Military Careers, commissioning programs - Marine Corps Times

Commissioning programs: Army

There are four routes to obtaining a commission as a U.S. Army officer: West Point Military Academy, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Officer Candidate School or a warrant officer application.

To go to the Army’s military academy, applicants must have high SAT or ACT scores, a high school diploma or equivalent. Soldiers must have their commander’s endorsement.Applicants must be under 23, single and deemed to be of high moral character. Another option for going to West Point is to first apply for the Preperatory School at Fort Monmouth in New Jersey. West Point takes about 200 soldiers a year.

To attend Officer Candidate School, soldiers must have at least a 110 General Technical Aptitude Test Score on the Army entrance exam, pass the SAT or ACT, pass a physical fitness exam, have a secret security clearance, be able to obtain a bachelor’s degree in less than one year, and

OCS lasts 14 weeks and includes intense physical and leadership training, as well as academic training.

ROTC training is provided by state universities and colleges throughout the nation. While earning a bachelor’s degree paid for by the Army, soldiers also earn a commission by attending military science courses during the academic year, and infantry-skills training during breaks.

Soldiers must be younger than 23 when school starts, have a high school diploma or GED, have no criminal record, apply for and be admitted at the college, and earn a 1000 on the SAT or 45 on the ACT.

Warrant officers are soldiers who specialize in a specific area throughout their careers. They make up only 3 percent of the Army, and soldiers apply by filling out an Army application, then attending the six-week Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Soldiers must have a GT score of 110 or higher, a secret security clearance and they pass the physical fitness test. Aviators may be any rank, and soldiers from other fields must be at least a sergeant.

For more information about attending West Point: http://admissions.usma.edu/soldiers/

For more information about ROTC: http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/how_to_enroll_enlisted.jsp

For more information about OCS: http://www.goarmy.com/ocs/index.jsp

For more information about becoming a warrant officer: http://www.goarmy.com/about/warrant_officer.jsp