Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/MIlitary Reserve Direct Appointment Programs

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Expert: Rod Powers - 5/25/2007


Question
Rod:

Can you tell me which service branch offers the best Reserve opportunities relative to securing a Direct officer Appointment/Commission. I am 48 years old - non prior - College Grad (BS in Business). I am single - have just sold my business and I'm looking for a new challenge. In the course of my career, I have managed 100's of employees.

Are there certain back doors for securing a direct commission at my age, i.e. medical service corps or supply corps within a given branch - as an administrator, Warrent Officer, etc.

Also, what is the current status of the US Maritime Service - are there direct Appointment programs available in the Merchant Marine - as a backdoor to a US Naval Reserve Commission or US Coast Guard Reserve Commission.

In addition, are there any unique Army or Air National Guard direct appointment programs out there under which I might qualify.

Finally, if successful in securing a direct appointment - what is the criteria for entering at an advanced officer rank given one's education and experience - in my case over 25 years of managerial and administrative experience in a variety of disciplines.

I do not look my age, and my health is excellent. Most guys at the gym where I workout 3 times a week are in their 20's and 30's and I have no problem keeping up with them.

Just curious to see if there is still an opportunity to serve at my age in a professional capacity

Regard's

Robert  

Answer
Hi Robert,

I'm afraid I don't have good news for you. A "Direct Appointment/Commission" is only available in certain fields. Those fields include doctor, nurse, lawyer, and (in some branches) engineer. A BS degree is business doesn't qualify you for a direct commission in any of the services.

I'm afraid you're too old for a regular commission in any of the branches. The maximum age for a regular commission in the Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserves is 42 years old, and in the other branches it's 35 years old.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com

Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard

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Rod Powers

Expertise

Rod Powers is considered one of the premire experts about U.S. Military career information on the planet. He has more than 30,000 articles about U.S. Military career information on the About.com U.S. Military Careers Information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com. Additionally, he is the author of "ASVAB for Dummies," "ASVAB AFQT for Dummies," (available in Dec 2009), and "Veteran Benefits for Dummies," all published by Wiley Publishing. He is also the author of "Barrons' Guide to Officer Candidate School Tests," published by Barron's Educational Series.

Experience

Rod Powers is a retired Air Force first sergeant, with 23 years of active duty service, 11 of those years as an Air Force First Sergeant. He has helped thousands of military members, recruits, and military applicants since he took over the About.com U.S Military Careers Information site in 1999. He has a reputation for "telling it like it is," so questions may not be answered based on "what you want to hear," but will be answered based of the bast available information, concerning the service/situation.

Education/Credentials
Rod is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Noncommissioned Officers Academy, the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and the Air Force First Sergeant Academy. He also holds an Associates Degree in Personnel Administration from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).

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