Routes for Becoming an Officer

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 01:59:09 -0400

Currently I am a 68K (Medical Laboratory Specialist) and am looking for routes to get a commission. I have 2 years in service and have been exploring different options. Any feedback is greatly appreciated seeing as I do not have much military experience or knowledge. I am just looking for any type of advice.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2014 2:11 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 02:11:17 -0400

There are many options you can take such as Green to Gold, ROTC, iPAP, AECP, MSW, ect..especially if you are planning to commission into the medical field.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2014 2:18 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 02:18:06 -0400

SPC Matai,

What education do you already have? Do you have a degree, or are you working towards one? If you want to stay in the same area Clinical Laboratory Scientist (71E) might be something you want to explore.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2014 2:21 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 02:21:28 -0400

Green to Gold can be applied for and earned while you are on active duty. If you are selected you will join an ROTC program and when you complete the program, pending your performance and completion of all requirements, you will be back on active duty as a 2LT.

Going straight ROTC can be done once you ETS and start going to school full time. It is a great program. However, you need to make sure you compete and go hard for active duty by keeping your GPA, PT Score, and leadership performance/participation up. It is also important to keep those up if you want to get your choice of branch and possibly post.

IPAP is the Interservice Physician Assistant Program. If you want to become a PA, this is a great but challenging program to be a part of. If you complete all the prerequisites and get selected, you will PCS to Fort Sam Houston, TX. You will take extremely accelerated courses. You will be studying around the clock. After about 16 months, pending your successful completion of all courses, you will begin your phase II at a military hospital. There is a list on the ipap website.

The Army-Baylor PT program is a similar program for physical therapy. It is accelerated and hard to get in to.

AECP is the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program. If you want to become a nurse, this is a great program. You have to have about two years of courses complete, like general education classes, ect...that you can take online along with the prerequisites. The Army gives you two years to complete your nursing degree at a school of your choice. So for two years, you are basically acting like a normal college student attending classes at a regular university. If you want you can even grow your hair and beard out. During the time while you are in school, you will get active duty pay (of the pay grade you had when you applied) to just go to school. You also get stipends and special pays to help you with books, ect..

MSW is through Baylor. A lot like the Army Baylor PT program but for social work. It requires a bachelors beforehand.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2014 9:45 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 09:45:05 -0400

I'm pretty sure step 1 is a bachelors degree or be at 90 credit hours, programs differ.

If you want to be a medical officer contact AMEDD...they have a great number of programs that can help you get your degree if needed as so you can be an officer.

You can also apply for OCS in addition to the programs listed below. I'd recommend talking to your neighborhood friendly retention NCO, they are pretty skilled at knowing what requires what and how to do it start to finish.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2014 9:59 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 09:59:24 -0400

Before applying, make sure you look at all the requirements and what requires waivers so you can apply for those as soon as possible because waivers usually take a while since they must be approved by the Cadet Command General. What is getting a lot of new applicants nowadays is the new tattoo policy. Good luck.