Why is the OCS process so long?

2021-07-18T14:57:43-04:00

Serious question. I came out of the IRR to submit an OCS packet. Everything was going great, but my vision results didn't post in time *jaded Army sigh*. The submission date was in late June, the board meets in September, results post in October, and OCS would probably be in April 2022.

I haven't seen a new MILPER message yet for the next submission deadline, but at this point it looks like it could be at least a year before I can actually get into OCS. I'm very frustrated. I understand hurry up and wait, but this seems like too much.

I've outgrown my MOS and want to finish my last 8 years out strong. I don't want to be in this unit, doing this job, wasting a year of my career (Do I do nothing? Reclass? Get on the wait list for ALC?), waiting for OCS. I really wish the Direct Commission program was still around (besides the professional corps). Open to any advice, thanks!

Response by 1LT Voyle Smith made Jul 18 at 2021 3:33 PM

2021-07-18T15:33:56-04:00

Wish I could help. My experience back in the late ‘60s was quick & dirty: BCT, AIT, OCS all could be completed in ten months. I was recycled for double pneumonia in BCT and for a badly sprained ankle in OCS (dang Confidence Course run four times one afternoon collapsed my right ankle) so I took longer & wound up being commissioned 371 days after I enlisted. I still was able to get released from active duty when I returned from Nam and spent only two years and ten months in uniform, then returned to my civilian job with Air Force Intelligence and later retired with 30 years total service.

Response by LTC Jeff Shearer made Jul 18 at 2021 4:50 PM

2021-07-18T16:50:14-04:00

some of the best advice my father ever gave me/beat into me with a bat, NEVER QUIT! I would have never made it to OCS, not to mention all of the stuff that happened in OCS. Oh my God, getting into SF then actually completing it etc... etc... etc...

I am sorry it is not something easy like go see SSG Blow he will hook you up. I dont know SGT Blow, but when it gets bad and they have kicked you in the ribs and lost the your most recent eye test and can't schedule you until never. Back up, be professional, take a breath get all your shit together and start working up the food chain. I can't wait to have this conversation with 2LT Glannotto, I will have to say fucking A LT fucking A.

I wish I had something more eloquent, something easy but mean a dirty is kind of what I do best. Fucking hang tough DO NOT FUCKING QUIT.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 18 at 2021 5:11 PM

2021-07-18T17:11:42-04:00

I always tell people that the Commissioning process is a selection process in itself. Information can be hard to find, there's nobody to walk you through the process, and you will inevitably hit roadblocks. I think the Army makes it hard just to see who will quit.

What you do is mission planning, this is exactly why we have OCS and not direct Commissions any more. Identify the goal, backwards plan your time line from there with enough padding for incidents to happen and for you to recover. If your whole plan failed because an Army system didn't post your vision in time then your time line did not have adequate time for you to stumble and recover.

So, backwards plan, identify alternate Courses of Action, identify possible points of failure, create a plan for overcoming them

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 18 at 2021 5:26 PM

2021-07-18T17:26:54-04:00

If you have any interest in getting a (or another) masters, you should look into ROTC, much more straight forward process.

Response by LCDR Joshua Gillespie made Jul 19 at 2021 7:26 AM

2021-07-19T07:26:31-04:00

The most concise career advice I can give any officer candidate is this... be patient. If I had known at 17, 21, and 25... what I knew at 35, and know now; I'd have no doubt retired an admiral (or one heckuva cool captain). Time always seems shorter looking back, so trust me when I say that five, ten, or twenty years from now... that year you may have to sit in the cooler will seem pretty insignificant. Also- you could do worse than remember some sage advice an old colonel once gave me, "the most important job you have is the job you have right now". Best wishes, and good luck!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2021 2:14 PM

2021-07-19T14:14:21-04:00

You are going to get it. You just have to constantly jump through the hoops put in front of you.

For myself:

Direct Commission Application dropped 2013-DEC

Notified for selection to DC pending medical exam 2014-SEP

Given 180 days to complete said medical exam, and jumped through hoops going back and forth for literally 179 days. Finally, someone with sufficient waiver authority wrote a waiver that said "ALL WAIVERS GRANTED" on day 180.

Commissioned date of rank 2015-MAY

**********
Never mind when I deployed in 2014-JAN I had a medical
When I returned 2014-SEP I had a medical
HRC wanted a new medical again in within the next 180 days.

Two others in my unit at the time also went through the same headache. One went MI, one became a Chaplain, and I went Quartermaster. It's USAR wide.

My saving grace was when I returned from deployment during out processing I had my medical clearance packet to get my flight home. I literally didn't turn it in. I kept the original, and provided copies to complete my out processing from deployment.

I just did it. I had a feeling. I didn't know where or when it could come back on me, but I wanted this entire medical thing in my control.

About half way through jumping through the medical exam hoops HRC wanted my exam records from deployment. At this time they were now in storage at Ft Bliss. I reached back to Bliss, and still never got them. So I had the originals I kept in hand at my disposal. I only bothered reaching back to Ft Bliss for the sake of seeing if it would work. It didn't.

If I did NOT keep copies for myself I would have had to literally drive to TX from CA and stand there waiting for someone to dig them up for me. That's what I would have had to do. I would have done it. I was an unemployed reservist with a stack of nonsense documented just itching to push it up to my Congressman.

So to what SFC Boyd pointed out:
"I think the Army makes it hard just to see who will quit."

He is spot on. I don't think it could be more transparent that is the game. I was given 180 days, and continuously given a new hoop one at a time, each time I jump it would take a week to reply back to be given another hoop, and then a week for me to respond, and then a week to get a response back to jump again. This went on for literally 179 days.

Per the reg I had the 180 days, and the game was played the entire time. But I wasn't doing anything else and I was already in the USAR, so it wasn't going anywhere. Now, in my favor, I just stepped off a deployment so half the time I was in my 90 day recovery window and didn't have to go to battle assembly explaining why I'm still a SGT.

So once that 180 came the USAR had the decision to either gain a new officer or lose an NCO. But I went in staking the deck in my favor. I was chasing Quartermaster which had 200 CPT and below vacancies in my state. So, what do you want to do HRC? There is absolutely no way the USAR is filling all of those vacancies, and you have a current GREEN unflagged NCO standing right in front if you who's jumped through all the hoops but is just a little on the old side. We aren't even at the beginning of the selection process. The next signature will be my Oath of Office.

HRC will of course crunch the numbers and make the indifferent decision that checks the boxes and improves the metrics.

It's not over until it's over.

**********
Favorite personal experiences in the USAR chasing my officer goal:

I had a Drill SGT tell me I could only commission if the stars aligned. While at BOLC I attended an award ceremony for my spouse. Several other Army Officers earned a similar award, and their commanding Generals where there as well in support of them.

So............ this 2LT had a photo op with two 1-Stars. One of my left, and one on my right, and little me in the middle. I posted it on FB, and captioned it, HEY DRILL SGT, I have aligned the stars.
Mic Drop.

Second story:
I got a verbal counseling from two newly minted SSG's when I was a newly minted SGT. Basically I think they wanted to remind me I was not one of them, because I was promoted to SGT the previous month and carried the same rank for that time.

Anyway, I said something in my defense that I was just trying to stay a few chess moves ahead of the game. One SSG laid into me saying the Army is a game of Checkers, and not Chess. Just do what you are told and nothing more. They are both still NCO's. One put in a WO packet and was rejected.

CHECKMATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I ever get a BN command in my future my personal challenge coin will be a set of Checkers in Stalemate on one side, and a King in Checkmate on the other. Haven't gotten around to figuring out what it would say through. That's 8-10 years off.

************
BUT YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The GAME IS ABSOLUTELY CHESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1) Before I new what I might use if for I secured my out processing medical records.
2) I picked an MOS/AOC/Branch that was the grossly undermanned.
3) I kept all my readiness stats green and updated. If an opportunity ever comes up, its going to require you are green across the board, and there isn't going to be enough time on the MILPER to fix yourself before you can apply.

Response by 1LT Rich Voss made Jul 26 at 2021 1:08 AM

2021-07-26T01:08:31-04:00

SGT - I emphasize with you. Totally different situation for me. And I've read the other responses, so it seems somewhat different for the other officers too. Other than my Dad was a "hard-ass" that didn't expect me to give up on anything. I got drafted in Oct '66 and graduated Armor OCS in Aug '67. 19 years old, no college, just big, strong and stubborn (with some smarts mixed in). I've read many stories and articles on this page about other enlisted persons (often SGTs) with similar dilemmas. I'll echo the advice I continue to hear: "Don't give up if you really want to be an Officer, AND have a real need to serve as a good one". How I became one was clearly "providential" and during a time of great need for the Army. OCS at that time was also absolute Hell. The TAC officers were given pretty much free rein over what they could do to break us, or make us quit. Absolutely none the 5 SGTs that started with my class graduated. Total loss of company one full third. Does this happen these days ? Have no idea. I'll close with this...best thing I ever did in my life !