I'm TXARNG, and recently received an offer to attend OCS, but I'm not positive I want to take it, and I'm looking for advice.

During my time at A&M, and in the Corps, commissioning was what I dreamed about. However, life didn't quite work out as planned, and now I'm enlisted... but I love my job.

I'm a medic, and the idea of trading my aid bag in for power point slides sounds horrid. I can do it, and I reasonably believe I could handle the job of a LT just fine, but I'm not sure that I want to.

The flip side is the guard only occupies roughly 7% of my time each year. Having that gold bar and resume line items is great for the civilian world, and probably more useful than my medical knowledge.

I'm having trouble deciding if the potential future benefit outweighs what I currently do.

You will not be leaving your medical background, it is still with you; you will only be moving into a position where you will gain new responsibilities. The fact that you were enlisted first, will likely earn you the respect of those who are placed under your command and as long as you don't forget the lessons that you have already learned, I think it would be a good move for you.

Just my $0.02, but I say go for it.

"Those that beat their swords into plowshares are destined to plow for those who do not." - Murphy's Laws of Combat

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace,his goods are in peace." - Luke 11:21

When I went from E-6 to 0-1 my pay doubled...
That was a major factor for me...

If you are a medtech it is fairly easy to get Uncle Sam to foot the bill and send you on to PA school or NP school.

Do the PA program if you go that route. Definitely worth it to keep the medical background etc.

Meh, I went through the IPAP at Fort Sham. It's a good program if you want to be a medical provider. It's a terrible program if you want to be a Soldier or leader. The prevailing attitude, and the one promulgated by the faculty, is that providers in the Army are actually what is important to the Army and the rest just happens. As a captain, I got into a spirited discussion with a major (instructor) about whether medical profiles are ironclad orders or recommendations to the commander - a subset of the constant discussion of whether providers work for commanders to keep Joe in the fight or if providers work to protect Joe.

I finished the first year, refused to take the second year or the PANCE and returned to the operational force. If you want to be a Soldier, steer clear of the IPAP.

[This message has been edited by Tango Mike (edited 12/9/2013 12:23p).]

I don't recall anyone in the medical field leading crap. But this should be a simple decision...more doors will open for you in the officer corps.

The Army needs qualified officers, and OCSers provide a great wealth of experience (for the most part). However, if your heart isn't in it, don't do it. I'd suggest the ol' Ben Franklin approach. Take a piece of paper, fold it in half, write pros on one side and cons on the other. Be objective. Whichever side has more wins, in theory.

Retired TxANRG here. Spent a couple of CPT years as an instructor at Camp Mabry for OCS. Years ago but some things don't change much.

If you are thinking about getting a commission and staying in the TxARNG you need to consider SERIOUSLY where your civilian job/career will take you geographically. And what units will be within ~50 miles of your home. As a Company Grade officer, you realistically need to live within 50 miles of your drill armory to stay in touch and be an effective leader in your unit. Not an iron clad rule but something I observed/validated over ~21 years in the Guard. You can realistically see/forecast about 5 years into your officer future, for you starting off - your LT and junior CPT years.

Picking a workable Branch is the most important choice you will make at the end of OCS. Need to pick a Branch that will be compatible with the unit/s you will be in over your first 5 years - see above. Pick a Branch you can 'grow' with - series of reasonable assignments that will be relatively close by your home. I saw several times kids making it thru OCS picking a poor Branch assignment because they thought they would like it, only to find that the closest slots for that branch were hundreds of miles away. As a new 2LT you are not going to drive 200 miles to drill for very long. Trust me. Know the unit you want to be a 2LT in and what career path, slot wise, you can expect. Don't go in (_,_) first, you won't last and all the hassle you go thru becoming and staying an officer will wind up in the trash bin. Seen it too many times.

Picking a Branch as an Officer is like getting married. Very hard to fix if you pick poorly. Get some advice from older Officers whom you trust. Ask questions. Listen.

Thank y'all, I really appreciate the insight.

Definitely a lot to consider, and I'm already driving almost 200 miles to drill each month.