Posted on Nov 14, 2024
How long does it take to get a DA71 and an offer letter from HRC for a direct commission into the Army Reserves?
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I am awaiting a DA 71 and offer letter from HRC for a direct commission into the army reserves. All other paper work is in.
Does any one know an average time frame it takes for HRC to publish this?
Thank you.
Does any one know an average time frame it takes for HRC to publish this?
Thank you.
Posted in these groups: 
Direct Commission
HRC
Direct Commission HRC
Posted 19 d ago
Responses: 1
"Waiting for an offer letter" - I assume that means you haven't gotten a notification that the board selected you.
Your DA 71 is used to record your taking of the Oath of Office as an officer which won't happen until the end of a sequence of events.
Once the board selects an individual for a direct commision, their packet is sent up to HQDA. The commissioning packet will wind it's way through various organizations and finally will be transferred to a "scroll" which is sent to OSD for the Secretary's signature. Once your scroll has been approved, it goes back down to HQDA and is routed over to the G1/HRC. HRC will then generate appointment orders for you.
At that point, the process for you to actually be appointed as an officer will vary depending on if you're going RA, USAR or ARNG and could vary from doing it on the first day of the Direct Commissioning Course, going to your recruiter's office and being sworn in there, or even a "do it yourself" process where you find someone eligible to swear you in and send the paperwork back to HRC.
The last part I wouldn't worry about - you'll be told how you're going to get sworn in.
For the first part - after board selection it's a waiting game and can vary from a few months to "Are you kidding me!!". Although it TYPICALLY is about 6-7 months, I know some DC officers that were waiting close to two years from the time the board met (not from the time they were notified ... that was a bit over a year).
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* For your purposes, you can think of a 'scroll' as a document with you and other soon-to-be officers sent to the SECDEF for his signature (the President is the one with the authority to give original appointments to officers, but the authority for appointments up to O-3 (O-5 for RC) have been delegated to the SECDEF).
Your DA 71 is used to record your taking of the Oath of Office as an officer which won't happen until the end of a sequence of events.
Once the board selects an individual for a direct commision, their packet is sent up to HQDA. The commissioning packet will wind it's way through various organizations and finally will be transferred to a "scroll" which is sent to OSD for the Secretary's signature. Once your scroll has been approved, it goes back down to HQDA and is routed over to the G1/HRC. HRC will then generate appointment orders for you.
At that point, the process for you to actually be appointed as an officer will vary depending on if you're going RA, USAR or ARNG and could vary from doing it on the first day of the Direct Commissioning Course, going to your recruiter's office and being sworn in there, or even a "do it yourself" process where you find someone eligible to swear you in and send the paperwork back to HRC.
The last part I wouldn't worry about - you'll be told how you're going to get sworn in.
For the first part - after board selection it's a waiting game and can vary from a few months to "Are you kidding me!!". Although it TYPICALLY is about 6-7 months, I know some DC officers that were waiting close to two years from the time the board met (not from the time they were notified ... that was a bit over a year).
-------------------------------------------------------
* For your purposes, you can think of a 'scroll' as a document with you and other soon-to-be officers sent to the SECDEF for his signature (the President is the one with the authority to give original appointments to officers, but the authority for appointments up to O-3 (O-5 for RC) have been delegated to the SECDEF).
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COL Randall C.
SPC (Join to see) - Do you know if your scroll has already been approved by the SECDEF? If not, you could still be waiting on that to occur. If you know it has, then allow another 30-45 days after SECDEF approval to work it's way through the bureaucracy and for you to get mail from HRC.
The DA 71* will be filled out at the time of your appointment (obviously it can be prefilled with your name, date, etc) as the purpose of the form is to record the execution of your oath. While the DA Form 71 will come as part of the packet they send you, what you are really waiting on is the appointment orders from the Army. Once you have those, THEN you can be commissioned as an officer.
I'm unsure if by ‖policy‖ ALL DC officers are commissioned at the DC course or if it is just those that weren't prior to their arrival, but the procedures laid out by HQDA for USAR officers is that you'll be commissioned as a "DIY" (AR 135-100*, para 2-7b) where you will execute the oath before someone qualified* to administer it. How 'fancy' a DIY appointment is can range from an officer at the Recruiting Battalion giving it in front of their desk to a major production where your family and friends are invited with a meaningful relative, who is a retired officer, administering the oath.
The only thing to add is that the date entered on your DA 71 is what will be in the system as your date of appointment as an officer (not the date of the orders, the date of your graduation, etc.). Why does this matter? That date will determine which officer year group you are in, your PEBD for those that don't have one already, your time in grade, etc.
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* DA Form 71 (Oath of Office) - https://armypubs.army.mil/pub/eforms/DR_a/pdf/A71.pdf
* AR 135-100 (Appointment of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the Army [USAR/ARNG]) - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/r135_100.pdf
* Typically, the Oath of Office is administered by a commissioned officer (including retired officers as they still have their commission]) although a civil officer who is authorized by law to do so or individuals prescribed by the SECDEF can also administer it.
The DA 71* will be filled out at the time of your appointment (obviously it can be prefilled with your name, date, etc) as the purpose of the form is to record the execution of your oath. While the DA Form 71 will come as part of the packet they send you, what you are really waiting on is the appointment orders from the Army. Once you have those, THEN you can be commissioned as an officer.
I'm unsure if by ‖policy‖ ALL DC officers are commissioned at the DC course or if it is just those that weren't prior to their arrival, but the procedures laid out by HQDA for USAR officers is that you'll be commissioned as a "DIY" (AR 135-100*, para 2-7b) where you will execute the oath before someone qualified* to administer it. How 'fancy' a DIY appointment is can range from an officer at the Recruiting Battalion giving it in front of their desk to a major production where your family and friends are invited with a meaningful relative, who is a retired officer, administering the oath.
The only thing to add is that the date entered on your DA 71 is what will be in the system as your date of appointment as an officer (not the date of the orders, the date of your graduation, etc.). Why does this matter? That date will determine which officer year group you are in, your PEBD for those that don't have one already, your time in grade, etc.
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* DA Form 71 (Oath of Office) - https://armypubs.army.mil/pub/eforms/DR_a/pdf/A71.pdf
* AR 135-100 (Appointment of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the Army [USAR/ARNG]) - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/r135_100.pdf
* Typically, the Oath of Office is administered by a commissioned officer (including retired officers as they still have their commission]) although a civil officer who is authorized by law to do so or individuals prescribed by the SECDEF can also administer it.
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SPC (Join to see)
COL Randall C. very good info. This is giving me more than I could find anywhere.
This far yes the SECDEF has approved the scroll. There is nothing else to do from what I am tracking. I am unsure what the bureaucracy has to do on the back end, however it’s been a little over a year of this process.
This far yes the SECDEF has approved the scroll. There is nothing else to do from what I am tracking. I am unsure what the bureaucracy has to do on the back end, however it’s been a little over a year of this process.
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COL Randall C.
SPC (Join to see) - "would a CPT be able to do it who is a different component?" - Yes, any commissioned officer in the Armed Forces of the United States, currently serving or retired, is able to administer the oath.
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