Going officer p1 - Military Career Advancement - Military Times Edge

When Marine Sgt. Martin Harris decided it was time to take the next step, he took the quickest way up the ladder.

Seven years into his service, Harris will be going back to school in the fall through the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Educational Program, the most popular enlisted-to-officer commissioning program in the Marine Corps. While Harris will use GI Bill money to cover the cost of schooling, the Marine Corps will keep him on full pay. “I get to continue to be a Marine while I attend school. Then when I am commissioned as a second lieutenant I won’t have any broken time or gaps in my career.”

Most of the services have multiple routes to go from E to O and get a college degree along the way; some allow you to remain on active duty, some pay tuition, some do both. The five scholarship programs that produce the most officer candidates are very competitive, but for many, the broadest avenue is also the surest road to success.

Navy

The most active Navy program is Seaman to Admiral-21, which is open to enlisted personnel of all pay grades and ratings. It provides 36 months of full-time, year-round study toward a bachelor’s degree, during which time the sailor remains on active duty with pay, allowances, benefits and privileges. Selectees receive an education voucher for up to $10,000 per year to cover tuition, fees and book costs.

Just because it is the most-used route doesn’t mean STA-21 is an easy ride. Last year more than 1,000 sailors applied and only 226 made the final cut.

The paperwork can be intimidating, but a sailor “should not be daunted by the application process,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mia Wilke of the Naval Service Training Command Officer Development Candidate Guidance office. “While it may seem like a lot of paperwork to gather, this allows STA-21 board members a better view into each sailor’s background.”

https://www.sta-21.navy.mil

Coast Guard

Up-and-coming Coast Guardsmen who need a degree can make their way through the Pre-Commissioning Program for Enlisted Personnel. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree already in progress; the service will pay for students to study full-time for one or two years. To make the grade, candidates must be ages 21 to 32 with at least four years in service. Successful candidates remain on active duty, and get tuition, fees and books paid for, along with a guaranteed spot in Officer Candidate School.

Though popular, the program is not for everyone. Twenty-five Coast Guardsmen apply each year and four to six are accepted.

“The Coast Guard always looks for people who go above and beyond,” said CWO Scott Carr of Coast Guard Recruiting. “In our normal marking and evaluation process you can rank from 1 to a 7, with 7 being an outstanding Coastie. If you are always a 7, if you are constantly exceeding the expectations of your pay grade, those are the things that are going to set you apart.”

www.gocoastguard.com, then follow Find Your Fit

Marine Corps

While enlisted Marines can make their way up the ladder by several routes, most gravitate toward the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program, through which candidates stay on active duty with full pay and benefits for up to four years of school. Students pay for their own tuition. The program drew more than 400 applicants in FY 2010; 100 were accepted.

To stand out among other applicants, perform at your top level every day.

“You want to be the guy in your shop who people go to for help, who they go to for guidance when they need to get something done,” said Capt. Adam Scott, head of regular officer programs at Marine Corps Recruiting Command. “You are the guy who gets it done and gets it done right the first time. When you finish the work you say: What else have you got for me? You have to be a go-getter.”

http://officer.marines.com, then follow the “Making Marine Officers” link

Army

Green to Gold, a flexible program that offers two-, three- and four-year scholarships, is the most popular way for enlisted soldiers without a degree to snag a second lieutenant bar. The program had 169 applicants for the 2009-2010 academic year and awarded 51 scholarships.

Candidates can win full tuition along with $1,200 for books and a monthly stipend up to $500. Alternately, there is a two-year “active-duty option” through which enlisted members can remain on active duty while studying full time; in this case there is no scholarship.

“Most people want the active-duty option because they can continue to care for their families, they can maintain their pay and benefits,” said Joyce Bryant, Program Manager for Green to Gold at Army Cadet Command.

The key to success is to get help early, either through Bryant’s office or Green to Gold experts within one’s battalion. “Some of the forms are a little tricky and these people can help with that, making sure they are filling out the information right, making sure the documentation is correct,” she said. “The best thing you can do when you need specific guidance is to call Cadet Command.”

www.goarmy.com/rotc/enlisted_soldiers.jsp

Air Force

Two Air Force programs offer roughly equal numbers of spots for enlisted personnel who want to go officer. Virtually all candidates are accepted into the 120 slots in the Airman Education and Commissioning Program, which offers active duty pay and benefits along with $15,000 a year for tuition. The only catch: Students must pursue subjects needed by the service, including nursing, engineering, math and science. Applicants must be under 30, have one year in service and be accepted into a school offering a relevant degree. The program is good for up to three years.

For airmen interested in the Air Force Academy, the Leaders Encouraging Airman Development program sets aside 85 direct-entry slots for enlisted airmen annually. Ten percent of applicants get in. Another 50 spaces are available in a preparatory school program for those who need to augment their academic backgrounds; 20 percent get in. Airmen must be U.S. citizens or be able to obtain citizenship before entry into the academy the following year, be unmarried and have no dependents, must not have passed their 22nd birthday by July 1 of the entry year, be of high moral character and have less than six years of service.

“Your duty performance is probably the most critical” factor in an application to LEAD, said Col. Vic Sowers, chief of commissioning and force development programs. “You want to be out there doing a tremendous job in whatever your duties may be. You want to demonstrate to your commander that you have the potential to succeed in the course.”

www.afoats.af.mil/afrotc/ and follow the AFROTC link

www.academyadmissions.com, “Airman Applicant” link