Posted on Jul 7, 2018
Would I be setting myself up for a huge delay on reaching OCS or RASP by selecting 15R to acquire schooling and alternate career experience?
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I'm 26, enlisting in August of this year, and still having problems with MOS selection. I'm looking into career with my eventual goal being Infantry Officer in the 75th, however I'd like to pick an initial MOS that will allow me to get some schooling under my belt for civilian life afterwards in case my career unfortunately gets cut short (because I realize sh*t happens sometimes). I scored a 123 on my GT with my lowest being 121 CL and highest being 128 MM. I'm currently looking into 15R (AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer) since I already have a strong mechanical inclination and am very interested in the field. My next step would be the "Green-to-Gold" program to drop a packet for OCS, after which (my recruiter has told me) I'd be able to make a bid for RASP and the 75th. My question is, would I be setting myself up for failure or a huge delay on reaching OCS or RASP by selecting 15R just to acquire schooling and alternate career experience? I know I could opt 40, but then if something unfortunate happens, I'd be back out in civilian life exactly where I started. Thanks in advance for any help, all I have to go on is what my recruiters have told me and people always tell me not to believe everything I'm promised in a recruiting office.
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Army)
Enlisted-to-Officer
15R: AH-64 Attack Helicopter Repairer
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
If you want to be an infantry officer then you should go infantry. Getting schools like Ranger, Airborne, Pathfinder, or jump master will help you to be a better infantry officer. I have seen soldiers with great ambitions fail with their initial infantry assignments and never recover. It's sexy to be in the 75th but you need to work on the basics. Before you go to the majors you need to show you are ready. You could be a 15R but that won't help you work towards going to 75th.
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CPT (Join to see)
If you wanted play in the NBA being a waterboy wouldn't really help. You will see the game but that's about it.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
Amen, brother. SFC Boyd as convinced me that the right path for an 11B is to sign up with an Airborne Contract, then volunteer for RASP at Airborne School. If you wash out the first try, you are still Airborne and can go to your unit where you can start competing for Ranger School.
There are a number of very good Infantry Units that aren't as sexy as the 75th, but still high speed and low drag. Your 82nd is one, as is 101st, 10th and 25th.
Just a comment from someone that is decent military historian. SOCOM seems to have fallen into the same rut that the Regular Military was in that instigated their formation. They suck at utilizing regular military forces that are on the ground and have both the experience and capability to be a real force multiplier. But if you are a carpenter, every problem is a nail and every answer is a hammer.
There are a number of very good Infantry Units that aren't as sexy as the 75th, but still high speed and low drag. Your 82nd is one, as is 101st, 10th and 25th.
Just a comment from someone that is decent military historian. SOCOM seems to have fallen into the same rut that the Regular Military was in that instigated their formation. They suck at utilizing regular military forces that are on the ground and have both the experience and capability to be a real force multiplier. But if you are a carpenter, every problem is a nail and every answer is a hammer.
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Every tree has many limbs. I worked two jobs and went to night school for six years to complete the educational goals I set for me. Too many see their goals, including educational requirements, in a narrow linear fashion. I'll do A, then B, then C - one after the other, without realizing that classes in virtually every discipline out there are available in night school - and I'm talking one night a week for four hours, with the military paying for most of them. I went to (3-year) Aviation Officer Course every Tuesday evening, simultaneously with Bachelor Degree program every Thursday night for four hours (1.5 years). Soon as that was done, I went to Command and General Staff Course (3-years) - one night a week. The two 3-year courses each had a two week residency requirement that I used my personal work vacation to attend. Yes, it wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done but it was the ONLY way for me and my personal circumstances. Anyone can do the same, scheduling night courses to fit any schedule. Required military and civilian educational course work is a promotional discriminator... don't be caught short.
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First, you don't get kicked out of the Army when you fail your option 40. You have a much better chance of getting selected down the road as an officer if you have experience with what to expect in Ranger Regiment.
Realistically, you have a 95% chance of not getting in.
In addition, if you do commission, you are not guaranteed your branch. There's an OML for branch and Infantry is one of the top requested choices. If you do get Infantry, you'll have to perform well as an LT and compete against your peers with even
less chance you'll pass the selection criteria to even be selected to attend RASP as an officer.
Basically, have a backup plan. If you want to work in the Regiment as an officer, you'll have a better understanding of what you need if you start out as a private there.
Realistically, you have a 95% chance of not getting in.
In addition, if you do commission, you are not guaranteed your branch. There's an OML for branch and Infantry is one of the top requested choices. If you do get Infantry, you'll have to perform well as an LT and compete against your peers with even
less chance you'll pass the selection criteria to even be selected to attend RASP as an officer.
Basically, have a backup plan. If you want to work in the Regiment as an officer, you'll have a better understanding of what you need if you start out as a private there.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
I'm just curious about one thing. When did Infantry become the number one choice for Branch? It was either very short handed in the 80's or it wasn't as popular. When I was asked where I wanted to land on Commissioning, I told them I wanted to stay Infantry and there was no further discussion about it.
Same with Engineer Officers when I moved to Kentucky, the Ky Army National Guard solicited me to change branches since they were short on Company Grade Engineer Officers. That doesn't seem to be true any more either from some of the comments on here.
Same with Engineer Officers when I moved to Kentucky, the Ky Army National Guard solicited me to change branches since they were short on Company Grade Engineer Officers. That doesn't seem to be true any more either from some of the comments on here.
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SFC (Join to see)
CPT Lawrence Cable I don't know about the RC side, from what I understand that varies state to state. But AC side, all the OCS grads I've talked to said that Infantry and MI were the two top choices consistently over the years
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CPT Lawrence Cable
SFC (Join to see) - I know that in my IOBC class, all the OCS grads, either Army National Guard or Active Army, were enlisted grunts that seemed to be an almost automatic rollover at the time. However, about 90% of the class was ROTC and a number of them indicated that Infantry wasn't their top choice at the time. We always joked that the Army tested to find out what you where good at, then assigned you somewhere else.
At least I volunteered for it twice. Second time I couldn't make the excuse I didn't know what was coming. But still, if I did it again, I volunteer Infantry again.
At least I volunteered for it twice. Second time I couldn't make the excuse I didn't know what was coming. But still, if I did it again, I volunteer Infantry again.
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