Out of Options for AD / RES

[James Shaw]

Well I have had to accept the fact that I am to old and have the wrong type of education to get back into the service with a commission. Guess I will have to devote more time to CAP!

Army - To old for commissioning.
Navy - have to go in as E5 and apply for Commission after a few years.
Air Force - Wouldnt even consider me as prior service.
Marines - Nope
USPHS - BS in HRM does not qualify.

Any ideas or insights from the crowd?

[chiles]

I was rejected from the Air Force twice due to medical issues (first time was for really bad eye sight... even though I was a nurse and wouldn't be flying a plane. So, I had two eye surgeries and came back for another try when my thyroid went wacky and was permanently barred.

So, I feel your pain. You may want to consider the Coast Guard or your state's Defense Force. There are also the medical reserve corps and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams that could use HRM skills. Then you can do what I did, go to the evil dark side of government contracting!

[flyguync]

Dont know what all youve done in the past or how old you are but you may want to look at the guard then wiggle your way into a RC position, it can be done you just have to have something that makes HRC want to adopt you from the state.

[PHall]

Well I have had to accept the fact that I am to old and have the wrong type of education to get back into the service with a commission. Guess I will have to devote more time to CAP!

Army - To old for commissioning.
Navy - have to go in as E5 and apply for Commission after a few years.
Air Force - Wouldnt even consider me as prior service.
Marines - Nope
USPHS - BS in HRM does not qualify.

Any ideas or insights from the crowd?

Kinda hard to give advice without knowing your age and educational level and how many years of service you currently have.

The big thing age wise is can you complete 20 years of service by your 60th birthday.

If you can't, then yes, you waited too long.

[James Shaw]

Well I have had to accept the fact that I am to old and have the wrong type of education to get back into the service with a commission. Guess I will have to devote more time to CAP!

Army - To old for commissioning.
Navy - have to go in as E5 and apply for Commission after a few years.
Air Force - Wouldnt even consider me as prior service.
Marines - Nope
USPHS - BS in HRM does not qualify.

Any ideas or insights from the crowd?

Kinda hard to give advice without knowing your age and educational level and how many years of service you currently have.

The big thing age wise is can you complete 20 years of service by your 60th birthday.

If you can't, then yes, you waited too long.

Age is 41

AAS in Business
AAS In Manufacturing Technology
BS Human Resources Management

[flyguync]

And are you prior service? years, branch, etc

[James Shaw]

And are you prior service? years, branch, etc

United States Navy Cryptologist (E5)  5 Years
Georgia Army National Guard Intel Analyst 2 Years

[flyguync]

Why in the world did you get out of intel? Looks like if you want to go back as a soldier your gonna have to play politics with the state and maybe all the way to the pentagon to get a waiver.  http://gmiocs.homestead.com/files/prerequisites.html
http://www.1800goguard.com/explore/officer/requirements.php

Civil Support intel can be fun as well as an agency in the northwest corner of Ft Gordan is interesting as well though you may be doing it as a civilian.

[PHall]

You may be SOL on the Commissioned side, you're one year too old!

Now if you want to come back as an Intell Officer, they might want to get you that waiver since Intell Officers are usually in really short supply.

Enlisted side you're good up to 47 years old.

A lot depends on which service you're talking to and how their manning is right now.

Reserve Components are pretty shy about hiring someone off the street to be an officer.
They like promoting from within because if you've been enlisted with them for awhile they know if you're going to make it through OCS or not.
That's a fair amount of training dollars they invest in you and they like to bet on the sure bets.

Good luck!

[Cecil DP]

You may be too old for a commission, but WO slots can go to age 46.

[Gunner C]

You may be too old for a commission, but WO slots can go to age 46.

Becoming a warrant officer (they have commissions at W-2, btw) is a bit more restrictive.  A warrant officer is hired on the basis of technical expertise.  Except in very limited circumstances, excepting flight warrants, it would be unheard of for someone off the street to become one.  You'd need at least 5 years of recent experience in the service you're being appointed in.  If you're willing to spend the next five years as an EM before being accepted by your branch for WOCS.

I think you might have a change at becoming a lieutenant, tho.  If you're 41 and you already 5 years of active federal service you'll still be able to get 10 years commissioned service before age 60 (that's the secret combination - you need 10 of commissioned service to retire as an officer, 20 years total).  They might wave your age - they need people. 

[chiles]

Another option is trying to get your congressman/woman to push for a waiver. I know that Barbara Mikulski from Maryland has often championed for people who wanted to join but were excluded for various reasons.

[sandman]

Any thoughts towards NOAA Commssioned Corps?

See "Service Requirement". Any chance you can fit into this program?

[Stonewall]

I'm in the Georgia Air Guard and I know there are slots for officers left and right, at least in my wing (Savannah area).  We just comissioned a guy who is prior service and 40 years old.  There are waivers for everything.

If you couldn't become an officer, you sure as heck can enlist.  If I were you, I would do it now.  There are a lot of opportunities in the Guard, especially the Air Guard.  And more than opportunities, there are lots of benefits.

One is Tri-Care.  For my civilian job it would cost me approximately $500 a month for full coverage health care.  Because I'm in the Guard, I pay $180 per month for full coverage.  I can go to civilian doctors/hospitals or, if I choose, can go to the local military hospital.  To me, that's like making an extra $3,800 a year in salary.

Times are tough now.  If I lost my civilian job tomorrow, there are opportunities RIGHT NOW for me to go on activie duty orders all over the world.  I can actually call my squadron and say send me to Italy (minimum 60 days) and I'll get base pay, 30 days leave a year, separation pay, per diem, BAH and BAS.  After all is said and done, I would make almost as much as I make as a civlian. 

Not to mention, you can retire at your 20 year mark.

Officer or NCO corps, being in the Guard and Reserves has way better benefits than pay and rank.  Look at me.  I get to shoot, train, play with gear, hang out with cool people, travel, and sometimes get frustrated one weekend a month and bring home, after taxes, almost $300 for what?  16 hours of "work".  Not to mention all the bennies.

Even if you can't become an officer, it's worth it to me.

[swamprat86]

I am having a hard getting back in as well.  I am trying the same track, I'm prior service and I am just looking for a commision and I really don't care who will give it to me.  My problem is that either no calls me back or once I get someone to start working with me, they get promoted or move out and the next seems "lose" my paperwork.

BTW I'm 37 with 6 yrs guard/reserve time as Medical Lab Tech and MP.

Very frustrating.

[Stonewall]

BTW I'm 37 with 6 yrs guard/reserve time as ... and MP.

Up to $20,000 signing bonus for Air Force Security Forces in the Air National Guard.  Just say'in.

We have a 36 year old SSgt who is prior service with his BS.  He enlisted, got the bonus, just took the officer exam and is on his way to earning his commission.  In the Air Guard, it is way easier to get commissioned once you're in rather than coming from the outside.  They like to take care of their own.

[Cecil DP]

I am having a hard getting back in as well.  I am trying the same track, I'm prior service and I am just looking for a commission and I really don't care who will give it to me.  My problem is that either no calls me back or once I get someone to start working with me, they get promoted or move out and the next seems "lose" my paperwork.

BTW I'm 37 with 6 yrs guard/reserve time as Medical Lab Tech and MP.

Very frustrating.

If you've been talking to a regular recruiter he only handles enlisted people. You should ask who the "Officer" recruiter is because it's a whole different ballgame. If you can't find his name find out where the District Office is for the recruiting Bn. They should be able to help you. Since recruiters work on a qouta they shouldn't be losing your paperwork. 

[bosshawk]

With your cryptologic background, you sound like you might be very attractive to the Army Intel folks.  It has been a long time since I retired, but they were always short of crypto folks.  While you might be just too old for a commission, a warrant is a great option: When I was commanding a couple of Army Intel units, the Warrants were some of my most valuable troops and they kept my young hide out of the cracks on many occasions.

Someone else was correct, stay away from the regular recruiters: they very often know next to nothing about officer acquisitions.

[James Shaw]

I'm in the Georgia Air Guard and I know there are slots for officers left and right, at least in my wing (Savannah area).  We just comissioned a guy who is prior service and 40 years old.  There are waivers for everything.

If you couldn't become an officer, you sure as heck can enlist.  If I were you, I would do it now.  There are a lot of opportunities in the Guard, especially the Air Guard.  And more than opportunities, there are lots of benefits.

One is Tri-Care.  For my civilian job it would cost me approximately $500 a month for full coverage health care.  Because I'm in the Guard, I pay $180 per month for full coverage.  I can go to civilian doctors/hospitals or, if I choose, can go to the local military hospital.  To me, that's like making an extra $3,800 a year in salary.

Times are tough now.  If I lost my civilian job tomorrow, there are opportunities RIGHT NOW for me to go on activie duty orders all over the world.  I can actually call my squadron and say send me to Italy (minimum 60 days) and I'll get base pay, 30 days leave a year, separation pay, per diem, BAH and BAS.  After all is said and done, I would make almost as much as I make as a civlian. 

Not to mention, you can retire at your 20 year mark.

Officer or NCO corps, being in the Guard and Reserves has way better benefits than pay and rank.  Look at me.  I get to shoot, train, play with gear, hang out with cool people, travel, and sometimes get frustrated one weekend a month and bring home, after taxes, almost $300 for what?  16 hours of "work".  Not to mention all the bennies.

Even if you can't become an officer, it's worth it to me.

Please dont misunderstand me about the commissioning. I was an NCO and have no quams about being one. The biggest hitter for me is the weekend pay. I work every other weekend and make close to $900 for just sat and sun. I have spent alot of time and money on my degree and feel that after all that work a commission would be the closest to meeting the money. I havent been able to get a straight answer from any recruiters and they want to get me to commit to enlistment before they will give me accurate info. I am opep for discussion but wont sign anything until I feel it is right.

BTW I'm 37 with 6 yrs guard/reserve time as ... and MP.

Up to $20,000 signing bonus for Air Force Security Forces in the Air National Guard.  Just say'in.

We have a 36 year old SSgt who is prior service with his BS.  He enlisted, got the bonus, just took the officer exam and is on his way to earning his commission.  In the Air Guard, it is way easier to get commissioned once you're in rather than coming from the outside.  They like to take care of their own.

I wouldnt mind talking to them as well. Sounds like he made a pretty good move. If I knew a program exists I could aim for would be nice.