Is the Green to Gold program available only to enlisted individuals or can it be included into an enlistment contract?

Joshua W. — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 01:01:11 -0500

I'm currently a civilian and am currently setting up to start my first semester of grad school for CyberSec in January. I had recently spoke to a recruiter about my reenlistment code to see if I'm eligible for OCS. It was an ELS due to injury. They said we could get a waiver for it, but OCS seemed like a longshot. My undergrad major was only Philosophy and my GPA (2.7) was terrible due to my severe lack of effort in classes I was uninterested in. Afterwards they mentioned the Green to Gold program. However, the way conversation on it went made it sound like it was something that that could be put into an enlistment contract. I looked around quite a bit and wanted to just get confirmation from people more familiar with this. Is the Green to Gold program ONLY for personnel that are enlisted at the time of application? Or is this something that can be guaranteed through an enlistment contract? I have a scheduled meeting with an advisor from my college for Monday morning where I intended to bring this up and won't be able to contact the recruiting office until after the scheduled meeting.

Edit: To clarify, my re-enlistment code is a RE-3P from the Marines.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2020 2:47 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 02:47:11 -0500

Enlisted only.

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made Dec 5 at 2020 6:18 AM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 06:18:35 -0500

So... are you prior service? I ask because you mentioned a Renlisment Code.

Anyway, the Green to Gold program is for enlisted already serving. What you could possibly qualify for is an officer contract after completing your degree. Other option is if your school has an ROTC program and you are a full time student, you could enroll as a graduate student, so long you meet the other program requirements.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Dec 5 at 2020 10:39 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 10:39:33 -0500

Do not enlist soon. If your previous injury would disqualify you from passing a physical for OCS then it will do so at a future date when you’re enlisted. If you want to be in the military look at all options.
-does your university have ROTC? If so, apply. Some schools have affiliated ROTC programs operated by nearby schools.
-talk to recruiters from all 6 armed services. See which service offers the best deal. If all 6 turn you down due to physical requirements then you need to look for other options
-if you still want to serve consider civilian employment. Check USA jobs for DoD civilian jobs.

A final thought. Recruiters have goals set. They work toward those goals. That means your needs and wants are secondary to those of the Service.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2020 4:10 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 16:10:36 -0500

Green to Gold is just an ROTC program. It's a way for an enlisted Soldier to go to ROTC. If you're a civilian you can just join ROTC. If you aren't competitive to get accepted/selected as a civilian you won't be any more competitive while you're enlisted. If you require a waiver to enlist, you probably don't meet the requirements to commission.