USN Officer Candidate insignia
Officer Candidate is a rank in some militaries of the world that is an appointed position while a person is in training to become an officer. More often than not, an Officer Candidate is a civilian who has applied to join the military directly as an officer. Officer Candidates are, therefore, not considered the same status as enlisted personnel.
United States
In the United States Army, Officer Candidates attend either the Federal Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, or a state National Guard sponsored Military Academy that follows the same curriculum as the Army's Federal OCS. Also, soldiers who attend OCS are usually prior service enlisted personnel and are paid at their prior service pay grade (Minimum E-5) while attending.
In the United States Navy, Officer Candidates are trained at the Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. Officer Candidate is also the rank to which participants in the active duty commissioning program "Seaman to Admiral 21" are appointed. STA 21 Officer Candidates are appointed to the rank at the Naval Science Institute and go on to hold the rank while training with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. STA 21 OCs maintain their enlisted paygrade and eligibility for enlisted advancement. Approximately 200 sailors are selected each year to participate in the Seaman to Admiral 21 program. The rank of Officer Candidate is denoted by an officer's uniform with no insignia except for a Line Officer's star device on white and dress blue uniforms. On khaki and working blue uniforms, fouled anchors are worn on the collar points.
United States Officer Candidates exist in a grey zone of seniority as they are technically rated above an E-9 and below an O-1 on the military pay scale. Officer Candidates, however, are typically trained by senior enlisted and, in the first few weeks of indoctrination, treated much the same as a new Recruit. The typical pay for a United States Officer Candidate is equal to an E-5 on the enlisted pay scale. However, once commissioned as an Officer, former enlisted personnel are paid at the higher O-1E pay rate if they have at least four years of activy duty enlisted service; otherwise, they are paid at the standard O-1 rate.
The film An Officer and a Gentleman focuses around a main character who is appointed an Officer Candidate in the Naval Aviation Program and must deal with personal and social issues in order to be commissioned as an Ensign.
External links
- US Army OCS Foundation Website
- US Army Official OCS Website
- US Army Official OCS Recruiting Website
- US Navy OCS Foundation Website
- US Navy Official OCS Website
- US Air Force Officer Training School Website
- US Marine Official OCS Website
Categories: Military ranks of the United States Army | Military ranks of the United States Navy
