You must be at least how old to start on a path to becoming an officer?
You must be at least 17 years old to start down the path to officerhood in the U.S. military. Not everyone will see their goal through to the end.
If enlisted soldiers are the basic employees of the military, officers are the _____.
Enlisted soldiers do most of the grunt work. Officers, on the other hand, are the managers, making key decisions that make the military operate (hopefully) smoothly.
In colleges, there is a program that trains undergraduate and graduate students in key leadership skills to become officers. What's the name of that program?
The Reserve Officers Training Corps, or ROTC, is a prominent program in American universities. Students learn valuable officer skills in exchange for tuition fees and the souls of their first-born children, but we probably made up that last part.
How long does it take to become an officer through the ROTC program?
If you begin ROTC when you enter a university, once you complete your four-year degree, you will not only graduate … you'll also be an officer. A four-star general, even!
How many different paths can lead to you becoming an officer?
There are four paths toward becoming an officer. Each path offers a very different way to the end goal, but they all require years of sacrifice and dedication.
What does it mean if you're an "active duty" officer?
Active duty officers make the service their full-time job. They may be deployed around the world, wherever duty calls.
True or false, must you have a four-year degree to become an officer?
A four-year college degree is the one truly critical component to becoming an officer. So if you hate school, maybe you should really work on your salute instead.
If you decide to become a full-time officer, what are the chances you'll be deployed to a combat zone?
Deployment is a great unknown for all service personnel. The geopolitical climate can change at any moment, transforming relative peace into full-blown war in a matter of days.
True or false, if you're an officer in the Army Reserve, can you live wherever you want?
In the Active Reserve, you're allowed to pursue your normal professional life, so you can choose your place of residence. That's not true of other all officers, who are subject to the whims of their commanders.
What is the name of the miltary's most famous officer training academy?
The U.S. Military Academy, located at West Point, New York, is often just called "West Point." It's a college that offers four-year degrees along with officer training, and it's very, very tough to be accepted.
How do you get into the highly competitive West Point Academy?
West Point admissions are insanely competitive. Many applicants rely on nominations and letters of recommendation from well-placed politicians.
If you choose the Officer Candidate School, you will become an officer after completing a ______-week course.
The Officer Candidate School is typically a 12-week course. Once complete, you'll be an Army second lieutenant.
What prerequisite is necessary before you become an officer through Officer Candidate School?
You might complete the OCS, but you won't actually be an officer until your four-year degree is complete … and that degree must come from an accredited school.
An officer's _____ typically determines the path that he or she takes through the military.
For officers, education is paramount. Educational background almost always guides the direction that he or she takes through the military.
Military academy admission is ultra-competitive. What's one major benefit of making the cut?
Yes, it's very tough to get admitted to military academies. But once you make it, the government pays for almost all of your schooling, meaning the most important education of your life is free.
What are Army officer salaries like?
Army salaries are generous, and when you consider that the Army pays for most of your living expenses, you come out way ahead, particularly if you're a senior officer.
A DCO is direct commission officer, an officer who is a civilian with advanced professional skills that the military really needs. DCOs are required to take some officer training courses to become full members of the military.
You may be able to pursue a direct commission path if you have experience in which of the following?
Background in certain fields may make you eligible for the direct commission path. But you need skills in high-demand areas, like medicine, technology or law.
True or false, can enlisted personnel transition into officers?
It's not as common as the other paths, but yes, some enlisted personnel do make the transition into officers.
Army ROTC is divided into two parts, the Basic Course and the ____ Course.
The ROTC Basic Course is made up of students in their first two years of college. Certain selected students can then move on the Advanced Course, where they receive uniforms and prepare for the military in earnest.
Officer Candidate School is rarely more than _____.
Most candidates arrive at this school with a bachelor's degree in hand. So this school rarely exceeds one year in duration.
High-ranking enlisted service members can advance to the point that they become NCOs -- Non-Commissioned Officers. They take additional courses to shore up their educational background.
True or false, is Officer Training School mostly just a bunch of class lectures?
Officer Training School runs the gamut of skills and responsibilities required of true officers. That means getting dirty, with a significant amount of field work and physical training.
Enlisted personnel and warrant officers must have at least how many college credits before applying to Officer Candidate School?
If you're coming from the enlisted ranks, you need at least 90 college credits to apply for Officer Candidate School. As we mentioned, education is paramount when it comes to becoming an officer.
In the Air Force, Officer Candidate School is called _____.
In the Army, it's called Officer Candidate School. The Air Force equivalent is called Officer Training School.
Air Force Officer Training School is broken into ____ phases.
There are four phases to the Air Force's Officer Training School. Once you've completed the course, you'll have the skills to lead as a second lieutenant.
Warrant officers are personnel who transition from enlisted to officer thanks to _____.
They are the enlisted personnel who accumulate vast specialty expertise that makes them invaluable to their units. They become warrant officers, renowned for their deep understanding of very technical subjects.
Officer Training School may last up to _____.
OTS varies depending on the location and the service branch. It can last up to 17 weeks.
What's one catch to going through the ROTC program during college?
The ROTC program pays for a lot of your tuition and trains you to become an officer. But once you graduate, you're required to serve for a set time in the military.
What's one major focus in Phase Two of Officer Training School?
In the Officer Training School, Phase Two teaches critical combat skills and leadership concepts, two very important elements in an actual ground fight.
