Learn About the Benefits of Being a Military Officer

Learn About the Benefits of Being a Military OfficerLearn About the Benefits of Being a Military OfficerMost enlisted recruiting efforts focus on an occupational model and other benefits,but recruiting material for would-be officers tends to be more ambiguous, focusing on intangibles benefits like pride, sense of duty, and prestige. A banner on GoArmy.coms front page asks, Can you rise to the challenge?The work cant get done without outstanding enlisted men and women, but the gap in responsibility between entry-level enlisted and a newly-commissioned lieutenant is pretty wide. It just wouldnt do to have junior officers endangering the lives and welfare of their troops because they joined under the pretenses of a me culture.Even the most selfless professional needs to look out for his or her own welfare, as well. If youre torn between enlisting in the military or becoming a commissioned officer and want the scoop on whats in it for me, here are a few of the tangible benefits officers enjoy. 01Educational OpportunitiesThe Post-9/11 GI Bills expanded benefits are very attractive if youre not sure how to pay for higher education. Officers need a college degree just to start the job, so theres no edge for them when it comes to educational benefits, right?Wrong.There are officer commissioning programs that can help pay for a bachelors degree in return for a tafelgeschirr commitment. The service academies are tough to get into but offer a tuition-free education. Flunk out or get the boot for an honor violation, though, and you may be on the hook for enlisted service to pay back the tuition they wasted on you.Current college students can also apply for Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships. You dont necessarily need a scholarship to participate in ROTC and compete for a commission, but those who can secure the financial award will find it much easier on their wallets. There are even some schools that are entirely dominated by ROTC, like the Virginia Milita ry Institute or Norwich University.Last but not least, officers that got their commission outside a service academy or ROTC scholarship remain eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which can still be used to get a second bachelors, a graduate degree, or even transferred to a spouse or children.02Pay DifferencesThe manager makes more than the worker, plain and simple. An enlisted career accrues significant financial benefits with time, but commissioned officers come right out of the gate with more earning power.Consider a brand new private (E-1) and a second lieutenant (O-1.) According to 2012 military pay charts, the lieutenant will start day one with nearly twice the privates base pay per month, or an annual salary (excluding benefits) of $33,940.80 to the privates $17,892.Based on average time to promotion for enlisted and officers, assume the best-case scenario four years later Our private is a sergeant and our lieutenant is a captain (O-3). The captains still making about twice as much money, but by now that means an annual salary of $60,372 versus just shy of $30,000.Just rememberNever make a military career decision based solely on pay. Military service isnt just a job, its a calling. If youre not down with the calling, youre going to end up disgruntled no matter how much money they throw at you.These figures completely ignore other benefits like healthcare, life insurance, and housing. All of that comes out-of-pocket in the civilian world, which means every penny of your base pay is inherently more valuable in the service.As executive leaders, officers typically pay more out-of-pocket expenses than their enlisted counterparts, such as the initial cost of uniforms and living expenses at early professional training.03Career Flexibility Diverse ExperiencesA successful officer typically progresses from small unit management to larger and higher commands posts that, while more administrative and political in nature, also afford greater challenge, prestige, an d influence.Officers also find themselves taking on more diverse duties and roles instead of just specializing in their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), which could offer refreshing new challenges and changes of scenery throughout a career. A pilot in the Marine Corps, for example, may pull time on the ground as a Forward Air Controller, where hell specialize in coordinating airstrikes and other hilfestellung for the infantry.Officers may also serve as attaches to top brass or civilian officials, or at the top of their careers even become Pentagon officials themselves. If you want to specialize in a certain occupation, a commission might not be for you. With a few exceptions, MOS assignments are often made after youve earned your commission and graduated initial training, with more emphasis on the needs of the service than your personal preference.04Job Prospects After ServiceVeteran officers have two big advantages in the job market a college degree and proven management expe rience. Though enlisted veterans may also earn degrees, and many are outstanding leaders, it seems a number of major companies are being vet friendly by ignoring the enlisted and targeting junior military officers - lieutenants and captains.Michael Dakduk covered the issue in 2010 for the Veteran Journal. This CNN Money article by Brian OKeefe also explores a similar phenomenon at Walmart and offers some justification from the former commander of US forces in Afghanistan General David Petraeus.While good ol Sergeant Luckwaldt here agrees with Dakduks reservations about underestimating the enlisted, it doesnt change the fact that former military officers often have an edge with employers.