What are the ways one can become a commisioned officer

I know of a couple of ways. Officer's Candidate School and Battlefield commision. Bush* got his commision another way. What way is that?

are commissioned by the governors of their respective states (and, I think, confirmed by the President...essentially automatic). Regular and reserve officers are commissioned by the President, again automatic upon completion of commissioning requirements (college ROTC, graduation from a service academy, completion of OCS).

It seems to me the responsibility of being a pilot automatically should put you several ranks above your ground crew etc....

All fighter pilots are commissioned officers, whether in the Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps. (And Army helicopter pilots are warrant officers.)

seems pretty clear cut to me.

I don't know what the rules were in Bush's time (1965):

OVERVIEW

To become an Air Force pilot, you'll need to:

Get a college degree

Earn a commission as an Air Force Officer

Complete the Air Force's pilot training program (SUPT)

Military Pilot Basics

...not only was he taken into the Texas Air National Guard in front of 500 people already in line, he was given an appointment as an officer before he entered flight training.

There are also direct commissions (usually used for Doctors, Nurses and Chaplains) and programs for enlisted to be immediately promoted to officer ranks, (Navy Supply Corp does this). In addition, enlisted personnel can become Warrent Officers who are commissioned.

Welcome to DU, thanks for the info. :toast:

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

"As soon as Bush completed basic training, his commander approved him for a 'direct appointment', which made him an officer without having to go through the usual (and difficult) Officer Candidate School....

"What made Bush's appointment doubly unusual was his total lack of special qualifications. This procedure was generally reserved for applicants with exceptional experience or skills, such as ROTC training or engineering, medical or aviation skills. Tom Hail, a historian for the Texas Air National Guard, reviewed the Guard's records on Bush for a special exhibit on his service after Bush became governor. Asked about Bush's direct appointment without special skills, Hail said 'I've never heard of that. Generally they did that for doctors only, mostly because we needed extra flight surgeons.'

"Charles Shoemake, an Air Force veteran who later joined the Texas Air National Guard and retired as a full colonel, said that direct appointments were rare and hard to get, and required extensive credentials. Asked about Bush, he said 'His name didn't hurt, obviously. But it was a commander's decision in those days.'

......

"The direct appointment process was discontinued in the 1970s"

www.logicpathsw.com/bushANG.html

When I went through OCS it was like basic training for officers with a lot of harrassment thrown in. It was a huge mind game to test our determination. If we were so determined to be an officer that we would put up with all the stuff they had us do for that many months, then we had the determination to keep on trying at any task we may be given as officers.

The Service Acadamies, Officer training school (OTS), ROTC.

I believe National Guard officers go to OTS and receive their commissions from the President, as do all officers. At least that is how it was when I was in OTS.

...I think that's it.

1. Service Academy West point, etc.

2. ROTC Reserve Officer Training Corps. You take these in college, then you have to serve some time on active duty. Usually you go back to the reserves after your time on active duty.

3. OCS Officer Candidate School. If you are accepted into the school then on completion of the school you are an officer. Entry requirements vary by the service. Currently you have to have a college degree. You can go straight from graduation to OCS. After OCS you have to go to other schools to learn you specialty.

4. Battlefield Commission. Very damn hard to get one of those. You have to do something on the battlefield in real combat that is more than mere heroics, it has to involve taking command and leading troops in a critical situation. In other words all the officers have been killed or badly wounded and you take over and somehow succeed, and live.

Those are the main ways. I have left out specialty commissions for lawyers, chaplains, doctors, etc. They each have their own route.