Being entrusted with defending your nation’s constitution and its citizens’ security is a unique privilege earned with determination and hard work and a noble duty discharged with courage and integrity. As the highest ranks in the American army, Commissioned Army Officers hold presidential commission and... Continue Reading
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What are the typical responsibilities of a Commissioned Army Officer?
A Commissioned Army Officer would typically need to:
The branch or functional area the officers choose to be a part of is the key determinant of their work environment. Other factors that the work environment depends on include the nature of the deployment and the locations where personnel are needed at any given time.
For example, Combat Special Officers and Artillery Officers work from control centres and out in the field during combat situations or exercises. They may also work in army aircraft or aboard military vessels. Armoured Assault Vehicle Officers must train under simulated combat conditions, work under harsh weather, and sleep outdoors and in tents. They work in offices when not in active training.
While developing disaster response plans, Emergency Management Officers work in offices. They work outdoors when visiting a shelter or while engaged in disaster management. Healthcare Officers, when not deployed, serve at a medical treatment facility, such as an army hospital or clinic.
Transportation Officers travel extensively across air, sea, rail, & ground depending on the goods to be transported. Support Services Officers work indoors and outdoors when planning, organising or conducting recreational activities.
Willingness to travel to near and distant locations or even overseas as needed is critical with most career paths as a Commissioned Army Officer. You must abide at all times by the specific guidelines about appearance, uniform and behaviour.
While forty-hour weeks are typical, Commissioned Army Officers may work odd and long hours given the nature of the requirements. Field duty tends to be long, while regular administrative work in the office may follow a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, Monday to Friday.
Whether you are on full-time active duty or part-time reserve service also determines your work schedule. Active-duty officers are entitled to their time off and vacations, but they must remain ready to work round the clock if required. Reservists may be called upon to serve in active duty when there is a national cause.
Deployments may be short or long-term as well as indefinite, depending on their nature and location. You must be on active duty to be deployed. However, you will likely get your weekends and holidays off if you are on active duty but not deployed. Deployments to other countries or war zones are regular features for active-duty officers. Cycles run for six or nine months or up to a year, as determined by your branch of service. Typically, the intervals between deployments can last a year or 18 months during which you train, depending on the nature of your next deployment and your role.
You must also devote the necessary time to maintain your fitness, often early in the morning before reporting to duty.
Candidates for the role of Commissioned Army Officer in the US Army must have the requisite capabilities. Contact your local recruiter to learn about the documentation involved during the admission process, which would eventually lead you to receive a presidential commission and Senate confirmation.
Commissioned Army Officers are generally employed by:
Professional associations and organisations, such as the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), are crucial for Commissioned Army Officers interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. SAME is one of the premier professional military engineering associations in the US. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.
A candidate for a Commissioned Army Officer must start prepping their skills at the earliest, ideally in high school. Engaging in activities and programs that help develop their abilities, focusing on leadership and their versatility, would be helpful when applying to join any of the four pathways to earning a commission.
Enrolling in sports during high school and college extends your proficiency in training outdoors, team building, time management & prioritisation, mutual responsibility, handling criticism, and performing well under pressure. Earning a varsity letter and becoming the captain for your team in the sport you participate in proves your dedication to achieving your aspiration to join the military as a Commissioned Army Officer.
You may enlist in Cadet Initial Entry Training (CIET), a training program that assesses and builds leadership qualities. It gives trainees multiple scenarios, enabling them to polish the decision-making and critical thinking skills necessary to set off on the path to becoming a Commissioned Army Officer.
Those selected for a direct commission among current or ex-military officers should note that their commission would depend upon the nature of their experience in the military.
Interview or job shadow Commissioned Army Officers and read about the profession to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for candidates to become Commissioned Army Officers. You may not have a degree to begin with, but you can earn your commission only after you become a college graduate.
Four main pathways help you secure a commission: the US Military Academy, the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps, the Officer Candidate School, or the Direct Commission method. It is mandatory to be at least 17 years of age to enter any pathway (and under 31 in the year of receiving your commission), a high school graduate, and a US citizen or a permanent resident with a valid Green Card. In addition, you must have passed the requisite medical and physical exams and security clearance and be in good moral standing.
Candidates may apply to the highly competitive US Military Academy in New York, which offers fully-funded bachelor's degrees in STEM and the liberal arts. You would typically need to commit to serving as an officer for a set period upon graduation. Begin prepping in high school by collecting leadership testimonials and conducting and participating in community work.
The academy offers majors in several disciplines, such as the various branches of engineering, the sciences, mathematics, military history, environmental science, information technology, languages, sociology, psychology, political science & government, economics, international relations & affairs, kinesiology, legal studies, business administration & management, and operations research. You will receive your commission as a second lieutenant upon graduation and nomination by US senators and representatives.
The second pathway is the Army ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps), a college program available at more than 300 institutions and more than 1,000 colleges and universities. Students can attend college while simultaneously training to be Army Officers. The first two years of college span an introductory or ROTC Basic Course, after which you can opt out without compulsion to join the army, provided you have not received a scholarship. Those on a scholarship continue into the Advanced Course for the final two years and, depending on the period of the scholarship, must commit to the mandatory period of service following graduation, starting at the rank of a second lieutenant.
The OCS (Officer Candidate School) is an academy that provides intense military tactical training to civilians and enlisted personnel with at least a bachelor’s degree. Candidates must clear their Armed Forces Aptitude Battery test (ASVAB) and a physical exam, followed by an interview with senior personnel. Selected candidates undergo a 12-week training period that delivers classroom instruction and field training in two phases.
The final pathway is the Direct Commission method and available, even at suitable higher ranks, to those who are professionals in their field, especially lawyers, engineers and doctors. Some positions may waive age and other requirements. Contact your local recruiter to get up-to-date information about opportunities that change rapidly.
Certification demonstrates a Commissioned Army Officer’s competence in a skill set, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. Certification in EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) from an objective and reputed organisation, such as The National Registry, can help you administer aid to the ill or injured on the field. Among the skills the EMT students learn during the course are oxygen administration, bag valve mask ventilation, delivery of a newborn, and even administration of several medications. The skill they possess in identifying if someone is dying is the greatest asset they learn during their EMT education.
The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB), a certification program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), enables you to assign team member roles, understand team dynamics and shoulder responsibilities that demonstrate team leadership. Each candidate should attend an open book examination with multiple-choice questions that measure their skillset and reward them accordingly.
Certifications in CompTIA Security+ or as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) would also increase your chances of advancement.
Civilians who opt for direct commissions must obtain the certification their profession demands. For example, if you serve as a doctor with the US army, you must maintain a valid state license. Successful certification programs also protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.
In addition to physical and health checks, security clearance is mandatory. It includes investigations of character and conduct, focusing on a candidate’s honesty, trustworthiness, reliability, financial responsibility, education, credit history, work history, criminal records, emotional stability, drug abuse history, and other relevant aspects.
Officer grades begin from O-1 and move until O-10, each rise accompanied by higher pay and greater responsibilities. Those ranked in the pay grades O-1 to O-3 are classified as Company Grade Officers, those in O-4 to O-6 are grouped as Field Grade Officers, while all those in pay grades O-7 and above are General Officers.
Given that the government limits the number of positions, promotions take place only in response to a need. However, officers in lower ranks are typically promoted faster than those in higher ones. Furthermore, while there is a path of career progression, one officer’s journey and timeline may differ from another’s, depending on their abilities and preferences.
An Army Officer generally progresses through a series of assignments, each lasting a few years and preparing you for the next rank. A cadet fresh out of college begins as a Second Lieutenant. Progression takes place sequentially to higher ranks: First Lieutenant, Captain or Company Commander, Major, Lieutenant Colonel or Battalion Commander, and Colonel. The highest army ranks you may rise to are Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General, and finally General.
In the entry-level role of Second Lieutenant, you begin by leading 16 to 44 soldiers in platoon-sized units, progressively taking on greater responsibilities for more and more soldiers in companies, battalions, brigades, and divisions. As a Lieutenant General, you lead corps-sized units with 20,000 to 45,000 soldiers, several times the number you started with.
Enlisted members may apply to become Commissioned Army Officers. A well-qualified enlisted member with a bachelor's degree may be nominated by their commanding officer to attend Officer Candidate or Officer Training School. Certain branches of the military service allow enlisted personnel to earn a college degree and attend school while serving in the army.
Commissioned Army Officers have several avenues open to them once they leave active service in the army and re-enter civilian life. The transferability of their experience, qualifications and skills allows them to take up roles in diverse areas, such as management, strategy and planning, counselling, and teaching.
Candidates with the necessary training, education, skills, and experience have the best job prospects. Evidence of leadership skills, managerial qualities and problem-solving abilities will help you enter the pathways to earn your commission, and exceptional performance and dedication will help you climb the ranks.
Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Commissioned Officer build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. It allows you to continually upskill regardless of age, job, or level of knowledge.
The sequential training process offered by the Officer Education System (OES) begins before you receive your commission and continues with basic, intermediate and advanced levels as well as staff and senior levels. The OES outlines several opportunities that enable each officer to achieve their full potential.
The CAPSTONE course, created as a voluntary-participation program in 1982, is now mandatory for all new incumbents in the roles of General and Flag Officers. The course evaluates significant matters, such as military strategy, key allied nation issues and what affects decision-making concerning national security. It aims at fostering stronger skills in effective planning and deployment of US forces in joint and combined operations.
Army Ranks
Company Grade Officers are Commissioned Army Officers who occupy the ranks of O-1 to O-3. Field Officers belong to the pay grades O-4 to O-6. General Officers are those in pay grades O-7 and above.
However, regardless of pay grade, every officer discharges a significant role in fulfilling the army's mission. That is why the ranks are more than an indication of pay grade. They establish a leadership framework within which each officer knows the level of expertise expected at each rank and the accompanying responsibility and authority.
Second Lieutenant
The key objective of this entry-level rank of Commissioned Army Officers is to gain leadership qualities. Second Lieutenants develop their primary branch by attending introductory sessions, after which the majority are assigned their first duty while some go for ranger or airborne training.
First Lieutenant
By the time officers progress to becoming Second Lieutenant, usually within two years, they have polished the traits required to excel in a military career. They apply their earlier training and learn how to lead troops in their new role.
Captain or Company Commander
The next rank you may rise to, typically in about four years, is that of Captain or Company Commander, who takes charge of over 100 soldiers. Units under a Captain can independently perform a battlefield function. You must choose and qualify for a specific function during the Captain phase. You must also attend the Officer Advanced Course and later the Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3), which trains you to be appointed Field Grade Staff Officer.
Major
A Captain is promoted to Major in about 11 years, indicating a significant step forward in your career. As a key staff officer, you deal with personnel, intelligence, operations, or logistics and receive assignments which help you use your existing skill set and grow professionally. You gain further expertise in your branch and specific functional area. Some officers are selected to attend Command and General Staff College or civilian schools.
Lieutenant Colonel or Battalion Commander
Promotion to Lieutenant Colonel can take about 17 years and puts you in charge of leading hundreds of soldiers in a battalion. Exceptional achievements can lead to higher and more challenging roles. Some officers are selected for the Army War College for further expertise in their field.
Colonel
Promotion to Colonel happens after completing 22 years of army service, making you a top executive. As a Brigade Commander, you are in charge of thousands of soldiers or the director of a large staff. This phase gives your senior responsibility and fully uses your expertise and leadership, testing them under extreme conditions.
General Officers
Achieving the rank of General takes close to 25 years, and only those who demonstrate exemplary executive and leadership skills may be chosen to become the CEOs of the army. Fulfilling their senior-level responsibilities, they must maintain a highly efficient and effective army.
Types of Commissioned Army Officers
Combat Special Officers oversee combat activities, serve as combat leaders and direct military operations. They are in charge of tanks, other armoured assault vehicles, artillery systems, special operations, or infantry units, also overseeing naval surface warfare and submarine warfare officers, combat pilots, and aircrews.
Engineering, Science, and Technical Officers work in scientific and professional roles, such as atmospheric scientists, meteorologists, physical or biological scientists, social scientists, and attorneys. Their work contributes to army operations. For instance, weather studies by meteorologists assist flight path planning for military aircraft.
Executive, Administrative, and Managerial Officers manage administrative tasks in the armed forces.
Healthcare Officers, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, optometrists, dentists, psychologists, physical therapists and more, provide expert medical diagnosis, treatment, therapy, rehabilitative care, and other forms of healthcare to military personnel.
Human Resource Development Officers deal with recruitment, placement, career counselling, promotions and various training programs, playing the role of personnel managers, recruiting managers and training & education managers.
Media and Public Affairs Officers handle the production, development and presentation of information, news releases or events for the benefit of the public and the military and respond to relevant public queries. They plan, develop, and direct the activities of military bands and produce video, television and radio broadcast content for various purposes.
Protective Service Officers are in charge of the safety and protection of individuals and property on military vehicles, aircraft, vessels, or bases. They may work as emergency management officers who develop procedures in preparation for any disaster or as law enforcement and security officers who enforce laws and conduct criminal investigations on military bases.
Support Services Officers address military activities in key functional areas, such as logistics, transportation, and the supply and distribution of food supplies and other materials. Purchasing and contracting managers negotiate and monitor purchase contracts for services and supplies from the private sector.
Transportation Officers coordinate the safe transport of military personnel and equipment over the ground, water, and air. They may be in charge of commanding or operating army vehicles, aircraft or ships and may work as navigators, pilots, or ships’ engineers.
The Officer Education System
Among the various courses available at OES, the Basic Officer Leader Course helps develop junior-level officers into competent and confident leaders equipped with a warrior ethos and with the skills necessary to lead small units.
The Captain's Career Course trains Company Grade Officers to command at the company level and appropriately service staff positions in brigades and battalions.
Intermediate Level Education prepares Majors to lead operations in join, interagency or international settings.
The School of Advanced Military Studies provides graduate-level education in military art and science to help officers evolve as Commanders and Generals. The focus is on solving intricate military problems in times of peace and war in joint, multinational, and interagency scenarios.
The School for Command Preparation provides new commanders of brigades and battalions with opportunities to develop leadership skills.
The Senior Service College helps selected senior Commissioned Army Officers, civilians, and international leaders become responsible for strategic leadership.
Rank, Insignia & Pay Grade
Ranks are levels in the hierarchical structure of the military or another armed force. The insignia that service members wear on their uniform collars or shoulders represent ranks and include emblems such as chevrons, bars, oak leaves or stars. A service branch represents their pay grades using a letter and a number, such as O-1 to O-10 for Commissioned Army Officers.
Second Lieutenants in the US army wear a single gold bar, First Lieutenants wear one silver bar, and Captains wear two silver bars. A gold oak leaf signifies a Major and a silver oak leaf a Lieutenant Colonel. A Colonel sports a silver eagle. Then begin the star insignia for the Generals, one for a Brigadier General, two for a Major General, three for a Lieutenant General, and four for the General, the Chief of Staff.
Regardless of your rank and the associated goals, the benefits of being a Commissioned Army Officer are numerous, both material and intangible. They begin with a steady income, paid leave and healthcare benefits and go up high to play a vital role in protecting your country and fellow citizens. Once you choose to aim for a commission instead of enlisting, you set out on your way to earning it. Once commissioned, you become a leader within the armed forces, managing operations alongside enlisted personnel. Your principal task throughout your service would remain to prove your problem-solving skills.
You carry crucial decision-making responsibilities on your capable shoulders. Your skills and judgment impact the nation’s financial resources, security, and multiple human lives. As you move towards a military career and discharge your duties, you must remember the three concepts that stand out as the essence of who you are and what you do across all ranks, locations and assignments. They are the concepts of duty, honour and country.
The US military also provides international aid and disaster relief. Ships called Marine Expeditionary Units patrol the oceans and can reach nearly any coastal location worldwide within 48 hours.
What do the Commissioned Army Officers do?
A Commissioned Army Officer would typically need to:
Accredited
$48,094
