Seeking for advice on 72D Direct Commissions?

2019-07-13T11:49:05-04:00

I’m in the middle of the process to prepare for the Direct Commissions Board at October. My recruiter from AMEDD told me that her mission is Reserve Component. I am AGR/Active Duty paycheck and my big concern is that I will have to quite to the full time job to go back to TPU status and technically become unemployed with family expenses. I would like to know if is any help around here about this situation. I really don’t want to be unemploy but I work so hard for that Direct Commissions that I don’t know what to do.

Response by CW5 Jack Cardwell made Jul 13 at 2019 11:54 AM

2019-07-13T11:54:25-04:00

If you are AGR and you accept a commission you will lose your AGR position. They are MOS and rank based depending on the requirements of the unit.

Response by SSG Marcus Payton made Jul 13 at 2019 11:55 AM

2019-07-13T11:55:38-04:00

Maybe that’s the only vacant position for 72d. When I first started speaking to AMEDD recruiters (and before I had my eyes set on 72d), the only positions open were 70b in the reserves. Then again I’m no expert and could be completely wrong.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 13 at 2019 12:20 PM

2019-07-13T12:20:02-04:00

At this point, you are being recruited as a TPU / Non AGR 72D. You should speak to your recruiter and see if there are any AD 72D positions available. The challenge is that you will have to relocate at the needs of the Army and will not be able to keep your AGR status.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Jul 13 at 2019 12:39 PM

2019-07-13T12:39:29-04:00

I think I'd seen you'd sent something in on another thread, about someone else wanting something similar, though that one was for engineering, I'd gathered; I believe you'd said you'd wanted environ sci, through AMEDD. Here's the thing: I realize you want Army, I get that, truly, I do, however, the problem, at least to me, is that you're needlessly limiting yourself, by not looking at everything possible for you to consider, plus, you're not being nearly specific enough in your level of detail for all of us to be able to help you adequately, which, as I've observed on the site and app here many times, is quite typical for those with career/educ questions. To really do this right, we need a whole lot more; specifically, actual course titles, both STEM and non-STEM you've taken, grades, GPAs, assocs, bach, grad school stuff, if any, explicit research interests, why environ sci, what piqued your interest in it, have you done any externships/internships in it, have you thought about doing a masters, incl. using an ROTC or other similar program to pay for it, have you actually worked per se in any aspect of it for pay or to do purely volunteer stuff, etc., OK? Now, having said that, I'd sent in on that other thread a whole slew of stuff just as applicable in many instances for you, as for the one who'd sent in that other thread, so go back, and look at all the stuff I'd sent into that one, just for sake of speed, if nothing else, so I don't need to duplicate it all here, just look it up under all your past discussions, and you should see that other thread. I can obv perceive why you want direct commission, I don't exactly know how Army does it now, however, all such programs, typically involve an indoc OIS program, basically a shorter version of an OCS, I know such things exist, I had a friend who did the Navy one who'd taught at their nuclear power school (NPS), he always wore his yellow Navy OIS tee shirt, back when he and I were in the same physics masters program back when dinosaurs strode the Earth. Then, too, you've said nothing, zero, about looking at Navy and USAF, as well as USPHS, esp the USPHS Jr and Sr COSTEP, their analogues to ROTCs and USMC platoon leader course (PLC), which I'd also sent in on that other thread, as I'd already mentioned, it'd help to know if you'd seen all the stuff I'd sent in on that one, or, if not, when you'd have time, if you have, and, what you think of all of it, at least insofar as the parts that would pertain more directly to what you'd wanna be doing. Also, contrary to whatever you're being told, if you haven't given thought to at least a masters, if not a Ph.D., you're most def gonna have to, I can assure you, I had that quite literally pounded into my skull from the very first day I went on active...now, having said all that, the fact you're prior enlisted will obv help you adjust, as it would most def have helped me, I wasn't prior enlisted, and, most def, that would've made all the difference in the world, as I also learned to my chagrin, more than once, I can assure you, as well. You can get as technical as you want with me, I've seen it all, taken it all, passed it all, read it all, for the most part, in just about any and/or all science area you can name, or, if I missed stuff, though I quite honestly did just about all there was to do, I can quite easily get up to speed quite rapidly to be able to chat with you about pretty much anything that'd interest you, or that you've done, or would be expected to do, pretty much without question, that's not vanity, honest, that's fact, I trained and worked 11 yrs as an elec engr (EE), before my total perm disability, I trained in physics and math, was quite close to my doctorate in math, though my disability constantly got in the way, despite my best efforts, I've also done a full clinical allied health doctoral program, and trained in 10 teaching hospitals, incl VAs, in three different states, treating some 10000 patients, and assisting with some 200-300 surgeries on an extremely wide range of topics, while doing my externships, as well as during seven yrs of residency, of which I was able to finish six yrs before getting too ill to finish the seventh. I hold dual inactive licenses in both that doctoral allied health field, as well as a profsnl engr (PE), and am quite well acquainted with, as I said, just about every single major sci area there is, I assure you...so, I wanna know specifics about integral and differential calc, differential eqns, vector calc, linear/matrix algebra, complex variables, other math you've done, numerical methods for sci programming, how much comp sci (CS) you've done as well as IT, and, most esp, all the bio and chem you've done...I need to know if you've done any ecology, biophysics, biomathematics, inorganic as well as organic chem with labs, what you got on all of that in actual grades, if possible, analytic chem, spectroscopy, physical chem, modern physics, not just classical physics, quantum mechanics (QM), statistical mechanics, virtually everything you've taken, or might be inclined to take, I'll look at how Army, Navy, USAF, and USPHS do enrivon sci, I'd also most definitely look at the Ph.D. programs in basic med sci (BMS) at USUHS, the svc clinical school at Bethesda Naval Med Ctr in MD, as well as both USAF AFIT, and also Naval Postgrad School (NPS), you'll be able to submit to those if you go commissioned or warrant, senior enlisted have also been able to go to AFIT, I'd seen videos about one Army senior NCO who'd been allowed to do his Ph.D., there, I think there might've been others, though you'd likely have to do a cpl of tours before you'd be allowed to go to any of those svc programs, however, the Ph.D. programs at USUHS do take civilians, that I know for certain, I just figured I'd mention that, I'd been quite interested in those at one point for myself...I know I gave you a good deal here, prob more than you might've expected, I tend to do that, my wife tells me I tend to rather deluge and overwhelm, as do many others on here, however, your question does interest me, I'd just need, as I'd said, to hear much, much more, before I could coherently give you advice, and/or discuss various possibilities with you, so far as you might care to, if you wanna chat more, just lemme know, no rush, whenever you want, OK?

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Jul 13 at 2019 4:21 PM

2019-07-13T16:21:53-04:00

You need to find a job while you wait and don't feel bad if you work it for one week, three months, or whatever. When I graduated nursing school, I waited three months for OBC and worked a job for three months. They were not happy but I too had bills to pay. Regarding a direct commission, AMEDD is going through lots of changes with DHA, weekly. A lot of cutbacks and while I am not in recruiting and have no idea what our needs are, I will say direct commissions are often times where cuts are when cuts are needed and when personnel are needed, the lush assignments go to direct commissions and hammer the ROTC grads. It is all about what is needed where and when. I recommend you also look at other branches and how they do your speciality. If I was single and a company grade officer, I would switch to the Navy in a heartbeat because I like what I see there better and it is worth a look for many.