GoArmy.com > Officer Candidate School

Upon completion of the Army OCS program, graduates will be commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Army and will embark on specialized training in their first Army branch.

Officers in the Army are managers, problem solvers, key influencers and planners who lead other Soldiers in all situations. Below please find a list of officer careers and specialties.

Upon completion of Officer branch training and a first assignment, Army Officers may pursue additional specialized training and post-graduate education opportunities. They will be assigned to advanced leadership positions and to staff positions in upper management. Also, they may develop doctrine, teach military tactics or serve as advisors.

Your career as an Officer will be just beginning, and you'll find a variety of interesting Officer career fields in the Army. Below is a brief outline of the Army branches:

Commissioned Officer Candidate (09S)
Officers lead from the front and adjust to environments that are always changing. To be an Officer is to be respected as a Soldier, an inspiring leader and a servant of the nation

Infantry Officer (11A)
An Infantry Officer is responsible for leading and controlling the Infantry and combined armed forces during land combat. They are also involved in coordinating employment of Infantry Soldiers at all levels of command, from platoon to battalion and higher, in U.S. and multi-national operations. Officers are leaders, and being a leader in the Army requires certain qualities such as self-discipline, initiative, confidence and intelligence.

Armor Officer (19)
Armor Officers are responsible for tank and cavalry/forward reconnaissance operations on the battlefield. The role of an Armor Officer is to be a leader in operations specific to the Armor Branch and to lead others in many areas of combat operations.

Field Artillery Officer (13A)
The Army's Field Artillery Branch is responsible for neutralizing or suppressing the enemy by cannon, rocket and missile fire and to help integrate all fire support assets into combined arms operations. The role of a Field Artillery Officer is to be a leader in operations specific to the Field Artillery Branch and to be an expert in the tactics, techniques and procedures for the employment of fire support systems.

Air Defense Artillery Officer (14)
The role of an Air Defense Artillery Officer is to be a leader in operations specific to the Air Defense Artillery Branch and to be an expert in the tactics, techniques and procedures for the employment of air defense systems.

Aviation Officer (15)
An Officer within the Aviation Branch is first an expert aviator, but is also responsible for the coordination of Aviation operations from maintenance to control tower operations to tactical field missions. From providing quick-strike and long-range target engagement during combat operations to hauling troops and supplies, Army helicopter units play a critical role in getting the job done in many situations.

Engineer Officer (21)
An Officer in the Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for providing support in a full spectrum of engineering duties. Engineer Officers help the Army and the Nation in building structures, developing civil works programs, working with natural resources as well as providing combat support on the battlefield.

Signal Officer (25A)
A Signal Corps Officer must be an expert in planning, installing, integrating, operating and maintaining the Army's voice, data and information systems, services and resources. Signal Officers must be highly intelligent, forward-thinking and have a complete knowledge of communications and data management technologies.

Military Police Officer (31A)
Military Police Officers are utilized in direct combat and during peacetime to lead other Military Police Soldiers while they serve five main functions: 1) Maneuver and mobility support operations, 2) Area security operations, 3) Law and order operations, 4) Internment and resettlement operations, and 5) Police intelligence operations

Military Intelligence Officer (35)
Military Intelligence (MI) Officers are always out front, providing essential intelligence and in many cases saving Soldiers who are fighting on the front lines. MI Officers assess risks associated with friendly and enemy courses of action and act to counter or neutralize identified intelligence threats. The MI Officer also uses intelligence systems and data to reduce uncertainty of enemy, terrain and weather conditions for a commander.

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Officer (74)
The Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Officer advises the commander on issues regarding nuclear, biological and radiological warfare, defense and homeland protection. Chemical Officers also employ Chemical units in combat support with chemical, smoke and flame weapons, technology and management. Officers are leaders, and being a leader in the Army requires certain qualities such as self-discipline, initiative, confidence and intelligence.

Personnel Systems Management Officer (42B)
An Adjutant General Officer is responsible for helping Soldiers with the tasks that affect their overall welfare and well being, while assisting commanders by keeping Soldiers combat-ready. In many cases, the duties of an Adjutant General Officer are very similar to the function of a high-level human resources executive in the civilian world. Officers are leaders, and being a leader in the Army requires certain qualities such as self-discipline, initiative, confidence and intelligence.