Fact Sheets

Officership Q&A

Q. Why is the Army promoting Officership?

A. The general public has a lack of knowledge of what it means to be an Army Officer, how to become one, the value of being an Army Officer and the many opportunities that the Officership paths provide. Officership provides college graduates an option for a rewarding career while serving our country.

Q. What is the goal of the Officership campaign?

A. The main goals of the Officership campaign are:

To educate prospects and their influencers on the opportunities available through Army Officership and the value of being an Army Officer.
To communicate the various paths to Army Officership.
To increase Army Officer diversity by raising Officership awareness among minority communities.
To gain advocates across the country who will support and disseminate the Army Officership messages.
To make prospects aware there are numerous paths to become an Army Officer.

Q. How will the Officership PR campaign achieve this?

A. The Army will reach out to prospects and potential advocates through a series of Officer panel discussions and influencer information sessions at select universities across the country. It will also conduct targeted media outreach and integrate with existing Army programs, where appropriate, to spread the Officership message.

Q. Are actual Officers being used in the advertising?

A. Yes, every uniformed Officer in the spots, videos and other materials is a real Army Officer. Because Army Officership is a special trust and confidence bestowed by the President of the United States, an actor should never portray an Army Officer in Army advertising.

Q. What do Officers think about the campaign?

A. U.S. Army Officers have been fully involved in the development, production and launch of this campaign. Many Officers have seen the TV spots, web videos and other materials. They have told us that the Army Officership campaign embodies the spirit of an Army Officer. The campaign gives them renewed pride in being Army Officers.

Q. What are the main opportunities Officership provides?

A. Army Officership is a proven path to lifelong success. It provides various opportunities to develop exceptional skills in leadership, problem solving and mentoring. Army Officers impact the success of our nation and their generation as leaders.

Q. What career options do Army Officers have?

A. Army Officers have many career options from which to choose. They may choose Active Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard service. They may remain in the Army for a few years, make a career in the Army or apply their advanced skills to various civilian careers.

Q. How do skills acquired as an Officer transfer to careers in the civilian community?

A. Not only do Army Officers gain leadership experience, they also acquire tangible skills that can be transferred to virtually any profession – both in the Army and the civilian community.

Army Officers have achieved success across a number of career fields. Many choose to stay in the Army to lead in defending the freedoms of our nation – Officers such as General David Petraeus and General Colin Powell. Others go on to achieve great success as leaders in the civilian community – people such as Coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke University and Joe DePinto, the CEO of 7-Eleven.

No matter what direction an individual may choose to pursue in the future, Army Officership builds the foundation for professional development and success that endures throughout a lifetime.

Q. What type of person is the U.S. Army trying to reach with its Officership campaign?

A. The U.S. Army seeks to reach young men and women who aspire to become the leaders of their generation. This campaign is designed to inform them, their families and their friends about what it means to be an Army Officer, the opportunities Officership provides and the four paths available to achieve the goal of being an Army Officer.

Q. Why would someone choose to be an Officer in the U.S. Army?

A. For more than 230 years, the U.S. Army has been securing and defending our freedom. Army Officers have been leaders in peace and in war, from General George Washington to the young Army Officers serving with distinction today. They have set the example by inspiring strength in others through their values, their devotion to the ideals of our nation and their dedication to success.

Q. How does someone decide if Officership is the right path?

A. If an individual aspires to be a leader, a mentor, someone who inspires strength and is not intimidated by a tough challenge, then Army Officership is the right path.

Q. Does the Army provide Officers with college funding or scholarships?

A. The U.S. Army Officership paths offer young adults benefits including college tuition, scholarships and leadership training.

Q. What are the tangible and intangible benefits of becoming an Officer?

A. The ultimate embodiment of Army Strong, Commissioned Officers are the leaders of the Army. They lead Soldiers during every aspect of a mission and are problem solvers. They make decisions quickly, always focusing on completing the mission successfully and showing respect for their subordinates. Commissioned Officers lead from the front and adjust to environments that are always changing. To be a Commissioned Officer is to be respected as a Soldier, an inspiring leader and a servant of our nation. These are invaluable benefits that are the foundation for achieving success both throughout an Army Officer’s military career and beyond.

Q. What are the different paths available to become an Officer?

A. There are four paths to become an Officer, the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), the Direct Commission program, Officer Candidate School (OCS) and the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Q. What are the specific requirements for pursuing an Officership path?

A. Each Army Officership path has slightly different requirements.

Army ROTC

This path provides college students the opportunity to train to become Army Officers. Cadets take a curriculum of elective leadership and military courses in addition to the coursework for their major. Cadets can receive scholarship benefits and a monthly stipend to assist with college expenses.

To enroll in Army ROTC an individual must be:

Accepted or enrolled in one of more than 1,100 participating colleges or universities in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico
At least 17 years old and not have reached his/her 32nd birthday upon commissioningA U.S. citizen
Physically fit

To find programs offered by specific universities, visit http://www.goarmy.com/rotc

Direct Commission

Each professional branch of the Army (the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, the Chaplain Corps and the Medical Corps) has its own Officer training program that allows civilian degreed professionals to apply to receive a Direct Commission in their career field. Training time for Direct Commission Officers varies depending on the career field and generally includes courses in military history, Army leadership and career-specific courses designed to adapt civilian skills to Army practices.

Enlisted Soldiers in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard who have an undergraduate or graduate degree also can apply for a Direct Commission in other career branches.

To apply for a Direct Commission, an individual must be:

Within the age requirements (varies by professional career field and age waivers may be considered)
A U.S. citizen
A college graduate
Physically fit

Officer Candidate School

OCS is for those who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree. Candidates without prior Army service will attend Basic Training and OCS, and Candidates with prior Army service will attend OCS. Candidates learn to lead through a challenging curriculum of classroom and field training experiences.

To attend Officer Candidate School, an individual must be: