Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 12/16/2007

Question
QUESTION: Colonel, after I receive my 4 year degree, will I be able to go right into OCS in the Army after basic training or are there other requirements I have to meet? And will I have to take the ASVAB?

ANSWER: Dear Frank --

Unless you are able to talk a specialty branch (medical or legal usually) into granting you a direct commission, you will have to complete basic training and OCS.  You should not have to do any other training between basic training and OCS, if OCS is a rider on your enlistment contract, and you do well in basic training.  

If you enlist, you will have to take the ASVAB which helps, in part, to determine your "quality" as a recruit.  

Another alternative, is to join a Reserve Officer Training Corps near your college, as a non-scholarhip cadet.  You would attend basic training one summer, and then attand officer training then next summer.  When you graduate you would receive your commission, and go to your officer specialty training.

If you need college loans paid off, your best option is to enlist with the college loan payment bonus, and an OCS rider.

Good luck to you.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So basically what I can do is continue pursing my current major and during this summer go to a ROTC program at another college for basic training then when fall comes go back to my college and continue my studies then the next summer do my officer training back at the other college then go to back to my college for the fall of that year and upon graduation from my college I receive commission from one school and my degree from the other?

Answer
Dear Frank --

Please see my answer to your other question.

You can stay at your college and take ROTC at a nearby college.  You will need to be close enough to the ROTC college to take classes at least one day a week, and go on a training weekend once a semester.

For example, MIT has a strong ROTC program for all the military services.  Students from Harvard, Wellesley, Tufts, and another school I cannot recall, all take their ROTC training at MIT.  ROTC pays the maximum allowable tuition assistance to the school they attend, and the cadre at MIT trains them in military skills.  They receive their degree from their parent college and their commission from the MIT ROTC program.

Please let me know if you need more clarification.  I hope you can find a good program nearby.