There are four ways to become a U.S. Army officer:
- Study at West Point.
- Study at a University that has a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program that includes private military universities, such as. the Citadel.
- With the Green to Gold program.
- As a soldier, after you apply, along with letters of recommendation from your superiors, e.g. by the Battalion Commander and you are admitted to the Officer Candidate School (OCS).
The U.S. Army requires about 6,000 lieutenants a year, making a total of both the Active Component, the National Guard, Component 2, and the Army Reserve (Component 3).
Of these four modes, ROTC produces the largest percentage of officers, about 70% each year. It is followed by West Point, with about 1,400 graduates and OCS with about 400 per year. Let’s see in detail how everyone works. Specifically:
West Point
To be admitted to West Point, one of the best universities in America, one must have very good grades in high school. Also to have shown that he has leadership skills e.g. through participation in various programs and activities, school or extracurricular. For example, he may be the president of the Student Council or the leader of the football team, or he may participate in a volunteer team. Another route is to propose for the School by a Member of Parliament the Senator of his area (there is a limit to how many can be proposed by each).
He then goes through an interview, medical and sports tests and has to go through the general selection process one month before enrolling at West Point. He must also be an American citizen, unmarried, not pregnant, at least 17 years old and up to 23 (July 1 of the year of registration) and not be responsible for the financial maintenance of children.
If he is accepted, after four years of study (academic and military) he gets his degree which is offered in 37 specialties and is called Lieutenant.
ROTC
This is one of the top leadership programs in the USA. A student who wants to become an officer in the US Army can start the registration process from the 11th grade of High School or from the 12th. He must then be admitted to a University which has a ROTC department. The program is divided into three stages and is done in parallel with the academic studies.
The first stage is the Basic Course, where any freshman or sophomore can participate, without any commitment to a career in the Army, and learn basic military skills and the basics of leadership. It usually includes an elective course and a workshop every six months, along with the required physical training and regular Field Training Exercises.
The next stage is the Basic Camp, for those who join the Army ROTC after the first two years of university or if they are transferring from another university and want to move on to the Advanced Course. Basic Camp is a 31-day training in both theory and field and takes place every summer at Fort Knox. Those who go through this process will enroll in the Advanced Course and sign a contract with the Army to serve counts from their graduation.
Advanced Course: This program is for third-year students so you are now committed to becoming an officer. You learn advanced military strategies and tactics of a Battalion / Infantry Battalion, and the duties of a Squadron Leader, Battalion Commander and Staff. Between the 3rd and 4th year, the Probationers will go to the Advanced Camp this summer. This is designed to train all ROTC testers through leadership development exercises in real-world scenarios.
The Advanced Camp is a rigorous 35-day training, where each Probationer will be evaluated on his leadership skills, both in the position of Division or Battalion Commander, but also as a commander and how he cooperates with others. This is the most important evaluation phase in the ROTC and the score determines, up to a point, the officer’s initial career.
In the 4th year of study, the fourth-year students have leading positions in the Battalion of Trials and are responsible for the preparation and training of the Trials together with the military teachers.
Every year, the Army provides $250 million in annual scholarships for the entire program, while there are 1,000+ partner schools across the country. There is also a $ 420 per month subsistence allowance, and 100% university tuition coverage based on student performance.
So anyone who participates in ROTC can study for free, but then has the obligation to serve for 8 years as an officer, either in the Tactical Army, or in the National Guard or in the Reserve.
Green to Gold
A program for the evolution of soldiers who want to go from “Green” (khaki of the uniform) to “Gold” (the color of the lieutenant’s insignia). So the soldier can go to a college that offers a ROTC program, with a scholarship for his degree and then serve as an officer.
Candidate School Officer
The OCS is open to civilians, active-duty soldiers, reservists and National Guard soldiers with at least a university degree. It offers intensive military training, while preparing you for a career in fields such as engineering, finance, communications and more. At OCS you will be trained for 12 weeks. This includes two phases of advanced classroom instruction and field training as part of a small group.
Phase 1:
You learn the basics of tenure (weeks 1-6). Physical and mental challenges will test your determination to excel in the basic leadership skills required of an officer. You will have to pass the army fitness test, the track and field and the water combat survival test.
Phase 2
You apply the skills in the field (weeks 7-12). Here, the candidate is assessed for his / her ability to lead a team during an intense 18-day mission. This phase also includes Senior Leader seminars and the Transitioning to Becoming Commissioned Officer course.
Prerequisites for participation in the OCS: Concerns US citizens who have obtained their degree until taking office. The general age requirement is between 19 and 32 years. The candidate must also meet the requirements to receive a Secret level.
If he is already in the military, he can not have more than six years of active service before joining the OCS. Citizens must first complete 10 weeks of basic education before attending OCS.
In practice, of these 4 “paths” to taking up the duties of an officer, there are no major differences in terms of grade development, although West Point graduates have small advantages. However, everyone has the opportunity to develop to the highest rank, ie as lieutenants general.
In the history of the Army there are several 4-star Generals who were from ROTC or OCS. E.g. In 1960, General George H. Decker became the first ROTC graduate to be named Army Chief of Staff. General Colin Powell was the first ROTC graduate to be named Joint Chiefs of Staff, a graduate of New York City College, and later served as Secretary of State.
After all, the promotion to the final ranks of lieutenant general and general is made after a proposal of the President of the USA, which is ratified by the Senate. Lieutenant generals and generals are nominated on merit, not partisan criteria, they go through an investigation before going to the Senate where they will take an affidavit and answer questions.
An officer’s career is considered successful if he reaches the rank of lieutenant colonel. This is because to this extent, if you are not promoted a second time, then you are demobilized. So from the rank of lieutenant to lieutenant colonel there is no certainty that you will evolve.
Then from lieutenant colonel to colonel the promotion rate is below 20% with the first and below 2% with the second. From colonel to brigadier general, the officer must have already served in an interdisciplinary position, and the promotion rate is below 4%.
