Posted on Aug 19, 2018
What should be touched on in a "Why I want to be an officer" essay?
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I'm currently working on putting my packet together for OCS and I'm writing my essay on why I want to be an officer. I've spoken with my recruiter about it, but I'd just like to get some other opinions and hear about others experience regarding what should be touched on for the essay. I know that my essay and reasons will be specific to me, but I'm just interested if there's particular questions, topics, etc. that I should be covering.
Update: Obviously, this is supposed to cover why I, personally, want to be an officer and all that -- I know that. I'm used to writing essays for college or job proposals for work and you have an overarching objective for the paper, but there are also specific questions or points that are supposed to be discussed and that is what I was trying to ask about. I've written my essay so I'll post that later today for feedback before I bring it to my recruiter.
Update: Here is what I have so far for my essay. I appreciate any comments or help, thanks!
I have always admired the men and women that serve whether that is with the military or in a public service such as the police, firefighters, etc. When I was growing up, I poured over books, movies, tv shows, and news articles that chronicled the exploits of those that served, and I wanted nothing more than to be exactly like that – stand in the face of danger and still do what needed to be done in order to protect my values, country, and loved ones.
I had considered joining the military upon graduation from high school, but I wasn’t sure that I was up to the task of fulfilling and surpassing the expectations that I had come to equate with the military, so I chose to pursue my bachelor’s. I pushed through to get my degree, but it became clear towards my last year that academia and office work weren’t enough to satisfy me, and I again reconsidered the military. I was currently seeing someone that is in the US Army, so I had already been exposed to the enlisted side and I ending up moving to Colorado when he moved to Fort Carson. He helped convince me to finally pursue what I truly wanted to do and join the US Army.
I want to serve with honor and dignity and I will do whatever it takes to join the US Army even if I am unable to join as an officer at this time. I’ve heard several accounts from soldiers about life with good officers and with bad officers as well. I want to become a shining example of what it means to be a great officer: To embody honor, loyalty, respect, duty, and selfless service. While I am certainly not fresh out of college and I have experience in the workforce and life which will certainly be incredibly useful in managing efficiencies and aiding my soldiers; I know that I am extremely inexperienced and incredibly novice when it comes to the Army and I will need to rely on my senior NCOs in order to become the best officer that I can be.
To me, being a leader does not mean ordering soldiers about while I sit in an office lounging – it means working alongside my soldiers to raise us all up as a team. We either succeed together or not at all – leadership can make or break a team and without good leadership, things will crumble, and nothing will get done nor will anyone be satisfied with their job.
In conclusion, I have valuable real-life experience that I can utilize to serve the Army and help my soldiers improve, but I am well aware of my lack of knowledge in relation to the military life and will work closely with my senior NCOs to ensure our team is the best we can be. We will exemplify the values the Army lives by and make everyone proud to be a part of the US Army and an American. I will do whatever is necessary to show that I am up to the job and continue to improve my skills and knowledge so that I can serve the Army to the best of my ability. I didn’t want to join unless I was absolutely certain that I could exceed the expectations that others had and that I had set for myself because I wanted to make my team proud and do the job justice. I am confident that I will be an asset to the Army and it would be an honor and a privilege to be called an officer with the United States Army.
Update: Obviously, this is supposed to cover why I, personally, want to be an officer and all that -- I know that. I'm used to writing essays for college or job proposals for work and you have an overarching objective for the paper, but there are also specific questions or points that are supposed to be discussed and that is what I was trying to ask about. I've written my essay so I'll post that later today for feedback before I bring it to my recruiter.
Update: Here is what I have so far for my essay. I appreciate any comments or help, thanks!
I have always admired the men and women that serve whether that is with the military or in a public service such as the police, firefighters, etc. When I was growing up, I poured over books, movies, tv shows, and news articles that chronicled the exploits of those that served, and I wanted nothing more than to be exactly like that – stand in the face of danger and still do what needed to be done in order to protect my values, country, and loved ones.
I had considered joining the military upon graduation from high school, but I wasn’t sure that I was up to the task of fulfilling and surpassing the expectations that I had come to equate with the military, so I chose to pursue my bachelor’s. I pushed through to get my degree, but it became clear towards my last year that academia and office work weren’t enough to satisfy me, and I again reconsidered the military. I was currently seeing someone that is in the US Army, so I had already been exposed to the enlisted side and I ending up moving to Colorado when he moved to Fort Carson. He helped convince me to finally pursue what I truly wanted to do and join the US Army.
I want to serve with honor and dignity and I will do whatever it takes to join the US Army even if I am unable to join as an officer at this time. I’ve heard several accounts from soldiers about life with good officers and with bad officers as well. I want to become a shining example of what it means to be a great officer: To embody honor, loyalty, respect, duty, and selfless service. While I am certainly not fresh out of college and I have experience in the workforce and life which will certainly be incredibly useful in managing efficiencies and aiding my soldiers; I know that I am extremely inexperienced and incredibly novice when it comes to the Army and I will need to rely on my senior NCOs in order to become the best officer that I can be.
To me, being a leader does not mean ordering soldiers about while I sit in an office lounging – it means working alongside my soldiers to raise us all up as a team. We either succeed together or not at all – leadership can make or break a team and without good leadership, things will crumble, and nothing will get done nor will anyone be satisfied with their job.
In conclusion, I have valuable real-life experience that I can utilize to serve the Army and help my soldiers improve, but I am well aware of my lack of knowledge in relation to the military life and will work closely with my senior NCOs to ensure our team is the best we can be. We will exemplify the values the Army lives by and make everyone proud to be a part of the US Army and an American. I will do whatever is necessary to show that I am up to the job and continue to improve my skills and knowledge so that I can serve the Army to the best of my ability. I didn’t want to join unless I was absolutely certain that I could exceed the expectations that others had and that I had set for myself because I wanted to make my team proud and do the job justice. I am confident that I will be an asset to the Army and it would be an honor and a privilege to be called an officer with the United States Army.
Edited 6 y ago
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 18
Posted 6 y ago
Hello . I have an essay that I wrote when I wanted to put my package. My commander read it and thought it was good. I can send it to you .
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Jonny Lee
>1 y
I know this post was a long time ago, but would really appreciate if you could send it my way, if you still have it.
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Amn (Join to see)
11 mo
The mention of MasterPapers.com's https://essaysrescue.com/masterpapers-review/ impeccable reputation and a large customer base demonstrates that it is a well-established and trusted writing service. This is an essential factor for potential customers to consider.
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Patricia B. Armstrong
10 mo
It's crucial to address your motivations and personal qualities that make you an ideal candidate. For guidance on structuring your essay and bringing out your unique qualities, I'd suggest visiting this website https://eduhelper/essay-samples. They provide free essay examples to help you craft a compelling essay that reflects your dedication and commitment. Furthermore, I rely on this source for all of my home assignments.
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SPC Kaitlyn Adair Your time should be on the why and it should involve to some degree inculcating the the army values. This is the chance to tell your story, your background and motivations. God Speed!
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Posted >1 y ago
Being an Officer is being last in the chow line, first one awake, last to sleep after you checked on your troops, last to go on leave, first to return from leave .... if this doesn't resonate with you than frankly you have no business applying for OCS. I will be inducted into the Army OCS Hall of Fame in May 2019. The one piece of advice I received when I was a 2LT from the Brigade CSM was "...Respect is earned. If you have to tell someone you are an Officer - you're not..."
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