Does being a 17c give you a leg up on the competition for getting an OCS slot?

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 May 2019 11:55:21 -0400

I have a bachelors in chemistry with a 3.15 gpa. I was curious if the army would like to pick up soldiers with this MOS for officer slots or is it the opposite? As in they put a lot of training into you and therefore want to keep you in your current enlisted position.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2019 11:57 AM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 May 2019 11:57:54 -0400

Needs of the Army my friend. A specialty MOS could give you an advantage. It's all what the board needs at that moment when they make those selections.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2019 11:58 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 May 2019 11:58:21 -0400

No. Unless you direct commission into your job specialty, which I think cyber has one, your branch slot is a function of how well you do at OCS and the needs of the Army.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2019 1:10 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 May 2019 13:10:41 -0400

My bad. I read your post incorrectly. Your prior service MOS does not give you a leg up on the competition. The OCS board is concerned with leadership, decision making, tactical/strategic planning skills, etc. It is more helpful if you are an NCO with established NCOERs with a published record of you actually doing these things. Of my group that boarded with me from my unit, I was the only Staff Sergeant with one Sergeant and a Specialist. I felt like, after talking to them, they had a lot more trouble articulating to the board that they had an ability to effectively do these things where my board mainly asked me why I wanted to be an officer and then asked me questions based on leadership positions listed in my NCOERs. The Specialist actually didn’t get recommended by the board. The Sergeant was a 35PKP, which is a Korean crypto-linguist and he ended up getting branched Field Artillery. So in short, your MOS is not as important as the enlisted leadership positions you have held that are congruent with the officer skills they look for in your application/board process.

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made May 29 at 2019 1:58 PM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Wed, 29 May 2019 13:58:20 -0400

Not at all! You apply for OCD (some units have boards) and if selected based on performance and CoC endorsement up you go!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2019 2:45 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 May 2019 14:45:44 -0400

All you can do is apply and see what happens. Best of luck to you!