OCS after M.S.W.?

[Goguryo]

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Hey guys, there's a new military subconcentration option at University of Southern California. What do you guys think the best M.O.S. would be for an M.P.H., M.S.W.?

 

[Hadashi no Gen]

I would say that as someone with 2 masters degrees... your best bet would not to be commissioned as an officer, but to work as a civil servant (GS). I spent 6 years in the military, and all of the social workers who I knew were civilians. The pay is roughly the same as what you would get as an officer, or more, and the benefits (health care, housing allowance, retirement, etc) are all the same. With an MPA and MSW, there certainly are a lot more options available to you as a civil servant. As a GS, your education level and experience are all factored in to your beginning pay grade/base pay. As a new officer, you will be starting from the bottom (O-1) just like everyone else. Going to OCS would be a very large step back for you.

 

[Goguryo]

yes but for the physical challenge of it, and to serve at the front lines as an infantry officer would allow me to have the honor that i value so much. and i wanna be an AIRBORNE RANGER!

 

[Hadashi no Gen]

I would start talking to recruiters now, then. It doesn't make much sense to me to finish two Masters degrees, especially one as important/useful as a MSW, and then become an infantryman. Of course, the more well-rounded your life is the more you are able to do in the future. There might be a "counselor" MOS, or one similar, as an officer which would allow you to work on the front lines with troops. If so, I would suggest looking for that. Otherwise, having a MPA is enough to qualify you to become an infantry officer if that's really what you want to do. Most people commissioning as officers just do so with their undergrad degrees.

 

[Hadashi no Gen]

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blofficermos.htm

FA 39 PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS AND CIVIL AFFAIRS
39A PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS OR CIVIL AFFAIRS, GENERAL
39B PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS
39C CIVIL AFFAIRS
39X PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS AND CIVIL AFFAIRS,
DESIGNATED

 

[Goguryo]

the 11x option 40 is for enlisted only?

 

[Hadashi no Gen]

Questions like these should be answered by officer recruiters.

FYI... if you want to be airborne, anyone in any MOS can take the training and become certified. If you have skills that you can use, which you have put a lot of time and money into, I would think hard before giving them up. Choosing to join the army, or do something noble, doesn't mean that you should give up everything and start over. Besides... there are a lot of people who could benefit from your skills. Many more actually... and in many more ways than if you only chose to jump out of planes and shoot a gun.

 

[Hadashi no Gen]

mfa 73 behavioral sciences
73a social work
73b clinical psychology

 

[Goguryo]

with a Public Health Infectious Diseases master's

 

[Goguryo]

mfa 73 behavioral sciences
73a social work
73b clinical psychology

not sure if i can even get that M.S.W. completed, there's this $17,000 past due balance. Did get the $22,000 financial aid award that should be able to credit, however because by way of school enrollment (studying Psychopathology and Diagnosis of Mental Disorder and Brief Therapy and Crisis Intervention) this spring semester.👍

 

[Goguryo]

I would say that as someone with 2 masters degrees... your best bet would not to be commissioned as an officer, but to work as a civil servant (GS). I spent 6 years in the military, and all of the social workers who I knew were civilians. The pay is roughly the same as what you would get as an officer, or more, and the benefits (health care, housing allowance, retirement, etc) are all the same. With an MPA and MSW, there certainly are a lot more options available to you as a civil servant. As a GS, your education level and experience are all factored in to your beginning pay grade/base pay. As a new officer, you will be starting from the bottom (O-1) just like everyone else. Going to OCS would be a very large step back for you.

yes you could consider it a presidential management fellow NIH by way of GS-9 to full promotion potential GS-12 😴