Leadership Is Not a Gift, It Is Earned
Leadership, like all skills, must be studied, practiced and refined. Serving with the Guard, you will continue to gain practical, marketable real-world experience leading some of our nation's finest men and women.

Being a Commissioned Officer in the Army National Guard is a job of power, authority and profound responsibility.

To attain this level of service, you must demonstrate a long list of character attributes that include integrity, courage, leadership, intelligence, the ability to make major decisions and the willingness to accept moral responsibility for those decisions.

There are several ways to get the training you need. You must have either a college degree or military experience, and complete one of the following programs:

· Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
· Officer Candidate School
· United States Military Academy at West Point
· Direct Commission Officer

If you think you have what it takes to serve America in this unique position, explore this section or contact your local recruiter to learn more.

Commissioning Guide
The State OCS (Officer Candidate School) option (Traditional Course) is a 16- to 18-month course of instruction conducted from March to August of the following year. Upon commissioning, each officer must attend an Officer Basic Course within 18 months (a six-month extension may be granted) in the branch to which he or she is assigned.

For a complete overview of the program, download the PDF.