- BECOME AN OFFICER
- ARMY ROTC
- DIRECT COMMISSION
- OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL
- WEST POINT
About this video:
Video of two post graduates that obtained education and officership through the Army. One is a Lawyer and the other a Dentist.
Captain Benjamin Hillner: My name is Benjamin W. Hillner, Captain, Judge Advocate. What interested me in Direct Commission in the first place was the idea that you can both an Officer and a lawyer at the same time.
Captain Leah Tervonen: Direct Commission is coming out of a professional school and then being able to go directly into the military as an Officer, then practicing whatever your field is in the Army.
Captain Benjamin Hillner: Growing up I had some exposure to the Army and then going to law school I actually met attorneys that were either still practicing in the JAG Corps or had practiced in the JAG Corps. And they all had nothing but positive things to say about it.
Captain Benjamin Hillner: I would say one of the most unique things about the JAG Corps is the variety of work that you see and the variety of legal issues that you work on. Where as in the civilian practice most young attorneys are focusing in one area of law. And that's certainly one thing that attracted me to the JAG Corps and to the Army.
Lieutenant Colonel Karen Carlisle: Captain Hillner's grown since he came in the JAG Corps. We got him in there, he started seeing clients and then he developed a lot of leadership skills.
Captain Benjamin Hillner: You are going to be better prepared and have seen more and have done more than if you had worked at a civilian law firm coming straight out of law school.
Captain Leah Tervonen: When I was in dental school it seemed like a really good time to go in to the Army as an Officer. The Army was willing to pay for my schooling. I don't have a lot of loans like my classmates do. That was a huge benefit for me. Starting in the Army as a dentist it really helps you to build your confidence, build your skills without having to worry about some of the headaches that come with civilian practice. So you can just concentrate on treating patients a concentrate on just becoming better and more skilled as a dentist. I'm twenty-eight years old, six months out of dental school and I've gotten the chance to do dentistry at a very high level and I know that I will have a much broader range of skills when I complete this program.
Captain Benjamin Hillner: You're going to face challenges and receive training that you can't get anywhere else. I think one of the most interesting things about Direct Commission is that you get to use your training and your skills to help accomplish the mission. You are a dual professional, you are a lawyer and an Officer. Each career in and of itself would be challenging enough but to do both at the same time is a very unique challenge. And I think it say a lot about the people who apply for JAG Corps and especially those who apply for Direct Commission.
Captain Leah Tervonen: When I put the uniform on, I feel very patriotic, it's very, very rewarding.
Captain Benjamin Hillner: Each day that you work in the JAG Corps you are serving your country and that is a tremendously rewarding feeling. To know that everything you do, you're helping not only the Army but you're helping your country. And that is a tremendous feeling.
DIRECT COMMISSION
OFFERED THROUGH THE ARMY'S MEDICAL, DENTAL, NURSE, MEDICAL SERVICE, VETERINARY, MEDICAL SPECIALIST, CHAPLAIN, AND JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL'S CORPS
AVAILABLE TO CIVILIANS WITH A PROFESSIONAL DEGREE
OFFERED FOR OTHER BRANCHES TO ARMY RESERVE AND ARMY NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS WHO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS
BECOME AN OFFICER IN THE U.S. ARMY, ARMY RESERVE, OR ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
For more than 200 years, West Point graduates have served our country as Army Officers, engineers, explorers, and leaders at all levels of business and government. The United States Military Academy at West Point is one of our nation's top universities, offering a fully funded and elite education while preparing you to become an Army Officer. You must be under 23 years old to enroll at West Point. Upon graduation, West Point Cadets are awarded a Bachelor of Science degree and commissioned as an Officer in the U.S. Army.
Military Junior Colleges (MJCs) provide a more structured and disciplined college experience, and the opportunity to become an Army Officer in two years. MJCs offer Army ROTC classes, leadership labs and field training along with your required degree courses. ROTC also offers full-tuition scholarships, allowances for books and fees, and annual stipends worth up to $5,000. At a MJC, you will complete the Leader's Training Course (LTC) at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, the summer before your freshman year. You will then take the ROTC Advanced Course studies while at the MJC. Upon graduation, you'll receive an associate degree and a commission as an Officer in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard.
Senior Military Colleges (SMCs) provide a more structured and disciplined college experience while also offering the Army ROTC curriculum. ROTC provides leadership training through a series of classes, leadership labs and field training taken along with your required college courses. ROTC also offers full-tuition scholarships, money for books and fees, and annual stipends worth up to $5,000. At graduation, you'll be commissioned as an Officer in the U.S. Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard.
If you have two years remaining on your bachelor's or advanced degree, you are eligible to enroll in Army ROTC after completing the Leader's Training Course (LTC) at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. ROTC provides leadership training at more than 1,100 schools in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico, and is taken along with your required college courses. ROTC offers full-tuition scholarships, money for books and fees, and annual stipends worth up to $5,000. Upon completion of ROTC requirements and graduation from college, you'll be commissioned as an Officer in the U.S. Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard.
Some of the most highly specialized experts in the U.S. Army are Warrant Officers. Warrant Officers are experts in aviation, piloting some of the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world. You can become an Army aviator directly from high school. After selection for the aviation program, you'll attend Basic Combat Training (BCT) for 9 weeks and then go on to Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) and flight training. As an Aviation Warrant Officer, you'll be paid for your expertise, receiving flight pay in addition to regular pay, allowances and benefits.
Officer Candidate School (OCS) provides college graduates the opportunity to enlist in the Army and become an Officer. Upon completion of Basic Combat Training (BCT), you'll attend OCS, enabling you to be commissioned as an Army Officer. OCS is also available to enlisted Soldiers with a college degree who want to join the ranks of the Officer corps.
Becoming an Officer is just one of the many careers and job opportunities available to you in the U.S. Army. To learn more about all of the career options the Army offers click below.
Officers serve in many different capacities in the U.S. Army. Based upon your education and level of expertise, you may be eligible to apply for a direct commission. Opportunities are available in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps for lawyers, Army Medical Corps (AMEDD) for doctors and nurses, and the Chaplain Corps for clergy. Direct Commission is also available into branches such as Adjutant General, Quartermaster or Military Intelligence for Army Reserve or Army National Guard Soldiers who meet the requirements.
