Dec 30, 2012 8:26 PM
Joining the US Army as an Enlistman and opting to become Officer.
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Hello all:
I just want to take this opportunity to scout for any experience Soldier out there with your professional feedback.
Right now I am pretty close to completing my enlistment process. Actually Im from Texas and I have both Bachelors and Masters in Mechanical Engineering, but because US Citizenship is what I lack hence becoming Officer or going OCS for that matter is prohibited at this point. I then now choose to join the ranks of fellow enlist Soldiers. With my background then, would I have to finish my contract before even thinking of Officer Corps; or can I do the "Green-to-Gold" program where I was told. Should this be an available route I should take?
I am interested in Intelligence and/or Aviation segment, would US Citizenship required first-hand to be considered because these 2 fields most likely required Security Clearances? Do you need to have US Citizenship to be considered for Clearances?
Thank you so much in advance for your response.
T. H.
You cannot even apply to any commissioning programs until you are a citizen. Once you obtain your citizenship, you can look into G2G, or more likely, since you already have a Masters, just apply to OCS through your CoC. A non-citizen cannot obtain a clearance.
Dear eglokerry: Thanks for getting back at me. Your responses are pretty valuable at this time.
It seems that the lack of US Citizen, hence absolutely no Security Clearance, would then limit me to only certain number of MOS's: that would leave out Intelligence, Aviation, or Combat. Im probably left with JAG, Medical, Infantryman and the like? In this case, I heard that an individual may receive expidite judicial support in obtaining US Citizenship for naturalization purposes long as that individual chooses to be US Armed Forces servicemember; and will be able to receive it right out of BCT. Is this true eglokerry?
Suppose I am able pick out a MOS, I can then start my contract soon as entering Boot Camp? Do I have to at least serve for certain duration of time in order to establish conduct/performance/result...?
Suppose by then I may have had my Citizenship, would it then be appropriate to initiate G2G?
You abbreviated G2G:Green-to-Gold, OCS:OfficerCandidateSchool. Could you kindly hint me on CoC?
Thanks again for getting back at me.
Infantryman is a combat mos just so you know
Hi rayder13: Thanks for your correction. Infantryman could be an interesting MOS. Does it require Clearance, do you know? Thanks.
It does not require a clearance.
And from what I've been told by other Infantryman, they love their job. I cannot speak from experience. Just by reading on this site and talking to my recruiters.
i am in an aviation segment as well i do not know if a security clearance is needed but i do kno i have one so i would say so as for goin enlisted yes u would have to finish ur contracted in order to do this
@Revdeck: thanks for your clarification.
@rayder13: def'ly. im sure each and every mos is unique and stresses its own importance. its amazing now to get into the military field and find out so much & so many things i do not know existing.
@mazyfranks: hi mazy. very well versed. thanks for your great info; i will sure be taking note of this. with that said then, can i infer as: an individual, once signed with the hand-picked mos, must complete his/her contract before even planning to moving on up, in this case, for example, the G2G-program or anything of that matter?
With the Security Clearance requirement, do you know if there exists any engineering-related mos that may help me avoid the Clearance collison course? I have looked at Combat Engineer, Technical Engineer,... which says nothing about Clearance. Umm, would it be a good thrust for later on joining the US Army Corp of Engineers, which is a nationally prestigious institution!
Thanks for everyone's response
@tthang20, you're welcome.
Good luck!
Yes, you can receive expedited processing for citizenship. I believe you receive it shortly after completing BCT.
Yes, you'll need to show your CoC (Chain of Command) that you're worth sponsoring an OCS packet for. That will take some time.
It's possible you could be approved for G2G or OCS prior to completing your contract. It depends on a number of factors, some of which are out of your control.
Here's a list of all Army MOS and the clearances they require: What can I do (or not do) in the Army?