Is it possible to explore too many opportunities?

2019-02-19T21:54:37-05:00

Currently I’m a 68C. I like my job but don’t like the medical fields culture in the military. I would like to do one of two things. 1) move into the SOF realm as a Civil Affairs Specialist. 2) fly.

I have already attended civil affairs assessment and selection once. I was not selected and told that I was a good candidate but needed more military experience to better meet their ideal candidate. I would love to work in CA. I like their mission, and the work they do would allow me to use all the skill sets I’ve obtained from college and the Army. I am also still torn on staying enlisted or commissioning.

At the same time I have an interest in flying and applying to WOCS does seem like another good option that would allow me to learn something challenging and still be an asset.

I’m just afraid that I will end up trying to take advantage of too many opportunities leaving myself more scattered with no defined plan. Is it worth exploring my other interests or should I just focus on returning to CAAS a better candidate?

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Feb 19 at 2019 10:02 PM

2019-02-19T22:02:04-05:00

You answered your own question. How many professions can anyone successfully pursue? Like girlfriends, too many will create problems for you.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2019 10:05 PM

2019-02-19T22:05:09-05:00

There are lots of people in the Army who pursue many different fields. It is definitely easy to get too scattered if you don't have a good plan.
Basically, you can explore as much as you want as long as you do it within the time you have. When you're on active duty there is a clock ticking down. Every selection, MOS, commission opportunity etc, has certain grade, age, time in grade, and time in service restrictions. So as you progress in one pathway others will start to shut behind you.
You have a college degree so you entered the Army after 22, your AIT was a year long, so let's imagine you're 24 right now. You have to be in your new MOS at least a year. You want to go to CA, you'll need BLC first. So, let's say you're 26 then. You attend selection and now you need to reenlist 5 years to cover the QC plus W1 and W4 and the three years you owe after that. Now you're 31, you've got 7-9 years in the Army and you're on the borderline of age, time in service limits for commissioning.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2019 10:09 PM

2019-02-19T22:09:58-05:00

It never hurts to diversify but there will come
a time when the diversification will no longer net a positive return. Keep your head in the game!

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Feb 19 at 2019 11:03 PM

2019-02-19T23:03:18-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member my whole career was a plan C. Just understand that once you choose, sometimes other doors close. If you wait too long, doors close. These two goals are divergent. You need to pick one or the other and give it all you've got.

I know some Special Operations selection programs tell people to come back and try again just to see if they are determined enough to come back. I'd defer that opinion to a CA NCO. CW2 Private RallyPoint Member any insight? It appears you can now be selected as an E5 promotable.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Feb 19 at 2019 11:46 PM

2019-02-19T23:46:46-05:00

Pick one as a career and get good at it. Nothing says the others cannot be hobbies. I have always wanted to fly however I had horrible vision. I became an RN and an officer. Great decision as it pays the bills and I am fairly good at it. I love prehospital care and flying and for hobbies, I am a paramedic and fixed wing pilot. Love them both more than my job and will probably never get burned out as a paramedic or pilot because I do my hobbies for fun, not work.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 20 at 2019 8:04 AM

2019-02-20T08:04:04-05:00

http://www.ocsfoundation.org

You might well find this useful, it only goers the I've main OCS programs, not Army WOCS, or direct commission indoc OIS type programs, though you'll likely find the forum pages useful...elaborate more, associates, bachelors, grad level, GPAs, grades, actual course titles, STEM coursework, hobbies, interests, reading, sports, incl any martial arts...you'll have to start a masters from day one, if you commission, or Bach or masters if you go warrant, it:s absolutely requisite, I found that most definitely to he true...I perceive you want civil affairs, I perceive that, or SOF, or aviation...if there's a mil aero club where you are, have you made use of it? Have you done any FAA licensing for sport pilot, private pilot, instrument rating, multiengine, and/or commercial, gone on any check rdes on a helicopter, would you want fixed wing or rotary wing (there's been material on Jere about Army fixed wing as opposed to solely rotary). Would you possibly want to go intersvc at all? Have you looked at any flight programs in other svcs, not just Tue normal five, but also NOAA Commissioned Corps, which has a 5 yr term, if you get it, though they're quite small, pure science, and quite selective...also, would you think about going rear seat, not solely pilot, specifically, mav/WSO? I did the aeromed eval for naval flight ofcr (NFO), I was passed, I just never got to go intersvc...if you want civil affairs, as you say, you'll need to go possibly intl relns for a masters, maybe law assigned to civil affairs (CA), that would depend on your interests, obviously...have you taken the GRE genl and/or subject tests? The GMAT? The LSAT? The more you elaborate, the more can be suggested for you, humor me, try to do a really detailed biosketch, with as much concrete detail as you can give, even if only generally, yet with the kind of details I'd mentioned, it'd help a good deal to try to help you explore different concrete possibilities seriously, I tend to have an interest in career/educ questions like those you'd asked, that's why I always try to ask such things whenever anyone sends in the kind of stuff you were asking about, if you'd care to chat at all, just ask, OK?

OCS Foundation

SERVICES FOR: Candidates Alumni Officer Families

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 20 at 2019 8:19 AM

2019-02-20T08:19:10-05:00

We had a family friend who'd been Army enlisted, he got into Army WOCS, went rotary wing, did his Bach in aviation at Embry Riddle, then Army released him, USCG picked him up, he finished his 20 as a USCG O-3...I relate that story merely as I thought you might find it of interest...however, the more you know about flight ahead of time, the raised I think you'd find the transition, which is why I'd asked how much STEM trainjng you've had...I can point you to specifics about fixed and rotary wing flight to help get you prepped...however, no !after how much cockpit time you amàss, as either pilot/aviator, or nav/WSO/NFO, sooner or later you'll have to be used as senior staff, not solely for flight ops...then, too, theres also flight test, which you could opt for if that might interest you as well...you'll also have prof mil educ (PME) to do, not just in your own svc, but in other svcs as well, as that's needed for broadening...I merely thought I'd point out those aspects, as well....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 20 at 2019 8:22 AM

2019-02-20T08:22:03-05:00

If you stay enlisted, AFIT, the USAF grad school has apparently let senior enlisted, both USAF as well as Army in, to do their PhDs, I saw YouTube videos on that aspect...you could also submit for either AFIT or Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), as warrant or commissioned, all warrants and commissioned are allowed, I also !mention that merely to make you aware of that as well....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 20 at 2019 8:26 AM

2019-02-20T08:26:35-05:00

And I'm just curious...what aspects pit you off from the clinical side? I'd wanted clinical when I was in, I'm total perm disabled now, however, I went doctoral level allied health before that, though we shut my license sevl yrs ago...would you possibly care to also try for higher clinical being as you're already on that side? The intersvc PA program at Ft. Sam Houston, the enlisted program to encourage enlisted who'd want medicine? RM? NP? I'd be interested if you could elaborate on that aspect as well, if possible....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 20 at 2019 8:28 AM

2019-02-20T08:28:03-05:00

http://www.USUHS.edu/gsn

Look at this, it:s the DNP program for nurses at USUHS, you have to likely be O-3 or O-4 with a few tours to have a chance for it, however, you might care to look at it....

Uniformed Services University

The mission of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences is to educate, train, and comprehensively prepare uniformed services health professionals, scientists, and leaders to support the Military and Public Health Systems, the National Security and National Defense Strategies of the United States, and the readiness of our Uniformed Services.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 20 at 2019 8:29 AM

2019-02-20T08:29:38-05:00

http://www.usphs.gov

Look at the nursing page, also, look up Jr and Sr COSTEP, the USPHS analogue to ROTCs...their toll free recruiting phone is [login to see] , I believe....

www.usphs.gov

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 20 at 2019 8:30 AM

2019-02-20T08:30:41-05:00

Further, ROTCs, COSTEP, and also USMC platoon leaders course (PLC), can, I think, all be used for grad school, PLC is less well known....

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 20 at 2019 9:56 AM

2019-02-20T09:56:31-05:00

Lots of comments mentioning grad school for ya. I recommend returning to CAAS. ARSOF offers a number of graduate programs that are free of charge, so you will still have your TA to pursue a certificate or second Master's. We have National Defense University, Naval Postgraduate School, and Joint Special Operations University....none of which you'll spend a dime to attend, nor have to juggle work with school, they are resident programs.
I personally am just using my TA for grad school while doing CA/recruiting. There is plenty of time, even more so during a CA deployment to knock out some school.

Response by MSG Frank Kapaun made Feb 20 at 2019 10:48 AM

2019-02-20T10:48:17-05:00

The CA field is a laudable goal. I did CA after my SF time. The possibilities are endless and the deployment opportunities are there.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Feb 20 at 2019 11:17 AM

2019-02-20T11:17:32-05:00

To add in to what has already been said, the more you switch, the less competitive you become. Either you are competing against folks who have been doing it since day 1 as a PVT or you are competing against folks who ALSO just switched over - but are 5 (or 10 or 15) years younger in both TIS and age, meaning they can go farther before retirement, making them a better candidate for promotion or for hooah school.
It is not wrong to pursue multiple options and keep options open. But once you decide, stick to it and give it everything until you either definitively succeed or definitively fail - and then move on with whatever is next.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 21 at 2019 6:12 AM

2019-02-21T06:12:33-05:00

Through your journey remember that most branches wont accept a SSG as a reclass without losing rank. This is because a SSG should be an SME in their branch. Go nuts and do whatever the Army will let you get away with, but when you start getting close to the 4 year mark you need to be prepared to settle down in something you can finish your career in, if you dont follow the selection route.