View Full Version : Jake Changes His Mind
Can anyone help me? My Name is Jake I am currently in my 5th week of basic and have an 18x mos I really have a strong desire to be an 18A I have a colege degree and I am eligble for OCS but I have no Idea how to go about it! I was refered here by two members of my platoon (I am a Platoon Guide and have alwayus lead teams through out High School College and Beyond) avid users Walla and Mike Mc Donough (spelling on that last name is incorrect) I am unsure as to whether I continue on my path and after being selected apply for OCS (though I have heard that it is a dificult process and my CO my not let me go to OCS and I will have to pick an NCO position (or at least for the first year or two)I have also been told that if I get granted permission to go to OCS I will have to go through selections again as an officer?) Or my other option is to drop my carrer path (18X) and go OCS and then apply for SF which is also risky as I might not get granted permission again... Any information any of you could provide would be greatly appreciated! This is very important to me as it is the rest of my life I am talking about! If you could please mail the information to me as I do not know when our short short next pass my be (please I will reimburse you for postage if you wish)! Thank you in advance!
Jake
SPC W
I've been out a long time. My plan was to get SF qualified, do Vietnam and then go to OCS. I got 2/3s through my plan when it fell apart. As a medically retired SP5 (I'll kick anyone's ass who laughs), I have good pin money. As a medicallly retired CPT, I would be on the golf course everyday. Today, the window is so small for an officer to get in, basically you have the last year of your 1LT and early as a CPT. Help me on this if I'm wrong. I saw lots, well a few 2LTs at Bragg and in the RVN, who were SF. There were a bunch of candy bars, who were in SF officers course, or REMFs. My two cents worth; get your tab, do a tour and then check out OCS.
The Reaper
09-04-2004, 17:15
Can anyone help me? My Name is Jake I am currently in my 5th week of basic and have an 18x mos I really have a strong desire to be an 18A I have a colege degree and I am eligble for OCS but I have no Idea how to go about it! I was refered here by two members of my platoon (I am a Platoon Guide and have alwayus lead teams through out High School College and Beyond) avid users Walla and Mike Mc Donough (spelling on that last name is incorrect) I am unsure as to whether I continue on my path and after being selected apply for OCS (though I have heard that it is a dificult process and my CO my not let me go to OCS and I will have to pick an NCO position (or at least for the first year or two)I have also been told that if I get granted permission to go to OCS I will have to go through selections again as an officer?) Or my other option is to drop my carrer path (18X) and go OCS and then apply for SF which is also risky as I might not get granted permission again... Any information any of you could provide would be greatly appreciated! This is very important to me as it is the rest of my life I am talking about! If you could please mail the information to me as I do not know when our short short next pass my be (please I will reimburse you for postage if you wish)! Thank you in advance!
Jake
Jake:
Not to be rude, but it is a little late to be changing your mind after you signed the contract.
Do you have a Bachelor's Degree? Do you meet the other quals to be an officer?
If you go OCS, you will have to do 2-3 years as an officer in another basic branch before you can come back to try out for SFAS and the 18A SFQC.
If you fail that, you return to your branch for utilization.
For PERSEC reasons, I took your name and address down.
TR
NousDefionsDoc
09-04-2004, 18:32
Admin Note
I split this off the 18A thread. Jake's cry for assistance was not relevant to the original concept of the thread.
Jake is my Platoon guide here at Benning. I saw his post and will try to clarify what he is trying to find out.
He would like to become an 18A. He wants to be an officer in SF. I believe he is trying to find out what the best possible path would be in order to reach this goal. One option being go through the 18X pipeline and apply for OCS(which he is qualified for) and the other being try to change his contract to OCS.
Hes a stand up guy and a good leader. He is looking for career advise from BTDT's. He would be able to get OCS i'm sure because hes in tight with the our First Sergeant.
Thanks for your help
Aaron
The Reaper
09-05-2004, 12:40
Jake is my Platoon guide here at Benning. I saw his post and will try to clarify what he is trying to find out.
He would like to become an 18A. He wants to be an officer in SF. I believe he is trying to find out what the best possible path would be in order to reach this goal. One option being go through the 18X pipeline and apply for OCS(which he is qualified for) and the other being try to change his contract to OCS.
Hes a stand up guy and a good leader. He is looking for career advise from BTDT's. He would be able to get OCS i'm sure because hes in tight with the our First Sergeant.
Thanks for your help
Aaron
Aaron:
Did you read my post?
Whatever path he chooses, he has to meet the requirements for an officer AND he will have to serve 2-3 years in a Basic Branch, regardless of how tight he is with the Basic/AIT/OSUT 1SG.
He will be rolling the dice on being SF, and could wind up serving out his obligation as a Finance Officer.
Needs of the Army.
TR
magician
09-05-2004, 15:10
if I could do it all over again, I would spend more time enlisted, getting as much team time and time down-range as possible, and getting as much training and as many MOS's as possible, and then seek a warrant.
a commissioned officer gets much less time on an ODA than a warrant, and warrant officers make decent dollars. Some WOs get to command ODAs.
or....if you go to the dark side, there are far more sergeants there than there are officers.
Jake needs to look into his heart, and ask himself what he really wants to do. If he wants to be on an ODA, and live a life of adventure, he needs to stay enlisted for the time being, get tabbed, and get himself onto an ODA. That in itself is not a trivial matter. It takes a lot of time, and only the wholly committed have a real shot at surviving the pipeline as it currently exists. Back in my day....many more marginal characters survived the course. I get the impression that it is much more selective these days.
Once he has some time on an ODA under his belt.....many options open up.
if he bolos along the way, and ends up reclassed per the needs of the Army, he can always apply for OCS then. He can apply for OCS anytime. Even after he spends some time in SF, assuming that he makes it. He should not glibly discard the opportunity that he has to make it to SF off the street. Those contracts do not exactly grow on trees.
If he goes to OCS....there is no telling which branch that he may end up in. He could end up a Medical Service Corp officer....or ADA......or yup, even Finance.
a good friend of mine, a real stud, who really wanted Infantry.....he was involuntarily branched Quartermaster. He did well, all things considered.....went to the 160th....and ran their FARPs, went to the Mog....but he ultimately left AD. He just was not happy.
a cautionary tale.
Roguish Lawyer
09-06-2004, 09:07
Pardon a little hijack, but I am wireless today.
TR:
Love the new avatar!
The Reaper
09-06-2004, 09:15
Pardon a little hijack, but I am wireless today.
TR:
Love the new avatar!
I thought you didn't care for the movie.
TR
Roguish Lawyer
09-06-2004, 11:19
I thought you didn't care for the movie.
TR
Incorrect. And I am a fan of John Wayne. What do you think I am, some sort of pinko? LOL
And now you and Moroney have twin avatars. ;)
Thanks Magician that has been one of the best responses to my queery I have recieved yet! I really have no other desire than to make the SF and spend as much time in the field on an ODA as possible! I know that I have what it takes as I will not accept failure! I would love to one day take charge of an ODA, but realize that is a position of great honor and requires a crap ton of experience as well as many other things that I have yet to gain or even dream of learning! Warrent officer is a great solotion though I do not know the info for that route... thoughafter this post I am off to that thread to learn more! I dont think that I would sacrifice my chance at SF to go Officer if it meant that I might not have the chance again to go SF! Reaper I really haven't changed my mind I still have one goal and that is to make SF, I am just trying to explore my options once I get selected! Thanks to all who have responded! The guys in my platoon were right this is truly a great place to get help and share knowledge, I only wish I would have found it sooner!!! Thanks again hopefully I will get to check in at next weekend, on a golden four hour pass!
magician
09-06-2004, 18:58
ok.
I am a little grouchy this morning. So bear with me.
One, stop using exclamation points. Just do not use them, ever again.
Two, your idealizing the position of detachment commander makes my fucking hair ache. You will understand if you ever get to an ODA.
Three, you have a long way to go. You have to learn how to be a soldier before you learn how to be an 18-anything.
Hush, now, and be quiet. Go do pushups, then go clean that latrine. I am not patronizing you, I am writing to you the way I would talk to you if you were standing in front of me. Stop talking so much. I cannot believe that you have done it over the internet, but you have succeeded in making me feel ancient, and without patience.
Guys.....my regrets.
I think I may be too old to do this sort of thing.
I am heading back underground. See you at the GB Club.
-
Team Sergeant
09-06-2004, 19:11
LOL.
Magician, well said.
Jake, move out and draw fire.
This thread is closed. I'll be putting up a new forum soon,
Special Forces Questions and Answers.
TS