Considering a package to OCS? Why or Why Not?

My DB is. I would love for him to, but he's still on the fence as to do it when he's home from the sandbox, or whether to do a lat move, extra schooling, and the committed time for the lat move first....

:sigh

I think he just has a bit of a confidence problem right now, even though both of his parents, myself, and most of his command think he is a natural leader and would make a good officer if/when he gets all his ducks in a row to submit a package...

nope he can't wait to finish his enlistment and start his civilian life

He is :yes

Dh put in for STA-21 this year, so he's not considering OCS until after he hears yay or nay on that. We should know in a few weeks.

The chances are soooooooooooo slim. Especially because since he's older, he put in for the CEC option only, and I think 5 people got it last year, and 4 the year before that.

So, as much as I want it for him, I'm thinking he'll be considering an OCS package soon. Keeping my fingers crossed though!

He is :yes

Cool!

How do you think I can give DB the confidence boost to do it without the Lat. move first... he's got a few things he needs to do and deal with before he can... but... I think that's really what he's meant to do. So does he if you really talk to him about it... if only he believed in himself right now as much as everyone else does... lol

Dh put in for STA-21 this year, so he's not considering OCS until after he hears yay or nay on that. We should know in a few weeks.

The chances are soooooooooooo slim. Especially because since he's older, he put in for the CEC option only, and I think 5 people got it last year, and 4 the year before that.

So, as much as I want it for him, I'm thinking he'll be considering an OCS package soon. Keeping my fingers crossed though!

My DH is also doing the STA-21. I actually think we are going to put in next year because hes already in school and wants to get his GPA up before he tries to get in.

He wants to go LDO.

sorry im still new to all this what's OCS? is it a leadership thing? .... anything that requires more school I don't think DF wants anything to do with :lol

OCS is Officer Candidate School. I don't know all the details, but I think the basics are that you need to already have your Bachelor's Degree, and then you can drop a package to OCS, where you learn to be an officer. If you get accepted, and complete the school successfully, you get commissioned as an officer when you graduate.

*I think*. Oh, and what I know is only about the Navy.

STA-21 is a way to circumvent the bachelor's requirement. Instead of getting it on your own, then applying to OCS, you apply to STA-21, and if you get accepted, then you go to school while still enlisted. If you complete NSI (I forget what that stands for) and get your Bachelor's in under 3 years while maintaining a certain GPA, then you get commissioned.

My hubby is considering it.
This has been a rough deployment for him, so he is considering a lot of things. I want him to go OCS, I think that he is a great leader.
:)

My hubby did it.. (he graduated OTS two years ago this coming Sunday!)

My hubby did it.. (he graduated OTS two years ago this coming Sunday!)

What was his experience like, and what is his experience like now as an officer, if you don't mind me asking? :D

Hmmm, he was enlisted for 9 years when he went to OTS, was an E-5 (SSgt). He earned his degree in 2001, but loved his job as a Flight Engineer on C-130's enough that he was actually torn on whether or not to apply to OTS. A navigator from his squadron, who was also a prior enlisted guy, talked him into it and here we are! He is now a Navigator, so he is still flying and loving every minute of it. He really seems to thrive on the added responsibility and wouldn't trade any of this for the world.

See, that's the delimma Jon is having.... wants to be a lifer and is a good leader and blah blah blah, but feels torn, afraid he won't make a difference, afraid he will somehow sell out or not be good enough, and just stuck behind a desk all the time...

I try to tell him that you become the officer you want to be, hands on or stuck behind a desk... and the best ones... do what they need to for their men in either capacity... he is coming around... but he doesn't really have anyone to talk to about it... his enlisted guys just want him around to party with and stuff outside of the fact that he's all ready their platoon SGT etc... lol..

I hope hope hope he sees the light... soon... because he's wasting away in my opinion otherwise... :shrug

Hmmm, he was enlisted for 9 years when he went to OTS, was an E-5 (SSgt). He earned his degree in 2001, but loved his job as a Flight Engineer on C-130's enough that he was actually torn on whether or not to apply to OTS. A navigator from his squadron, who was also a prior enlisted guy, talked him into it and here we are! He is now a Navigator, so he is still flying and loving every minute of it. He really seems to thrive on the added responsibility and wouldn't trade any of this for the world.

My DH is also doing the STA-21. I actually think we are going to put in next year because hes already in school and wants to get his GPA up before he tries to get in.

Is there different types of STA? DH wants to do it, but I dont know too much and how I can help him, you know? I mean hes bad with paperwork, etc :teehee

DF says he may if after the six years it looks like a good optian for us, i dont know how i feels about him doing 20 years, it be a great caree move, but oh well he still has 5 years so we have time to discuss it

Is there different types of STA? DH wants to do it, but I dont know too much and how I can help him, you know? I mean hes bad with paperwork, etc :teehee

Not that Im aware of.

DB wants to do the STA-21 program. I'm not sure how he feels about the added commitment time or if he wants to stay in the whole 20 but he definitely wants to get his degree while in and if he does that he will definitely want to be an officer.

See, that's the delimma Jon is having.... wants to be a lifer and is a good leader and blah blah blah, but feels torn, afraid he won't make a difference, afraid he will somehow sell out or not be good enough, and just stuck behind a desk all the time...

I try to tell him that you become the officer you want to be, hands on or stuck behind a desk... and the best ones... do what they need to for their men in either capacity... he is coming around... but he doesn't really have anyone to talk to about it... his enlisted guys just want him around to party with and stuff outside of the fact that he's all ready their platoon SGT etc... lol..

I hope hope hope he sees the light... soon... because he's wasting away in my opinion otherwise... :shrug
What he needs to find is someone in his career field or the career field that he wants to go into and get their opinion. Good luck!

My DB was enlisted and then went to OCS, he did not have his bachelors degree and when he gets back from his deployment, he will have to go to school and finish up his degree (which means "owing" more time)...

He loved the experience of being enlisted and then becoming an officer, you get the respect of your soldiers and they will listen to you more, as they know you have the "I have been where you are at" mentality. As far as being an officer, he is very hands on and as a result is never home. I think he gets a lot more frustrated with his chain of command as well. It is hard being a junior officer because sometimes you get dumped on, and have to finish up the work that your CO's didn't (I guess it is like that at any job).

He was working 18 hour days on a consistent basis when he was home. Getting phone calls in the middle of the night to pick up the naughty soldiers that got stuck in jail, and I felt like at least twice a week, if not more, he would have to randomly drop what he was doing to tend to his men...

I was not with him when he was enlisted, but that has been my experience so far. I must also mention that he can get out of the Army when he returns from his 3rd deployment in 6 years (to Iraq) and he is really considering civilian life.

Sorry this was so long and hope it helps!

My DH was considering it, laughed about it, forgot about it. It is better pay and a better retirement but he doesn't want to deal with even more politics. He is about 1/2 the way there but hated school.

He likes working with his hands and not at a desk.

Tell him he can do anything he sets his mind too. I really think that we as people if we want something and really really apply ourselves. The sky is the limit. We all have different limitations in the fact, that one might be better than the other.

But, life is about risk. Always take the risk. I do, it's better to live life knowing you really tried and succeeded or tried and failed. My personal philosophy is live life with risk and passion. For each of us doesn't know when the last day comes when we need to leave......

Tell him he can do anything he sets his mind too. I really think that we as people if we want something and really really apply ourselves. The sky is the limit. We all have different limitations in the fact, that one might be better than the other.

But, life is about risk. Always take the risk. I do, it's better to live life knowing you really tried and succeeded or tried and failed. My personal philosophy is live life with risk and passion. For each of us doesn't know when the last day comes when we need to leave......

Aww thanks. That's exactly what I did today via 4 pages of moto-mails... in an an attempt to steer him first away from a recent obsession with EOD, and hopefully back to his "once up a time, if only I could have applied myself" intel or security detail goals....

I even got his parents on board... hopefully it works. :hehe

can someone explain the lat move thing that was mentioned? I am assuming you are talking about a lateral move which to me means that he is commissioning with going down in pay grade?

can someone explain the lat move thing that was mentioned? I am assuming you are talking about a lateral move which to me means that he is commissioning with going down in pay grade?

A lateral move is just that....a move sideways. It has nothing to do with commissioning or changing paygrade. It typically just refers to changing jobs. In the Navy, it typically refers to an officer switching fields (for example, Surface Warfare Officer to Intel Officer).

DF is sort of considering it, but there are a lot of variables involved in it for him.

DH considered it, but he is a Nuke and doesn't want to go back through Nuke school again as an officer. He really wants out.

My hubby went OCS and was commissioned 18 months ago, best decision he's ever made!

My hubby went OCS and was commissioned 18 months ago, best decision he's ever made!

Can you elaborate why, girlie? Thanks. :hugs

DF's lat move just got denied :no

he is planning on finishing up this tour and then getting out and trying to get into the MECEP program and finishing college and then going to OCS :pray

advice...just get on board with him all the way...encourage him and be excited for him...chances may be slim but if he is worried about how you would deal with it, that might hinder him from trying (not saying you would, but you know...)

oh, DF does get to go to section chief school when he gets home from iraq though! :yahoo

DF's lat move just got denied :no

he is planning on finishing up this tour and then getting out and trying to get into the MECEP program and finishing college and then going to OCS :pray

advice...just get on board with him all the way...encourage him and be excited for him...chances may be slim but if he is worried about how you would deal with it, that might hinder him from trying (not saying you would, but you know...)

oh, DF does get to go to section chief school when he gets home from iraq though! :yahoo

:woot :congrats :hugs

Yea, we are looking at how to best go about it right now, I am on his side totally, in fact, I'm the one kind of rocking the boat toward OCS. Not pushing him, but based on some covo's we have had it really seems like what he wants to do, he just didn't know how to have all the pieces together before, and has some self confidence issues that come with forgoing college and joining up at 17, and now being 24 and so smart, but everyone sees the "grunt" first. So I am hoping we could work it out. (He calls me his research hound :teehee)

He WAS considering EOD on a whim because one of his "buds" was wanting him to do it... (mind you, this "bud" is a drunkard, with no wife, and no kids, and not too much higher ranking than my DB.. :lol) EOD just needs bodies, they will say anything...

He is considering a lateral move into intel... may have changed, but just a few months ago they were begging people to get their shit in order and come over there to help them out.

He loves the Marines, and the military in general, but he's getting tired of the "enlisted" lifestyle, and the "pure grunt" MOS is hard on his body too.

So, I dunno what we are gonna do. :dunno

No. He's achieved his career goal (making CPO) and wants to stay enlisted. His ultimate goal is to make Master Chief, and possibly fill a CMC billet.

No. DH is a Firefighter, he LOVES what he does and there are no officers in the Fire Protection career field. The only officer that wears the Fire Dept patch is the CE commander because he/she is the base fire marshall.

He wants to go LDO.

My DH is thinking about this too but he's on the fence about it.

My husband will be getting his Bachelors in August and is putting his package in for OCS. He's very committed right now with finishing school and going that route to become officer.

Can you elaborate why, girlie? Thanks. :hugs

There are a number of reasons why its just a better fit for him. I really can't explain it, but I don't think he was ever truly satisfied being enlisted, he's a natural born leader. He is much more content now.

The pay is much better too. :giggle And not to mention the army is paying him to go school full time for 18 months.. pretty sweet deal!

DF puts his STA-21 packet in tomorrow!! Wish us luck!
I hope it works out, it would be a great oppurtunity and a great step forward not only within the army, but also within the medical field.
Fingers crossed guys! :pray

DH is probably going to do green to gold

Wow ladies :grphug :congrats to all your SO's for considering it, submitting a package, and or getting through it.

I may need tips on how to bring it up with DB when he gets home and settled in a few days from people that have been there.

He too is a natural born leader, and what I call "restlessly enlisted" lol. He was in the navy sea cadets and all that, and now REALLY starting to regret not finishing college. He's coming home in a matter of days and I am :bliss

My husband's considered the Officer program but instead he's going to go Warrant Officer.

DF puts his STA-21 packet in tomorrow!! Wish us luck!
I hope it works out, it would be a great oppurtunity and a great step forward not only within the army, but also within the medical field.
Fingers crossed guys! :pray

If he's Army, he's not putting in a STA-21 package. That is a program specific to the Navy...Seaman to Admiral 21.

Good luck, though!

Mine put in his package for the STA-21 BUT I think he is more set on getting out right now.

If he's Army, he's not putting in a STA-21 package. That is a program specific to the Navy...Seaman to Admiral 21.

Good luck, though!

HAHA.. thank! here i am thinking I finally learned what it was called. Since it's not techniquelly green to gold either. Now I just look silly.

either way... it sounds like a similar program. haha

DH considered it, but he is a Nuke and doesn't want to go back through Nuke school again as an officer. He really wants out.

My hubby was a Nuke too and won't be a Nuke officer. Your DH can choose the field he wants to go into, when submitting a STA-21 package! :)

Were going WOCS.