Should I try for OCS or Enlist?

2019-12-17T13:38:16-05:00

Hello. I'm wanting to join the military, but I'm having trouble decidiing if I should enlist or try to get into OCS.

My Background: I'm 26 years old, turning 27 in May. I graduated in 2015 with a 3.96 GPA. I have a BA in Languages (specifically German) and spent a year in Germany as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant. I decided I didn't enjoy teaching and have been pursuing an education in EMS/Medicine (working on a paramedic license). However, I'm currently doubting if it's what I want to do for the rest of my life.

I've taken the ASVAB and scored a 98 with a GT of 138.

I would like to serve for a number of reasons. There are numerous benefits that the military offers, as well as awesome experiences/learning opportunities. Great people to meet and connect with and important responsibilities in protecting our country. With my background, I'm pretty set on either medical or Intelligence. I've been looking at 35 series as well as the IPAP program.

I feel I'd really like the hands on side of being enlisted. However the downside, at least what others have told me, is there would be a big age gap between me and other soliders as well as a significant restriction in freedoms/ being "babied" that I would have to readjust to.
As for OCS, I like the idea of increased responsibilities, freedom, pay, and the leadership opportunities. However, I'm hesitant because I don't know if I am ready/truly wanting to have more managerial-work. I also don't even know if I'd want to make a career out of military service. From what I understand being an Officer is more inline with long-term service.

There's also the time factor. I'm 26, soon to be 27. I can wait another 6+ months to maybe get into OCS. But if I'm denied, that was time I could've been enlisted. And my age means that by the time my contract would be up I'd be 31+. Which I believe is too old to go to OCS at that point.

I'm not sure what to do and advice and input would be appreciated. What do you guys think?

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Dec 17 at 2019 2:45 PM

2019-12-17T14:45:03-05:00

Look Ben- you have to be an enlisted soldier and apply for OCS, it is not an enlistment option! But you can apply or be selected/suggested for OCS while still in training.

Response by SGT Eric Davis made Dec 17 at 2019 3:12 PM

2019-12-17T15:12:10-05:00

I will say this first get into the military first then weigh your options

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Dec 17 at 2019 3:56 PM

2019-12-17T15:56:48-05:00

I can tell you my experience. I joined in 1982 when I was 27, enlisted in the Infantry. I was unemployed and single, just seemed the right time for me to try something that had always been in the back of my mind, to serve in the military. Yes, Basic is a pain in the ass, or One Station Unit Training in my case, but they tend to put the older guys into leadership positions on the theory they aren't complete dumbasses. It's a mind game and while I wasn't in great shape when I went in, I just put my head down and kept going. I went back to my unit for a couple of years, then went to OCS and commissioned in 1985. If you interested in seeing both sides, enlist and do some squad time, then apply for OCS. You don't have to wait until your contract is up. IMO, gives you a better perspective on being a soldier.
BTW, you have until you are 34 to accept a commission. You can go to OCS without a waiver if you start before your 33rd birthday, so you have some time if you wanted to do a longer enlisted period. The downside to waiting longer is that all your peers will be 7 or 8 years your junior.

Response by LCDR Joshua Gillespie made Dec 17 at 2019 4:22 PM

2019-12-17T16:22:54-05:00

Ben-Thank you for your interest in serving, and in giving us some important personal information towards making any suggestions. Here's my humble take:

First, at your age, and with your current accomplishments... this is a BIG step you're considering (I'm sure you realize that). An investment in time is going to accompany any decision to serve; it "flies by" when you join at seventeen... I'm sure it's a bit more of a haul when you're entering at nearly thirty. Think about where, what, and who you want to be at 40... and factor all of that into your choices. As with everything in the Military, a lot depends on what you put into it, as to whether or not what you get out of it is worthwhile. If you want to be in a "combat arms" MOS, you're going to have to adapt to playing at a slightly younger man's game (at first)... but you may find that your added years helps in other "unexpected" ways. If you go for one of the supporting branches, you may find that it "suits" you... or find that you always feel you've put a great deal into something, without ever really "finding" what you were looking for. There will be difficult challenges whichever way you go, but ultimately... I'd suggest you go into it with a VERY clear idea of what you're there to do. Realize that for some careers in the Military, you may pay a very steep price in terms of physical punishment relative to personal reward.

As to going enlisted vs. commissioned...you'll get treated "like a kid" either way. Like any organization, it takes time to "earn your place in line", and everyone starts at the beginning-some just have a different trail to follow. Officers' careers differ greatly according to their role. A first lieutenant in the Infantry has a very different life from a lieutenant junior grade aviator in the Navy...and both are VERY different from a captain working as a medial officer. Know your rate...know your fate. Enlisted personnel are the folks who actually do things. With each year of added experience, they draw closer to higher levels of responsibility and leadership...make no mistake; although a thirty year old Company Commander may be "the Boss", the First Sergeant runs the company. Grade for grade, officers earn more... they also have "unique" expectations that sometimes seem worth more than that. I earn approximately what I would were I still in the Navy...but believe me when I say that I have far less responsibility and accountability now than I did as a very junior officer making nearly less than half of that.

Ultimately, I think "most" of us joined before we really understood the answers to any of the questions you're already asking yourself. I joined because at seventeen, I wanted to fulfill an idealistic dream I'd had since grade school. It took me four years at Annapolis, and four years before that, building the "application" to attend just to get started... I got about six more years out of it before fate took me another direction. Would I do it all over again? Absolutely not! I'd have made many different decisions, based on what I've learned through experience... but I'm rather glad I don't have the option :)

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Dec 17 at 2019 4:29 PM

2019-12-17T16:29:56-05:00

Plenty of officers do 3-4 and done.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 17 at 2019 4:59 PM

2019-12-17T16:59:47-05:00

Can you withstand the rigors of leadership? If so, you'll get the opportunity regardless of the path. Sooner as an Officer, but no less important as Enlisted. Personal choice. GPA and $3 will buy you a cup of coffee, because you'll be just one more fish in a big ocean if you join. Good luck.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 17 at 2019 5:13 PM

2019-12-17T17:13:00-05:00

I will tell you that unless you are enlisted first and then apply to OCS you won’t be able to branch Medical Services. MEDDAC controls who branches Medical Services and right now they are only selecting enlisted Soldiers to put into that branch. That being said, Medical Services is not a “medical” career, it’s the administrative side of medicine, not hands on. In order to actually do something medical on the officer side, you have to have a professional degree (BSN, MD, DO, etc...) and you attend a different OCS than other officers.

On the Intelligence side, at OCS, Military Intelligence is very competitive and you generally have to be in the top 5-10% of your class to get branched Military Intelligence. Again, like Medical Services, Military Intelligence on the Officer side is less hands on intel collection and more compiling, analyzing and presenting that information. Being enlisted in the intel field can help in terms of competing for a Military Intelligence branch slot, however you will only have 4-5 years of experience and some of your peers at OCS May have 6-10 years of intel experience at higher ranks (E6-E6P) that might weigh more in their favor.

I won’t make a recommendation either way, I just wanted to provide some insight from someone who is very familiar with OCS.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 18 at 2019 11:10 AM

2019-12-18T11:10:16-05:00

I wouldn't rule out ROTC, get a masters

Response by CPT Chad Judkins made Dec 18 at 2019 7:50 PM

2019-12-18T19:50:14-05:00

Hi Ben,

There is the 09S enlistment “college option,” which is what I did, if you want to go active duty duty and to OCS. You can do it with your background, as long as slots are available when you want to go and you pass the interviews, selections, and medical, etc.

They’d send you to Basic first as an E-4, followed immediately by OCS. Usually, they schedule it like that and you’ll be in Delayed Entry until the dates line up. I graduated BCT on a Thursday and reported to OCS (both at Ft Benning for me) on Sunday.

Your plans for a branch though...to be honest, and for reasons already mentioned, I wouldn’t lay bets on them. Be open to anything. Med Services doesn’t branch out of OCS usually and Intel is rare. Each OCS class gets an assignment of slots and you choose by class rank in Week 6. There’s no telling what will be available. My class had three—all went to prior service intel guys via 4187 branch requests, which you can turn in during Week 3 or 4. They weren’t even up for grabs.

There were also a few infantry and armor split with intel positions (meaning you’d switch to intel after making Captain), and those went to spots 1-3 in the class.

If you go to OCS, be in good shape too. 6-7 min mile for 5 miles (I hear it was reduced to a max 3mi run after I went through, but it’ll probably change again) and maxing your PT test as much as possible. Class rank is a combination of physical and academic class scores.

There are also tests for water survival, timed runs, evaluations of your leadership in field and garrison exercises as you rotate through positions, weekly peer reviews, and more.

You have to be a team player. It’s possible to get “peered out” and kicked from your class (recycled usually to try again with a new class) if for some reason people just hate you.

Expect Basic to leave you in worse shape than you were going in, or at least with less muscle mass. If you do go to basic, eat everything you can get when you go to the DFAC, the higher the calorie count the better. I lost 10lbs of upper body muscle in Basic just before OCS and there were guys with me that lost 30-40.

I’ll tell you more about either if you like. I ended up getting engaged and getting out after my initial obligation was up, because I couldn’t make my wife to be move every 2-3 years.

I loved a lot of it, but I also think it was a single man’s game. Make sure you know what you’re getting into.

The Army will be your life and first obligation.

Response by LTC Frank Tierney made Dec 19 at 2019 3:38 PM

2019-12-19T15:38:22-05:00

I went the enlisted route first as a combat engineer for about four years and the went to OCS. Gained very valuable insight and experience as an enlisted soldier and NCO. For me worked out great and and made me a better leader.

Response by CPT Timothy Stewart made Dec 23 at 2019 12:51 PM

2019-12-23T12:51:20-05:00

Short answer - Go to OCS. I was enlisted for 10 went to OCS and completed my career as on infantry officer. I highly recommend pursuing a career in the officer corps.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 24 at 2019 12:21 PM

2019-12-24T12:21:18-05:00

Hi Ben,

Hopefully I can give a little insight, as I recently went through the officer candidate selection process. I was in the same position as you, questioning if the officer or enlisted route was best for me. I was recommended by the local board I went to in September and moved on to the the board at the Federal level in October. Only 20 out of 90 of us were selected at the Federal level and unfortunately I was not one of them. I had a competitive resume, high ASVAB scores, and great letters of recommendations, but my GPA from college was average compared to other candidates. I was disappointed of course, but knew I would still choose to enlist. I went back to my recruiter to weigh my options and believe I now have a contract that will set me up for success. I enlisted as a 14G: Air defense systems operator with an Airborne contract to complete Airborne school after I finish AIT. Not only did I choose my MOS because I was interested in it but it is also a direct feeder to becoming a warrant officer.

It really comes down to what YOU want to do. I know you are interested in intelligence, but are you aware that if you are selected as an officer candidate you will NOT have an option to select your branch? That is decided through an OML that is created at OCS. You also don't have the option of choosing schools, such as Airborne, in your contract as an 09S, if that is something you would be interested in. But as an Officer you obviously will gain great leadership skills/opportunities, more pay, etc.

If you decide to go enlisted, dropping your officer packet is still not out of the question. I personally think if you went enlisted first, you would become an even stronger officer compared to joining as an officer. I know my fate was chosen for me to start my career on the enlisted side, but I couldn't be any happier with the path and opportunities that are laid out before me.

Best of luck to you on your endeavors! I think you will be happy with either route and hopefully my blabbering included some useful information!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 29 at 2019 7:50 PM

2019-12-29T19:50:43-05:00

Honestly, if you have an inkling of what you want out of life, and even more so your profession, go OCS. Simply put, as a commissioned officer, you’ll have WAY WAY more control of your future. And if you’re not sure about whether or not you want to make a career out of it, don’t worry, you’d be surprised how many people get out after only doing 4 years active (kinda sad though too, seeing a lot of good CPTs getting out when they’d be such an asset if they’d stay in, but that’s another subject altogether).

Not to say anything bad about being enlisted (been there done that), but from your post, I imagine you’d do a bit better with some responsibility and being treated somewhat like an adult right out the gate.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2020 9:19 PM

2020-01-05T21:19:02-05:00

I'd suggest enlist first, then go green to gold. I may only be a lowly pfc m, but the best leaders I've met in the military enlisted first. It may help you understand and lead your soldiers better. But either way you decide to go, always keep in mind of your soldiers ideas, opinions, and well being.