The Ultimate Officer Candidate School Guidebook

What You Need to Know to Succeed at Federal and State OCS

Ryan N. Pierce

• Publisher: Savas Beatie
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781932714913
• eBook ISBN: 9781611210606
• Topic: Study Aids
• Subtopic: Study Guides

A comprehensive guide to the process of applying and earning your commission.
 
Are you a former soldier, sailor, or airman who left the service without making the most of your potential? Are you a leader in the civilian sector who knows you have more to give back to the country you love? If so, you should consider entering the Army, Army Reserves, or Army National Guard, earn your commission as a Second Lieutenant, and begin or restart an exciting career as a leader in the world's best military. The Ultimate Officer Candidate School Guidebook explains everything you need to know to achieve these goals.
 
Earning the right to become a US Army officer is an honor and a privilege, and the deck is stacked against those over twenty-five because of the rigorous, time-consuming training. However, you can attend OCS to earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant if you:
 

• are between eighteen and forty
• have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college
• have or can attain a minimum GT score of 110
• can pass an Army Physical Fitness Test

 
Getting accepted to OCS is not automatic, and your choice of when and where to enter is limited. Federal OCS, held at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the many state traditional and fast-track programs offer potential officer candidates a choice about how and when to earn their commission. In this book, an OCS graduate and former TAC Officer offers nineteen chapters of information to guide potential candidates down the path of earning a commission in the Army. It covers everything from the application process, to stressers from TAC officers while attending OCS, to deciding what branch to choose upon earning your commission. It even includes pages with pre-made terrain model kits to assist you while attending OCS, for those who are serious about leadership and finishing strong. Are you up to the challenge?

Chapter 1

Why do You Want to be an Officer?

“A man who will not protect his freedom does not deserve to be free.”

—General Douglas MacArthur

Here is the first thing you need to ask yourself: “Why am I doing this?” If it’s for higher pay, please put this book down and reconsider your motivation because you will not make it through Officer Candidate School (OCS). While there is no 100% correct response to this question, there are a few 100% wrong answers. Here are a few wrong answers:

•	I like to be in charge.
•	Officers don’t have to work as hard.
•	Officers are less likely to die in combat.
•	I want to be called, “Sir or Ma’am.”
•	I earned a degree and I think I’m pretty smart.

Earning a commission as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) in the United States Army is an honor and a privilege. In this book you will never read “took” or “got” a commission. Why? Because if you successfully complete OCS or any other commissioning source, you will have earned it.

Ways to Earn a Commission in the U.S. Army

United States Military Academy at West Point

West Point is one of the country’s top universities. It is a competitive environment that produces some of the nation’s best leaders. Many graduates of the Academy at West Point become leaders in the military, in government, and in the civilian world. Examples of West Point graduates include General (and President) Dwight D. Eisenhower and astronaut (and command module pilot of Apollo 11) Buzz Aldrin.

Requirements

If you’re up for the challenge, listed below are some of the basic academic requirements for West Point. An applicant must be:

•	At least 17 years old and not have reached your 23rd birthday by July 1 of year admitted
•	A U.S. citizen
•	Single
•	Not pregnant or with any legal obligation to support a child or children
•	Congressionally nominated or have a service-connected nomination
•	A recipient of strong scores on either college entrance exam ACT or SAT
•	Have an above-average high school or college academic record

Advantages

I put West Point in the same group as the Ivy League schools. The education is second to none but upon graduation students are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S Army and sent to their first assignment: Officer Basic Course. The rest of American college graduates are left to fend for themselves in the civilian work force. A vast majority of generals on active duty and the reserve component are graduates of West Point. Non-academy graduates can and do make the rank of general (Colin Powell, for example), but the majority seem to be West Point graduates.

Disadvantages

Some graduates leave the academy with a huge ego (which is not uncommon for most new 2LTs) and rub some NCOs and non-academy graduates the wrong way. My advice is do not be that guy or gal. An invitation to attend West Point should be treated as an honor and a privilege.

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)

ROTC provides college students with the ability to train to become Army officers. In ROTC, the curriculum includes elective leadership and military courses that help them become effective officers once they join the Army. The majority of newly commissioned 2LTs come from ROTC each year.

Requirements

To enroll in Army ROTC you must be:

•	Accepted or enrolled in one of more than 700 participating colleges or universities
•	A U.S. citizen
•	Physically Fit and able to pass an Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) on a “regular” basis
•	Between the ages of 17 and 35

Advantages

The choice is outstanding because a wide selection of colleges offer ROTC. Almost all major colleges and most mid-to-major schools offer an ROTC program. You can sign a four-year contract (freshman to senior) or wait and sign a two-year contract (junior-senior). I recommend waiting until your sophomore or junior year to contract because it allows you time to get the “freshman follies” out of your system before you make a commitment to the Army.

Disadvantages

ROTC can pose very interesting social challenges on a college campus. As a cadet you represent the American soldier to the rest of the students on campus. You could become the target for anti-war rallies or other anti-military protests. Also, ROTC can be considered Army “light.” Your instructors are professional and competent but the environment is nothing like what you would experience as an active duty officer. Advance camp places cadets in an Army field environment, but it only lasts a few weeks before you return to college for your senior year. If you sign a two-year contract, you will attend an additional six-week “basic” camp between your sophomore and junior years. This lack of experience in a regular Army environment can cause problems for some people after you are commissioned.

Officer Candidate School (OCS)

Officer Candidate School (OCS) is another way you can become an officer in the Army. After completing Basic Combat Training you participate in rigorous training for 12 weeks and then attend the Officer Basic Course (also known as Basic Officer Leaders Course II). The reserve component offers a 9-week fast track course and a traditional program offered over two 15-day annual training periods and 12 months of drill weekends.

Requirements

In order to attend Officer Candidate School you must be a U.S. citizen and a college graduate, at least 19 years old, and not have passed your 29th birthday at the time of selection. (Age waivers may be considered up to 41, 364 days upon commissioning.)

Advantages

Most OCS graduates have served time as enlisted soldiers. Depending on how far they rose in the enlisted ranks and how good of a Soldier they are, their credibility can be much higher than an Academy graduate or an ROTC graduate. However, no matter how good of an enlisted soldier they were, upon commissioning, they are just another “butter bar”—slang for a new 2LT wearing his gold rank insignia.

Disadvantages

Breaking the habits of a good NCO can be difficult. Staying in the “Officer Lane” is something a good number of former NCOs who earn a commission struggle with. There is also the potential physical problems of being older than most of your peers. Being in your late 20s is really not an issue, but 35-year-old lieutenants stand out. Most older NCOs can hang tough with their younger counterparts, but it takes them a little longer to recover. However, older officers often offer good leadership qualities like patience and the overall ability to deal with stress.

Direct Commission

Soldiers are eligible for direct-commissioning opportunities as medical professionals, lawyers, or chaplains. Direct commissioning is available in other job areas of the Army such as in the combat support and combat service support branches. Rank upon direct commission depends upon experience and skill level.

Requirements

•	A degreed professional
•	Within age requirements (varies by professional career field)
•	A U.S. citizen
•	Physically fit

Advantages

The service support branch is full of areas where a lot of commissioning training will be lost on a soldier who is going to be a lawyer or a medical doctor. Recruiting soldiers who already have the skills or who are capable of learning these valuable skills make the Army more self-sufficient and stronger. There are also many opportunities for Judge Advocate Generals (JAGs) and medical and chaplain personnel to earn lucrative bonuses because of the current needs of the Army.

Disadvantages

In some cases soldiers earn a direct commission in branches other than service support. All other commissioning sources are steeped in the 8 Troop Leading Procedures and OPORD creation, not to mention land navigation and infantry tactics. Without having this training, an officer will be behind the learning curve in combat. Combat is not the place for a leader to learn how to do his/her job.

OCS Courses

Federal OCS

Active Duty OCS is a 12-week course offered at Fort Benning, Georgia, in three distinct phases. Classes are offered year-round. The Program of Instruction (POI) is based on infantry company operations.

State OCS

Reserve Component OCS and National Guard is a 12- to 15-month (traditional) or 9-week (fast track) Leaders’ Course of Instruction taught in a high-stress environment. This allows the cadre to develop and evaluate the performance of the candidates as it relates to their potential for commissioning as second lieutenants. The POI is based on infantry company operations.

Traditional: Phase I takes 16 days and is part of the candidates’ annual training. After completion at a consolidated training site, candidates return to their home state to complete the 12-month Phase II at the state’s Regional Training Institute (or RTI). Ther...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Please Note
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• Byline
• Chapter 1. Why do You Want to be an Officer?
• Chapter 2. Requirements for Commissioning
• Chapter 3. Packet Preparation
• Chapter 4. TAC Introduction
• Chapter 5. Course work
• Chapter 6. Physical Training
• Chapter 7. Rating Scheme
• Chapter 8. Schedule Breakdown
• Chapter 9. Troop Leading Procedures
• Chapter 10. Orders
• Chapter 11. Success During Squad Training Lanes (STX)
• Chapter 12. Officer Branch Information
• Chapter 13. What to Take, What to Leave Home
• Chapter 14. Top Seven Mistakes You will NOT Make
• Chapter 15. Role of TAC NCO
• Chapter 16. Company Leadership Positions
• Chapter 17. How to…
• Chapter 18. Basic Training vs. Officer Candidate School
• Chapter 19. Composite Risk Management
• Chapter 20. Interviews with OCS Graduates and TAC Staff
• Appendix A. References
• Appendix B. Useful Field Manuals and Army Regulations
• Appendix C. Leadership Evaluation Report
• Appendix D. Recommendation for OCS Example
• Appendix E. Officer Candidate Biography Example
• Appendix F. Reports
• Appendix G. Operational Graphics and Terrain Model Kit
• About the Author