be different now. Also, assumptions are made without knowing all the facts, such as you are a National Guard applicant, not Regular Army. There are vast differences between the two, and their recruiters and recruiting programs are under entirely separate commands. I can't guarantee you that every sergeant on recruiting duty is 100% knowledgeable and professional. But I can guarantee you that the answers you seek are in a regulation, policy letter, or operational message somewhere. Make that recruiter do their job and find out. Good Luck!, and if you are checking out other branches, see the Army and Army Reserve.
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The recruiter is correct. No need for you to go to an AIT as, upon graduation from OCS, you will be assigned a branch and attend the BOLC for that branch. BOLC is the equivalent of AIT for officers.
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BG (Join to see)
Unfortunately, you will not simply roll over from OCS to BOLC as I did went I went through OCS on Active Duty. You'll have to come home and then get a BOLC class 6-12 months later.
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I saw in one of your comments that you are going into the National Guard. Not sure if anyone has mentioned it to you but you should be able to do the state OCS instead of the Federal OCS if you prefer. State OCS will take a lot longer but is done the same as drill. One weekend a month, two weeks in the summer. The upside is, it may be easier than federal OCS. The downside is it takes 16-18 months. I know a guy going through it now. There is also a National Guard Accelerated OCS which is 8 weeks. I know nothing about that though. Good luck.
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Jessica Walker
Thank you! I have considered the state OCS, as I'm a mom of 3 young kids and would be nice coming back to them sooner. Downside from what I can see, besides it taking longer, is that you get drill pay rather than the active pay, separation pay, and housing allowance. So while my husband and I think it's definitely a plus for our schedule, we're wondering if we should suck it up for the $$$ I'd get while at Fed'l OCS
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MAJ (Join to see)
Jessica Walker - That's certainly understandable. Plus, the sooner you sooner you commission, the sooner your drill pay will increase as well.
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No enlisted AIT, but you would still be required to attend your Officer Basic for whatever branch you are assigned before you go to your first unit. That is unless you are active reserve or national guard, then you may go home until they get you slotted for a school.
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If they still have the College Op program as they did in 1977 - that is correct. However, after Commissioning all 2LT in my 1977 OCS class went to their Officer Basic Course and then to their units. No one went HOME. However, not to discourage anyone, College Ops had it tougher than most candidates because their only exposure to the Army was 9 weeks of BCT - while the average Officer Candidate had 2-3 years enlisted service. I am not sure what the recruiter told you. But Graduation from OCS is NOT GUARANTEED by any means. It may well be the toughest thing you ever do - up to that point - in your life.
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Jessica Walker
Thank you for your response... I am looking into the National Guard. What my understanding was from him was that I would apply to OCS during my enlistment process... would then go to Basic and then on to OCS, then would be back home on drill schedule (one weekend a month and two weeks a year). I just watched some videos of OCS, and it is a bit intimidating. I am assuming if I can't graduate from OCS, at that point I would have to go to AIT and would be enlisted as an E-4 rather than becoming an O-1?
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LTC(P) (Join to see)
Jessica...I am the XO for the 199th Regiment (RTI) in the Louisiana National Guard. We teach Basic Leaders Course, a few different MOS-T courses, and OCS. From what I have gathered from your comments...your recruiter is giving you the correct information. Please feel free to contact me for any clarification you may need.
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