| In the Army National Guard, there are a few ways | | | | how it works. You visit the ROTC department and |
| to become a Second Lieutenant. Let's cover them in | | | | sign up for a ROTC class each semester. During your |
| brief detail. | | | | first two years of college, you can take these |
| Army National Guard OCS: This is a great way to get | | | | classes without incurring a military obligation. |
| commissioned. The purpose of OCS is to transform | | | | At the start of your junior year you must commit to |
| you from a Soldier into an effective military leader. | | | | the program. You must "sign a contract" agreeing to |
| Here's how it works. You can attend the state-level | | | | serve in the Army National Guard or Active Duty |
| OCS at your state's Regional Training Institute, | | | | commitment after graduation. Once you graduate, |
| whereupon you do 16-18 weekends (one per month) | | | | you are commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. ROTC |
| over a 16-18 month period. You also complete two | | | | is the route I took and it worked for me well. |
| different two-week periods. Once you finish the | | | | Other commissioning sources are military academies |
| program, you are commissioned as a Second | | | | such as Valley Force, the Citadel and West Point. I've |
| Lieutenant. This is a great route to take if you have | | | | never heard of an officer getting commissioned into |
| a job or career or are a full-time student. | | | | the National Guard from West Point or the Citadel, |
| The next OCS option is to participate in the National | | | | but I do know that some of the smaller military |
| Guard Bureau accelerated OCS Program, where you | | | | schools commission their students after two years. |
| complete an 8-week block of instruction and get | | | | At that point, they will enroll in a 4 year college to |
| commissioned upon graduation. The final option is the | | | | finish their education requirements. They will serve in |
| Federal level 14-week OCS Program. All OCS | | | | the National Guard part-time while they are students. |
| Programs have advantages and disadvantages. Your | | | | These are the major ways to get commissioned as a |
| goals and time available will determine which option is | | | | Second Lieutenant. All methods require hard work |
| best for you. | | | | and a level of personal sacrifice. But, the rewards are |
| ROTC: Another great way to earn your commission | | | | worth the efforts. |
| is to enroll in ROTC at an accredited college. Here's | | | | |