I heard from several officers that it is hard to get accept for OCS. Even if a canidate is accepted, OCS graduates make up only 8% of the officers in the army because of the rigorous training. I wanted to know if anyone could shed light on this.

The Army needs officers, BADLY!

https://perscomnd04.army.mil/MILPERmsgs.nsf/All+Documents/07-226?OpenDocument

A. THIS MESSAGE EXPIRES 1 OCTOBER 2008.

B. REF AR 350-51, OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL (OCS) AND MILPER MESSAGE 06-128.

C. AS AN EXCEPTION TO POLICY, THE OCS DIRECT SELECTION PROCESS IS CARRIED OVER INTO FY 08. ACTIVE DUTY SOLDIERS MUST MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND PREPARE A COMPLETE OCS APPLICATION IAW AR 350-51. SOLDIERS MAY APPLY FOR OCS TRAINING UP TO AGE 42. SOLDIERS MUST HAVE A MINIMUM OF AN INTERIM SECRET CLEARANCE AS REFLECTED ON THE JCAVS PERSON SUMMARY FORM. ONCE SELECTED, SOLDIERS ARE NOT TO BE DEPLOYED. IF CURRENTLY DEPLOYED, SOLDIERS MUST BE RELEASED FROM DEPLOYMENT WITH SUFFICIENT TIME TO CLEAR, FOR TRAVEL AND LEAVE TO ATTEND THEIR SCHEDULED OCS CLASS. IF DEPLOYED AND SOLDIER IS DETERMINED TO BE ESSENTIAL TO THE MISSION, SELECTING CG MAY REQUEST THAT SOLDIER(S) BE RETAINED UNTIL COMPLETION OF THEIR DEPLOYMENT, IF SCHEDULED FOR AN EARLY OCS CLASS. HQDA WILL MAKE THE DETERMINING DECISION ON THESE TYPE REQUESTS. SOLDIERS WHO WERE NOTIFIED OF PENDING REASSIGNMENT PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THEIR OCS APPLICATION WILL COMPLY WITH THOSE ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS. SELECTIONS CITING THIS MESSAGE WILL NOT BE MADE EARLIER THAN 1 OCTOBER 2007.

(1) APPLICANT’S PERSONNEL OFFICER WILL ENTER APPLICANT’S ASSIGNMENT RESTRICTIONS IN THE APPLICANT’S DA FORM 2-1, ITEM 4.

(2) ENSURE THAT WHILE THE APPLICATION IS PENDING THE APPLICANT IS NOT REASSIGNED OR ENROLLED IN ANY TRAINING THAT WILL CONFLICT WITH THE POSSIBLE OCS ENROLLMENT DATE.

(3) INSTALLATION COMMANDERS AND UNIT COMMANDERS WILL MONITOR EACH APPLICANT’S STATUS TO ENSURE THAT AN APPLICANT REMAINS QUALIFIED AND IS NOT REASSIGNED WHILE THE APPLICATION IS PENDING.

D. THE FOLLOWING COMMANDERS (GO) MAY SELECT UP TO 30 ELIGIBLE SOLDIERS EACH TO ATTEND OCS: HQDA, SDDC, USACE, USAREUR, EUCOM, FORSCOM, TRADOC, AMC, MEDCOM, USARPAC, USARSO, SMDC, USASOC, MDW, CIDCMD, 1USA, 3USA, 5USA, 8USA, ICORPS, IIICORPS, VCORPS, XVIII ABN CORPS, 1ID, 2ID, 3ID, 4ID, 7ID, 24ID, 25ID, 82D ABN DIV, 101 ABN DIV, 1ARDIV, AHRC, SETAF, INSCOM, 1CAV,10MTN DIV, MNF-I, C/JTF-AFGHAN. IN ADDITION CONUS INSTALLATION COMMANDERS (GO ONLY), TO INCLUDE COMMANDERS OF INSTALLATIONS IN ALASKA, HAWAII, PUERTO RICO, MAY SELECT UP TO 20 ELIGIBLE SOLDIERS EACH TO ATTEND OCS. CG OF WRAMC AND TRIPLER AMC MAY EACH SELECT 10 SOLDIERS TO ATTEND OCS. MACOM COMMANDERS MAY RELEASE THEIR ALLOCATIONS TO SUBORDINATE GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDERS, AS APPROPRIATE. ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS MAY BE REQUESTED BY CONTACTING THE POC LISTED BELOW. SOLDIERS SELECTED FOR OCS UNDER THIS MESSAGE MAY NOT NECESSARILY ATTEND OCS IN FY 08.

E. SELECTING AUTHORITY MAY WAIVE THE FOLLOWING OCS REQUIREMENTS OF AR 350-51: THE LOCAL STRUCTURED INTERVIEW (PARA 2-5C), THE REQUIREMENT FOR A SAT/ACT (PARA 1-5C) FOR SOLDIERS WHO DO NOT HAVE A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE AND CIVIL OR MILITARY OFFENSES (PARA 1-5I).

F. THE MANDATORY REQUIREMENT FOR A GT SCORE OF 110 OR HIGHER AND THE MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENT OF 90 NONDUPLICATE COMPLETED SEMESTER HOURS OF COLLEGE CREDITS FROM ACCREDITED COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES WILL NOT BE WAIVED.

G. SOLDIERS IN BCT, AIT, DFLIC, OR ANY TYPE OF TRAINING STATUS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM: RECRUITERS AND DRILL SERGEANTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM UNLESS THEY ARE IN THE FINAL SIX MONTHS OF THEIR TOURS. SOLDIERS MUST NOT HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF POSSIBLE ENLISTED REASSIGNMENT PRIOR TO APPLICATION SUBMISSION TO THEIR IMMEDIATE COMMANDER.

H. ARNG AND USAR SOLDIERS IN ANY CAPACITY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM.

I. SOLDIERS MUST NOT HAVE ANY RESTRICTING PHYSICAL PROFILES. THEY MUST BE ABLE TO RUN, DO SIT-UPS & PUSH-UPS ON A DAILY BASIS AND DO THE STANDARD APFT. THE ALTERNATE APFT IS NOT GIVEN AT OCS. THERE IS NO WAIVER FOR THIS REQUIREMENT.

J. GO COMMANDERS MUST PERSONALLY ENDORSE THE APPLICATIONS OF THOSE SOLDIERS THEY SELECT FOR OCS. THE ENDORSEMENT TO THE APPLICATION SHOULD CITE THIS MESSAGE. SOLDIERS CAN BE INFORMED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SELECTED PENDING A FINAL REVIEW BY HQDA. AFTER DA RECEIPT AND REVIEW, IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT A SOLDIER DOES NOT MEET ALL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, THEY WILL BE NOTIFIED IN WRITING THROUGH THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND.

K. ENDORSED APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO: HQDA (AHRC-OPD-A), 200 STOVALL ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22332-0413. UPDATES TO APPLICATIONS MAY BE FAXED TO 703-325-6073.

L. ANNOUNCEMENT OF BRANCH DESIGNATIONS AND OCS CLASS ASSIGNMENT WILL BE MADE BY LETTER TO THE SOLDIER’S COMPANY COMMANDER. MILPER MESSAGE MAY ALSO BE USED.

M. POC FOR THIS MESSAGE IS MR AL ROLLAND AT 703-325-3756 OR EMAIL ALFRED.ROLLAND@US.ARMY.MIL. AFTER 1 SEPTEMBER 07, POC WILL BE MR ROBERT BURKE, AT EMAIL: ROBERT.G.BURKE@US.ARMY.MIL.