Expert: Rod Powers - 11/14/2007

Question
hi there, i am an occupational therapist, interested in a change of rhythm & routine,

would it be possible for me to enlist with the navy/airforce & work as an Occupational therapist?


Answer
Hi Safeera,

Hmmmm...... First of all, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the job, "occupational therapist?" What does an "occupational therapist" do?

Second of all, the subject of your message is about getting into the "Army," but the "body" of your question asks about the Navy and/or Air Force. Which service are you interested in joining, the Army, or the Navy/Air Force?

Assuming I understand what you mean by "occupational therapist," the closest enlisted job in the Air Force (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjobs.htm) would probably be "Public Heath" (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob4e0x1.htm), or "Bio-Environmental Engineering," (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob4b0x1.htm), or possibly "Mental Health Services" (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob4c0x1.htm). The entire list of Air Force enlisted jobs which fall into the medical community can be viewed at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjobmedical.htm

The problem is, of all the active duty services (except the Coast Guard), one is the least likely to be "guaranteed" a specific job for Air Force enlistments, than most of the other branches (see Part II of my "What the Recruiter Never Told You" article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter3.htm).

For Navy enlistments, everyone who enlists in the Navy in any kind of medical field, enlists as a general "HM" (Hospitalman -- see general Navy enlisted ratings at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjob1/a/navyjobs.htm and the HM rating in particular at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjob1/a/hm.htm).

After a year or two serving in the general HM rating, one can apply to "specialize," by applying for a HM-related NEC (Navy Enlisted Classification Code -- see: http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navynec/blnec.htm). If I understand the job of "Occupational Therapist," correctly, the closest Navy NEC would be NEC 8467 (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navynec/blhm8467.htm).

However, as I said above, you would not be able to enlist directly into this job. You would first have to enlist as a general HM, perform a year or two in this general medical duty, then apply for the specific NEC.

For Army enlistments, I don't see any Medical job (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjobs/a/68.htm), which would equate to a position of "Occupational therapist," unless it was possibly MOS 68S-Preventive MedicIne Specialist (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjobs/a/68.htm).

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