MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER : 05-129
AHRC-OPD-A
OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
..Issued: [05/25/2005]...
A. THIS MESSAGE EXPIRES OCTOBER 2006.
B. REF AR 350-51, OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL (OCS).
C. THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO MACOM, DIVISION AND PROPONENT COMMANDERS FOR SELECTING CANDIDATES FOR OCS ATTENDANCE UNDER THE EXPANDED OCS SELECTION PROGRAM ANNOUNCED BY THE DCS, G-1, AS AN EXCEPTION TO POLICY, THROUGH AN EMAIL TO SENIOR LEADERS ON 2 MAY 2005.
D. DUE TO STRENGTH INCREASES, CHANGES IN STRUCTURE, AND RECRUITING CHALLENGES, THE ARMY MUST ACCESS 300 MORE OFFICERS THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR FY 06. TO MEET THIS CHALLENGE, THE DCS, G-1 HAS DELEGATED AUTHORITY, AS AN EXCEPTION TO POLICY, TO EACH MACOM, DIVISION, INSTALLATION (GENERAL OFFICER), AND PROPONENT COMMANDER TO DIRECTLY SELECT UP TO 10 CANDIDATES TO ATTEND OCS IN FY 06.
E. FOR THIS EXPANDED PROGRAM OCS APPLICATION PACKETS MUST BE PREPARED AND SOLDIERS MUST MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF AR 350-51, EXCEPT AS CHANGED BELOW:
(1) THE REQUIREMENT TO APPEAR BEFORE A STRUCTURED (LOCAL) INTERVIEW BOARD IS WAIVED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MACOM, DIVISION OR PROPONENT COMMANDER.
(2) FOR THIS PROGRAM THE REQUIREMENT FOR A SAT OR ACT IS WAIVED.
(3) SOLDIERS MUST BE BETWEEN 18 AND 42 YEARS OF AGE.
(4) A MINIMUM INTERIM SECRET CLEARANCE BASED ON A NACLC INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED FOR SELECTS UNDER THIS PROGRAM.
(5) SELECTS CANNOT REQUIRE MEDICAL WAIVERS OR HAVE A PERMANENT PROFILE WHICH WOULD PROHIBIT DOING PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS, RUNNING AND TAKING THE NORMAL APFT.
(6) FOR THIS PROGRAM DIVISION COMMANDERS MAY RECOMMEND WAIVER OF CIVIL OR MILITARY OFFENSES. THESE WAIVERS MUST BE APPROVED BY ENDORSEMENT BY MACOM OR INSTALLATION COMMANDERS.
(7) STUDENTS ATTENDING BCT, AIT, OR OSUT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM.
(8) ARNG OR USAR SOLDIERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM. A SEPARATE PROGRAM IS BEING DEVELOPED BY THE DCS, G-1, FOR THE RESERVE COMPONENT SOLDIERS.
(9) RECRUITERS/DRILL SERGEANTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM UNLESS THEY ARE IN THE FINAL 6-MONTHS OF THEIR OBLIGATION OR UNLESS THEIR COMMANDER ALLOWS THEM TO PARTICIPATE.
(10) SOLDIERS SELECTED FOR THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT TO BE DEPLOYED OR REASSIGNED FROM THEIR CURRENT UNIT.
(11) ENDORSEMENTS FOR SOLDIERS FROM SOLDIERS SELECTED FOR THIS PROGRAM WHO ARE CURRENTLY DEPLOYED OR SCHEDULED TO DEPLOY, MUST INDICATE WHEN THE SOLDIER WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ATTEND OCS. THE AVAILABILITY DATE IS LEFT TO THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMANDER. THESE SOLDIERS WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR ATTENDANCE AT AN OCS CLASS AS SOON AS IS POSSIBLE AFTER THEIR AVAILABILITY DATE.
(12) BY EXCEPTION, SOLDIERS IN LIFE CYCLE UNITS MAY BE SELECTED FOR THIS PROGRAM, PROVIDED THEIR COMMANDER AGREES TO RELEASE THEM. IF A COMMANDER SELECTS A SOLDIER IN A LIFECCYLE UNIT FOR OCS, HE MUST ALSO ESTABLISH THE SOLDIER’S AVAILABILITY DATE. THAT SOLDIERS’S DEPARTURE FROM THE UNIT WILL BE TREATED AS AN UNPROGRAMMED LOSS AND UNIT SHOULD REQUEST REPLACEMENT PRIOR TO NEXT ESTABLISHED ANNUAL REPLACEMENT WINDOW.
(13) APPLICATION PACKETS FOR THOSE SOLDIERS SELECTED UNDER THIS PROGRAM MUST BE ENDORSED BY THE MACOM, DIVISION, OR PROPONENT COMMANDER AND FORWARDED DIRECTLY TO HQDA (AHRC-OPD-A), 200 STOVALL ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22332-0413.
F. THIS PROGRAM IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 30 SEPTEMBER 2006 OR UNTIL THE 10 QUOTA AUTHORIZATIONS ARE FILED. IF THE 10 QUOTAS ARE FILLED AND THE MACOM COMMANDER FEELS MORE CANDIDATES DESERVE TO BE SELECTED, THEY MUST CONTACT THE OFFICE OF THE DCS, G1, LTC O’KEEFE, AT DSN 225-6673 OR EMAIL PATRICIA.O’ TO OBTAIN APPROVAL FOR ADDITIONAL QUOTAS.
G. THE SCHEDULED OCS CLASS AND OCS COMMISSIONING BRANCH FOR SOLDIERS SELECTED UNDER THIS PROGRAM WILL BE DETERMINED BY HQDA AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY MILPER MESSAGE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, OR AS NECESSARY. THE MESSAGE WILL ALSO BE ON THE HRC WEBSITE AT: HTTPS://WWW.HRC.ARMY.MIL.
H. OCS APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FROM SOLDIERS NOT SELECTED FOR THIS PROGRAM SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE PROCESSED AT THEIR INSTALLATION THROUGH THE NORMAL OCS APPLICATION PROCESSING MANNER IAW AR 350-51 AND FORWARDED TO HRC FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE QUARTERLY BOARD.
I. POC FOR THIS MESSAGE IS MR. ROLLAND AT DSN 221-3756. EMAIL ADDRESS: .