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Question about the military

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

Lifer
I'm applying for the US Army OCS and the review board is next week - the question being, if I pass, is there anything I can negotiate for as far as GI Bill, additional contract bonus(es), etc.?

I'm compeltely new to this - so far I've asked all I could think of, and this one is the biggest one I have (so far).

Any help is appreciated! :thumbsup:😀
 
"Negotiate" and "Army" are two words not often spoken together. Be happy if they allow you to keep some of your regular hair.
 
I don't think officers get bonuses. I know enlisted members going into certain career fields do. You should go in enlisted get a bonus then apply to Warrant officer school.
 
Originally posted by: Horus
"Negotiate" and "Army" are two words not often spoken together. Be happy if they allow you to keep some of your regular hair.
Click to expand...

Meh, the hair I'm not so worried about.

The reason I'm asking this is because some of my enlisted friends got additional bonuses (in his case, the Marine Corps College Fund [in addition to the GI bill] - he walked out and the recruiter ran out after him and made changes to his contract) but was wondering if anything of the sort applies to OCS.
 
Originally posted by: Horus
"Negotiate" and "Army" are two words not often spoken together. Be happy if they allow you to keep some of your regular hair.
Click to expand...

Well put. And forget the GI Bill.....thats for enlisted only.
 
No negotiations with exceptions of possible a training school and/or assignment location.

And those are more a request than negotiation.

(Things may have changed or the Army is different; however I doubt it.)
 
If you get into a better training program, or volunteer for unusual duty (overseas etc) you might have some wiggle room on incentives, especially as an officer. When I enlisted I got a bonus for going into nuclear power school plus another bonus for volunteering for submarine duty. They're pretty strict about the hair thing though.
 
Hey Jehovah, glad to see you're still considering the military. How are you applying to OCS without completing Basic Training?

To answer your question, there is not going to be any negotiation. A recruiter can tell you what your options are. If you want a bonus, you'll have to make the decision to sign up for an MOS that has a bonus. Keep in mind the bonus is not paid all up front.
 
Somehow, the military recruiters found out that I took the MCAT. I started getting calls from them. The Army guy said that they would pay for my med school plus I would get a signing bonus. After I finished med school I would enter as an officer, a captain(?), and then get another bonus.

This sounded pretty good unfortunately I would have had to join the Army....
 
Originally posted by: Horus
"Negotiate" and "Army" are two words not often spoken together. Be happy if they allow you to keep some of your regular hair.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup::roll::laugh:

You made my day.
 
Originally posted by: jemcam
Hey Jehovah, glad to see you're still considering the military. How are you applying to OCS without completing Basic Training?

To answer your question, there is not going to be any negotiation. A recruiter can tell you what your options are. If you want a bonus, you'll have to make the decision to sign up for an MOS that has a bonus. Keep in mind the bonus is not paid all up front.
Click to expand...

Well, the way I understand it, basic training is "included" in the OCS program - meaning, once I get accepted into OCS as a civilian, they simultaneously assign basic training with the OCS assignment and one will lead into the other.

 
Originally posted by: Jehovah
Well, the way I understand it, basic training is "included" in the OCS program - meaning, once I get accepted into OCS as a civilian, they simultaneously assign basic training with the OCS assignment and one will lead into the other.
Click to expand...

Yep, that is about the way it works - or at least was for the Air Force when I took the AFOQT. With no prior military experience, they run you through basic first, and then assuming you complete that satisfactorily, you go on to the rest of OCS.

 
Where are you going to Basic at? I'm currently at Fort Benning (one of the bases you can go to for basic) doing Infantry Officer Basic Course.
 
No idea if it helps but:

How I ended up with the Army College Fund when I enlisted in '92 (active Jan 93) was to have my recruiter at MEPS run all jobs I was qualified for (GT Score 124) that had a maximum of a 3yr commitment and that qualified for the Army College Fund.

I had 3-choices from the more than 200 job offerings. I chose Combat Engineer over 12C - Mortarman, and 50 something or other Lineman (telephone line stringer).

I was actually given the opportunity to become an officer in Basic. Those of us with high GT scores were given the opportunity to take the SAT's and if we were selected we would move on to a military academy to become an officer.

Try taking the SAT's after being physically punished and sleep deprived for a month. The SAT's were nap time for all of us as we started the test at 6:30am after PT'ing at 5am.

 
Originally posted by: datalink7
Where are you going to Basic at? I'm currently at Fort Benning (one of the bases you can go to for basic) doing Infantry Officer Basic Course.
Click to expand...

I talked to the recruiter, and my MOS of choice is military intelligence - my GT score is 144, so I think I qualify for it - 🙂

From the sounds of things, I'll be sent to Fort Benning as well.

edit: Oddly enough, I got my BA in Philosophy as well (12/05)! From a state school nontheless! :Q
 
Originally posted by: JDMnAR1
Originally posted by: Jehovah
Well, the way I understand it, basic training is "included" in the OCS program - meaning, once I get accepted into OCS as a civilian, they simultaneously assign basic training with the OCS assignment and one will lead into the other.
Click to expand...

Yep, that is about the way it works - or at least was for the Air Force when I took the AFOQT. With no prior military experience, they run you through basic first, and then assuming you complete that satisfactorily, you go on to the rest of OCS.
Click to expand...

That's NOT how it works in the Army. You must enlist, complete Basic Training and AIT, then when you get to your first assignment you can apply to OCS. No guarantees whatsoever.

OCS is very tough, the washout rate is over 50%. My class started with about 130 or so and we graduated about 60. Even then, you have to complete Officer Basic Course for whatever branch you picked or were assigned to. Some are easier than others. You can figure on being in schools for the better part of 2 years just to come out as a trained 2nd Lieutenant.

Which reminds me a of a joke......

What's teh difference between a PFC (private first class) and a 2nd Lieutenant?

The PFC has had two promotions!
 
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