The Ultimate Officer Candidate School Guidebook

Book excerpt: A comprehensive guide to the process of applying and earning your commission. Are you a former soldier, sailor, or airman who left the service without making the most of your potential? Are you a leader in the civilian sector who knows you have more to give back to the country you love? If so, you should consider entering the Army, Army Reserves, or Army National Guard, earn your commission as a Second Lieutenant, and begin or restart an exciting career as a leader in the world's best military. The Ultimate Officer Candidate School Guidebook explains everything you need to know to achieve these goals. Earning the right to become a US Army officer is an honor and a privilege, and the deck is stacked against those over twenty-five because of the rigorous, time-consuming training. However, you can attend OCS to earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant if you: are between eighteen and forty have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college have or can attain a minimum GT score of 110 can pass an Army Physical Fitness Test Getting accepted to OCS is not automatic, and your choice of when and where to enter is limited. Federal OCS, held at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the many state traditional and fast-track programs offer potential officer candidates a choice about how and when to earn their commission. In this book, an OCS graduate and former TAC Officer offers nineteen chapters of information to guide potential candidates down the path of earning a commission in the Army. It covers everything from the application process, to stressers from TAC officers while attending OCS, to deciding what branch to choose upon earning your commission. It even includes pages with pre-made terrain model kits to assist you while attending OCS, for those who are serious about leadership and finishing strong. Are you up to the challenge?