Where can I go for help with pursuing OCS and a career field in CBRNE response and/or Biological Research?

So there’s no branch in the Army that can get you to that career field with just a Bachelors. A BS in Molecular Biology would be helpful in the Chemical branch, however the Chemical branch isn’t geared towards the practical application of Chemistry; it’s much more dealing with CBRN threats and response, but unless you get assigned to a Chemical unit, you honestly won’t be using your skill set much. Most CBRN officers are assigned to an Infantry Battalion or Infantry Brigade where they are severely under-utilized.

Now for something like working at Fort Detrick with either USAMRMC or USAMRIID requires either a Masters, but usually a MD or PhD. The officers that work in those branches are under the command of US Army Medical Command and they either Direct Commission Officers, or take prior service Candidates and branch them. However, a Direct Commission through MEDCOM is only for candidates that have either an RN, MD, DO or PhD. For prior service, unless they already have one of those degrees, they are spited to the Medical Services Corps, which is the administrative side of medicine.

Now, you can apply to the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences after you get your BS. USU is essentially like West Point, but for graduate or medical school. You commission as a 2LT once accepted and complete schooling. Once you graduate and complete internship and residency, you incur a 7 year ADSO (Active Duty Service Obligation). USU is very competitive though. Each class for Medical School is approximately 170 students and the class size for their Graduate program (molecular biology, cellular biology, emerging and infectious disease, etc.) are about the same size, approximately 170-200.

Bottom line, any recruiter can get you to OCS, however, that might not get you where you want to go. If you message me privately, I have a couple of my former Officer Candidates who are now CBRN officers, they’ll probably be willing to talk to you and give you more info. For anything else, send me a private message and we can talk more in depth. I have some additional contacts that might be able to help.

The branch you get assigned is a crap shoot. I have BS in Chemistry and Physics, MS in Chemical Engineering. I spent 2 years doing Chemical Warfare research on Army contracts prior to commissioning. I was even on the team that developed and tested the FOX M93. And I got branched MP. If CBRN response and/or Biological research is your passion, quite frankly, the Army is not your best bet.