Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 1/20/2008

Question
Colonel, i have decided to save the military for later and first finish my degree. Thank you for all your assistance. But I do have one question. Even though I plan to get my bachelors degree in Health Information management soon, if I were to get a master's degree in Health Administration later on down the road and then join the military, could I get direct commission as a Lt. Colonel in that field since that is one of the officer jobs in the military?

Answer
Dear Frank --

No, you cannot get a direct commission to Lieutenant Colonel no matter how many degrees you have.  The best you can do is direct commission to Major (or the equivalent in the other services).  However, the degree you plan to get is not one that qualifies for special rank upon direct commission.

Direct commissions are usually bestowed on professionals only.  That means practicing physicians who have passed their board certifications in at least one state, or practicing lawyers who have passed their bar exams in at least one state.  Sometimes, a Ph.D. will qualify for direct commission in a field the military has been unable to recruit for, such as an entomologist, a large animal vet, or an expert in nuclear physics.  However those needs change monthly as requirements get filled or come open.  

If you are just trying to avoid basic training, or boot camp, I highly recommend ROTC since it's boot camp is the most "gentlemanly" of all boot camps.  Direct commissions are exceedingly difficult to come by, and Officer Candidate School (OCS) will be more difficult than ROTC basic camp.  

Good luck to you.