In the Army, there are three types of Army Officers.  There are Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers.

Non-Commissioned Officers: Also known as NCO's, these leaders hold the rank of either Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Sergeant First Class, Master Sergeant, First Sergeant, Sergeant Major or Command Sergeant Major.  

NCOs are first line leaders of Soldiers.  They handle the individual training and discipline for Soldiers.  They also advise Commissioned Officers on Soldier affairs.  NCOs are the backbone of the Army.  They handle the day-to-day affairs in the Army.

Warrant Officers: Warrant Officers are Subject Matter Experts and technicians.  They serve in a variety of fields to include pilots, food service technicians, information technology technicians, maintenance technicians, personnel managers and much more.

Most Warrant Officers serve on staffs and advise commanders on their area of expertise.  Other Warrant Officers manage sections.  Most Warrant Officers previously served as NCOs, prior to being appointed as a Warrant Officer.

Commissioned Officers:  Army Officers are commissioned by the President of the United States.  Army Officers begin their Army service as young leaders, providing a mixture of valuable skills and knowledge.  With their self-discipline, ambition, confidence, and judgment, they use their dynamic problem solving skills to identify solutions and accomplish the mission.

Army Commissioned Officers are responsible for completing demanding missions while ensuring the welfare, morale, and professional development of their Soldiers.    Army Officers have a proud, unique heritage in the United States Army.  Dating back to 1775, many of America’s most influential people previously served as Army Officers. 

Some of the more famous Army Officers include General Patton, President Eisenhower, General Custer, President Teddy Roosevelt, President Ulysses Grant, and countless others.

Army Officers lead soldiers in combat and peacetime.   They manage tasks and lead Soldiers. Army officers accomplish their mission through others.  Army officers must be tactically and technically proficient.  They must thoroughly understand military tactics and have a keen sense of leadership.  They must be calm, poised and confident at all times.

If you were to compare an Army Officer to their civilian counterpart, they would compare with supervisors, managers, and directors.  The major difference between Army Officers and their civilian counterparts is their level of responsibility.

The Army entrusts a great deal of responsibility amongst all Army Officers.  In fact, few civilian agencies or companies would give a young 22-25 year old manager the same responsibility the Army gives a new Lieutenant or Captain.  As an Army Officer progresses through the officer ranks, he or she could eventually lead 5,000 to 20,000 or more Soldiers.

In essence, there are four ways to become an Army Officer.

Officer Candidate School: On Active Duty, enlisted Soldiers can submit a packet to attend Officer Candidate School, also known as OCS.  Officer Candidates attend a rigorous OCS class to learn about leadership, military tactics and ethics.  Once they graduate, they are commissioned as Second Lieutenants.

In the Army National Guard, Officer Candidates attend a phased OCS class.  Some candidates might choose to do the one-weekend-a-month class, while other candidates choose the accelerated OCS class.

United States Military Academy: Also known as West Point, the United States Military Academy has a proud tradition of producing quality Army Officers.  In fact, West Point is one of the most prestigious schools in America.  Once the student graduates this four year institution, he or she is commissioned as a new Second Lieutenant.

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC): ROTC allows “cadets” to take military leadership classes while they are pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution.  Upon graduation, they are commissioned as new Second Lieutenants.

Direct Commission: Direct Commission provides leaders in professional fields such as law, medicine and religion the opportunity to become an Army Commissioned Officer.  Upon completion of their Officer training program, they are commissioned at a rank determined by their career branch.

Once a new Army Officer is commissioned as an Army Officer, he or she follows a career path based upon their basic branch, their skill-set, desires, and duty assignments.  These career fields vary widely and will be discussed in other pages on this website.

In conclusion, serving as an Army Officer is a challenging, fun and rewarding career.  Leading troops into combat is an awesome responsibility.  For nearly 250 years, Army Officers have served their nation with distinction.  And, they continue to do so today.

Learn more about the Army Chain of Command, IPERMS, military leadership, the Army Officer Evaluation Report, OER Support Form, Army Officer Promotions, Battalion Commander information, PBUSE tips and military discipline.  Or visit our store to check out my eBooks.