Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) Enlistment Option

Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) Enlistment Option Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) Enlistment Option The Army is the only service where individuals must enlist first, before attending Officer Candidate School (OCS). That is right, if you are going to be an officer, you will attend Basic Combat Training (BCT) alongside enlisted recruits. Under the Armys Enlistment Program 9D, applicants enlist with a guarantee of attending OCS, after completion of enlisted basic training. The program is spelled out in the Army Recruiting Regulation, Army Regulation 601-210, paragraph 9-10. This program is available to qualified non-prior service (NPS) and prior service (PS) applicants enlisting for the minimum term of enlistment authorized by the Army enlistment computer system, known as REQUEST (usually its a three or four year minimum enlistment obligation, depending on the current recruiting needs of the Army). Applicants must have received a baccalaureate or higher degree. Applicants in their senior year of a 4-year college program may be enlisted into the Delayed Enlistment Program (DEP) contingent upon successful completion of a BA/BS. Army Reserve (USAR) OCS candidates do not require a BA/BS degree, but must have at least 90 semester hours toward a BA/BS. USAR Officers commissioned prior to degree completion must complete their baccalaureate degree prior to their consideration for promotion to Captain (O-3). OCS applicants must have an Army ASVAB GT score of 110 or greater. While at BCT, recruits will be tested physically with both the Army PFT and the Army Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT).The OPAT is considered the physical fitness ASVAB as the recruit’s performance on this test will determine if they are capable of the physical challenges of combat arms MOSs such as infantry, artillery, tanks as well as non-combat arms MOSs.  The OPAT consists of four events:  Standing Long Jump, Seated Power Throw, Deadlift, and Beep Test.  This test measures elements of tactical fitness such as muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, explosive power, and speed. Under the 9D OCS enlistment program, NPS applicants are guaranteed enrollment in OCS, upon completion of basic training. PS applicants go directly to OCS, skipping basic. Prerequisites (Must be Met Before Enlistment) There are basic eligibility requirements for enlisting / commissioning into the military.   All candidates must meet these standards and must have proof of higher degree from accredited college or university. If candidates are in their senior year of college, they may enlist into the delayed entry program if a transcript letter from the college is provided indicating projected graduation date. Officer candidate MUST be a United States citizen, with no criminal record, and not have more that ten years of active military service at the time of commission. Officer candidates must also be at least 19 years of age and not have passed their 29th birthday, however age waivers are accepted on a case by case basis.   Upon joining the service the candidates must pass medical standards according to the Army Regulation 40-501 and meet the Army Weight / Body Fat Standards. This program is not for former officers of other branches of service, however former Warrant Officers are eligible to apply for this commissioning program.   Enlistment for OCS Army enlistment counselors at MEPS enlist applicants under this option through REQUEST Option 11: United States Army Officer Candidate School. This has the effect of reserving the slot. OCS selection boards will be conducted by the Recruiting Battalion. Usually, the applicant is enlisted in the DEP at this time, to await the decision of the OCS selection board. If the board does not accept the applicant, then he/she has the option of requesting a DEP discharge, or selecting an enlisted MOS (job), and continuing with their enlistment process. Army OCS is conducted at Fort Benning, GA, and is 14 weeks long. Branches in which officers are trained vary according to the needs of the Army. These needs are greater in Combat Arms than in other support branches. Applicants complete an OCS preference statement, listing Army officer branches they would like to be assigned to. However, applicants must fully understand that the OCS preference statement does not make or imply a guarantee of commissioning branch, or that they will graduate from OCS. Graduates normally are commissioned in one of the following branches: Infantry, Armor, Medical Service Corps, Signal, Engineers, Field Artillery, Transportation, Quartermaster, Finance, Chemical, Ordnance, Military Intelligence, Adjutant General, Military Police, and Air Defense Artillery. This list is subject to change without notice. Training for OCS is designed to place the Soldier in and under physical, mental, and emotional pressure to simulate the stress and fatigue of combat. From the date of entry into the Army, the Soldier will undergo extensive and intense training until graduating from OCS. OCS candidates are administratively promoted to the rank of Sergeant (E-5) while attending OCS. OCS candidates that are administratively eliminated or medically disqualified from OCS will be reduced in grade as determined by the Commandant, OCS. Candidates who are administratively eliminated or medically disqualified from OCS are either discharged from the Army, or retained for the remainder of their enlistment obligation in enlisted status. This decision is not up to the individual, but rather the Army, and depends in large part on the needs of the Army and reason for failing to complete OCS. OCS candidates are not eligible for the Army College Fund, but are eligible for the GI Bill.

How to Get Through a Big Change Without Having a Cow

How to Get Through a Big Change Without Having a Cow How to Get Through a Big Change Without Having a Cow I havent blogged for quite a while. Thats not because I ran out of things to say (My husband will confirm that I never run out of things to say) or because I just got lazy and spent the last month eating chocolate and watching reruns of The Golden Girls. I havent blogged because our site was being redesigned. Once the blog content had been moved, I had to wait for the new site to go live before adding any new posts. A few technical hitches slowed us down, but were finally done and so here I am. I love the new design it feels like we just bought a really great new outfit but getting here was a big leap for our business. We had to commit to making a lot of big changes and to investing both time and money in transforming ourselves. We also had to let go of the reins a little bit and trust a new team of people to guide us on our new path (for perfectionist control freaks like me, this is not an easy thing to do!) The process, like most big changes, was exciting, scary, frustrating, inspiring, scary, interesting, creative did I say scary? and most of all it was fun. Over the last few days as we prepared to go live, I thought about the things I had learned, both during this change and during other big leaps I have made in my life. So here are the 5 things I know about how to make big changes without having a cow: 1. Change always takes longer than you expect When I first emigrated from the UK to Canada, acclimatizing took much longer than I expected. The move from Canada to the US was even harder trust me, worlds apart! When we started Blue Sky Resumes 6 years ago, the website development and business planning took months longer than I thought. And the same happened with this redesign. Imagining the change is easy, but you never imagine the rocky bits. You never picture that moment when someone says uh-ho we seem to have hit a snag. So your imagined time line is always shorter than the one that is really needed. My husband has managed large-scale construction projects, so he is better at this than I am. He doesnt know exactly what will go wrong with his plans, but he always knows something will! This means he doesnt freak out as much as me when the inevitable happens. 2. Because it takes so long, keep your eye on the goal When you start running into speed bumps, its easy to doubt what youre doing and look for ways out. When we moved to Canada, and then to the US, my husband and I agreed to give the new place 2 years. Its a good thing we did because, trust me, your first Toronto winter is enough to send you scurrying back to wherever you came from. As is the first apartment-hunting expedition in Manhattan (you want how many bedrooms on your budget? Oh, how darling!). At that precise moment when fear takes hold and you are seized with a sudden urge to run for safety, thats when you need to remind yourself of the goal. Why are you making this change in the first place? If that reason hasnt disappeared, running for safety wont solve any of your problems. Just do what Manhattan drivers do close your eyes, hit the accelerator, and pull out. Nine times out of ten, itll work out OK. 3. At some point, someone will get snippy As you run into difficulties, tensions mount and relationships can get frayed. When that happens, its important to step back and look at the bigger picture. Your spouse is yelling at you because things are scary? Remember how much you love him or her and try to look past the anger. People on the project are beginning to get short with one another? Step back and look at how far youve come together. Its so easy to let temporary irritation turn into a full-fledged relationship problem, but its also possible to stop the escalation before that happens. Have an honest conversation where everyone can air their feelings. If that doesnt work, punch a pillow. 4. Perfect is good enough Our web designer and I decided that our dads must have been related. Mine was a perfectionist. Whenever I would try to rush something, he would say Dont be shoddy. If something is worth doing, its worth doing right. Matthews dad used to tell him perfect is good enough. Our dads were right. If youre going to make a huge change, you have to throw yourself into it wholeheartedly. Its going to be painful, exhilarating, challenging and, did I mention, scary? So you might as well do the very best that you can. 5. If changing was easy, more people would do it I love change. its a bit of a sickness actually. I have old school friends who never moved from the English village we were born in. I moved as soon as I could, and then again to leave England and then yet again to leave Canada. These days I find myself looking wistfully at real estate listings for old English farmhouses and wondering about moving again. But most people resist change. That opens up a huge opportunity for those of us with the change bug or even those who dont like change but are willing to push through it anyway. Whether youre a job seeker, a small business owner, or an employee looking to change things at your company, being willing to try something different gives you an advantage over other people. Remember that when youre punching that pillow! Im interested whats the scariest change you ever made? And what did you learn? [Photo courtesy of Bark]

How to Use Visual Marketing Techniques in Your Job Search

How to Use Visual Marketing Techniques in Your Job Search How to Use Visual Marketing Techniques in Your Job Search Recruiters rely heavily on Internet search to source candidates, and they're using social networks as a sourcing platform as well. Using marketing tactics for your job search may not be as far-fetched as you think. You probably already realize that it's vital to establish an online presence to aid your search. Plus, some research shows that  90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times  faster in the brain than text.  Visual marketing is a hot trend this year, so doesn’t it make sense to update your career portfolio to include visuals? If you are seeking a job in a creative field, such as design, marketing or advertising, using visuals is an obvious way to prove your creativity. But even smaller companies and startups tend to look for standout candidates who can demonstrate multifaceted skills and entrepreneurial spirit. If you aren’t using out-of-the-box thinking as part of your job search, you probably should be. With so many tools available today to show what you can do, isn’t it worth at least trying to incorporate unconventional techniques and visuals into your job search? These are some ideas to help spark your creativity:   Leverage LinkedIn as a Portfolio Uploading the traditional text version of your  résumé  to LinkedIn is a no-brainer. But don’t stop there. What other documents can you embed? Think about including samples of your work. Did you create a flow chart  or process? Did you write a summary report or technical instructions? Did you design a form, logo or website? Any of these would provide evidence that you know how to do your job and offer proof of your abilities. You could also take a screen shot, video or link to your Behance portfolio. Before you upload anything to your LinkedIn profile, be sure you think about the confidentiality of the information you are about to share. You may be able to remove identifying information or data. Or you could recreate a generic version of the documentation. You can embed your document within the summary or work experience section of your profile. Just look for the blue paperclip. Another alternative to amp up your profile is to use LinkedIn’s publisher function, also known as a long post. It is essentially a blog post. By now, most LinkedIn users should have access to this. The long post is the perfect opportunity for you to answer the question, “Why should I hire you?” Here are questions you could use to write your long post: What do you do? (job title or  occupation) Why are you qualified to do this job? (certifications, previous experience and such) What industry experience do you have? (paid or unpaid) What types of problems are you great at solving? Who benefits from your work? (Who are your internal or external customers?) What makes you one-in-a-million? (How do you do what you do differently?) What inspires and motivates you? Your published long post will appear immediately under the contact section of your profile, which is very visible to anyone viewing your profile. And be sure you use a visual in your long post to call attention to your content. Slip Your Documents into SlideShare SlideShare is a free service that let’s you upload and share files via the Web. It is also a social network, which allows you to follow other users, comment on uploaded content and share across other social networks. The main benefit for you is that it makes your files public and searchable on the Internet.  What documents might you create and upload? How about the emails from customers, colleagues or managers that offer praise or recognition? Currently, you are the only one who has seen these words of praise. It is up to you to make the positive feedback public. Remember: This is your reputation. Compile the testimonials in a PowerPoint presentation, or if you prefer, through Prezi or Keynote. If you don’t have permission to use the testimonial, you can leave off the last name or identifying information. Add visual elements to your presentation, such as logos or pictures. Review, finesse and get feedback from those you trust and respect. Once you’re satisfied with the results, create a free Slideshare account and upload your presentation. Be sure you title your uploaded document with your name, completely fill out the description section and tag the file with appropriate terms someone searching for your qualifications would use. Testimonials are just one idea. You can upload an infographic  résumé, flow chart, report or any other document you feel is worthy of public recognition. As an added bonus, SlideShare users will  receive an email that includes the number of people who have viewed your uploaded presentations. Use this information to evaluate if you have used the correct keywords. You can always update your file’s description or tags to help improve the results. Most importantly, don’t forget to share your SlideShare documents as status updates on LinkedIn or other social networks so your network can check them out.  Hannah Morgan  writes and speaks on career topics and job search trends on her blog  Career Sherpa. She co-authored “Social Networking for Business Success,” and has developed and delivered programs to help job seekers understand how to look for work better.

Survey finds why Americans enjoy traveling solo the most

Survey finds why Americans enjoy traveling solo the most Survey finds why Americans enjoy traveling solo the most While taking a vacation with a friend or significant other can be easy and familiar, Americans want to strike out on their own when it comes to travel. A majority (66%) say they have already taken a trip by themselves or would consider doing so, according to research from YouGov RealTime in a survey they conducted of 1,215 adults. The most popular reason people offered for traveling alone (or wanting to) is being able to choose their own itinerary and decide things completely by themselves (47%).Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!The other most popular reasons: Others said it was easier to relax on their vacation when they were alone (37%). A third (32%) said traveling alone builds up their independence and self-confidence. This reason was especially big among Millennial (41%)and Gen X (39%) women. Relatedly, Millennial women are most likely to say that they’ve never traveled alone before but would consider doing so. Another third (32%) said that certain destinations were attractive to them, but not to their partner or friends. (Serbia, anyone?) And 17% said it was easier to meet new people when they were flying solo. Who has already flown solo?Nearly one in five (19%) millennial women have traveled internationally alone, and 16% of female Gen Xers and 14% of female Baby Boomers have as well. Twenty percent of Millennial men have traveled alone.What kind of trip is good for solo-tripping?Of course, traveling solo depends on the type of trip. At least half of Americans (57%) says they would like to take a trip to another U.S. city by themselves. Half would be into taking a solo road trip. Fewer people are interested in taking a beach vacation by themselves (40%), and only 37% would want to go to a foreign city alone.Only a quarter would go camping alone, proving that pitching a tent and building a fire is a fairly social activity.Those who do not want to travel alone said their primary reasons are that they fear feeling unsafe (57%), especially women, or lonely (51%).You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

Customize this Outstanding Umpires and Referees Resume Template

Customize this Outstanding Umpires and Referees Resume Template Customize this Outstanding Umpires and Referees Resume Template Sports are a favorite pastime for many people, and referees are always in demand. More than 20,000 referee jobs are currently available, and this number is expected to grow according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Hiring managers are looking for someone knowledgeable in the rules of a particular sport, and previous referee experience is a plus. Listing attributes such as remaining calm under pressure and always staying objective are valuable traits in the referee industry. Include your highest level of education and any referee training courses.Check out the umpires and referees resume template below for more ways to create a compelling resume. Create ResumeStanley Sharp100 Main Street, Cityplace, CA, 91019 Home: (555) 322-7337 example-email@example. Professional ProfileObjective: Utilize my rules knowledge and athletic ability toward advancement in officiating NCAA Womens Collegiate Basketball on the Division I Level.Education2011, PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE GAME DAY Masters of Education Degree: 1994, Florida AM University Tallahassee, FLBachelors of Science Degree: 1988, Saint Augustines College Raleigh, NCUSBA Boys Nationals Land of the sky fall classic AAU Boys Nationals Hoops City Hoops for Hope CHARM CITY CLASSIC, UNIV OF DC COLUMBIA, MD INVITATIONAL : 2011, ANNE ARUNDELL COMMUNITY COLLEGE PIONEERS CLASSICAdditional InformationASSOCIATIONS: Triangle Basketball Officials Association, (TBOA) NCAA Womens Basketball D-II, D-III, JUCCO Mid Atlantic Basketball Officials Association (MACBOA) Fun2Ref, LLC Womens Blue Chip Basketball League (WBCBL) Semi-Pro Pro Am Basketball League NC AAU NCHSAAReferee Camps: 2008 Officials First Call Basketball Camp 2010 Officials First Call Basketball Camp, MEAC Womens Basketball Camp 2011 SAWBO Womens Basketball Camp 2012 SIAC Womens Basketball Camp Mid South Officiating Camp South Atlantic Conference Camp (Carolinas Finest Referee Camp) Relevant Work Experience: NC/SC YBOA Girls DI, DII State Championships Big S hots Boys Basketball Customize ResumeMore Sports ResumesAthletes and Sports Competitors Resume TemplatesCoaches, Trainers and Scouts Resume TemplatesUmpires and Referees Resume Templates

Augmented Reality Quite Real Engineers

Augmented Reality Quite Real Engineers Augmented Reality Quite Real Engineers .ht-second-image { position: relative; padding-removed: 0px 0px 50px 0px; float-removed: left; width-removed: 280px; height:auto;height-removed:340px; z-index: 4; margin-removed: 10px 20px 40px -120px; } Augmented reality, the view of a physical, real-world setting augmented by computer-generated graphics or other information, is becoming more of a hot topic for users of portable electronic devices seeking directions, restaurant recommendations and reservations, or online shopping. Taking the technology to the next level, where engineers can display hidden items such as underground utilities using a small tablet or smartphone, for instance, is a lot trickier and a lot more difficult. The problems center on accuracy. In the demanding fields of engineering or medicine, where research is also taking place, fractions of centimeters or inches make a big difference. The potential for augmented reality is great but achieving it is extremely difficult, says Stephane Cote, a research director and fellow at Bentley Systems in Quebec. For engineering, accuracy is extremely important. Youre having an impact on peoples lives. You need accurate data. Integrating drawings and cutouts with real-world images provides context for an engineer. Image: Bentley Systems Researchers have been working with augmented reality for years, but the fast development of smart phones and tablets has been a potential gamechanger. It opened up an entire new, portable venue for AR. The iPhone already sports a number of apps, such asdetermining latitude and longitude.There also areothers that are available for other smart phones. Need to locate a restaurant? Plug in the name, and a streetscape pops up with the restaurants name above the building. Its in the Details Cote is working on practical engineering applications that require much more accuracy. But how could an engineer view what is beneath the ground or behind the wall of a building? Ideally, a field engineer would point a device at a building or other location and a variety of information would be loaded to the image. But determining accuracy is hard. Youd need to know exactly the location of the smart phone, the x,y,z coordinates, says Cote. Then, youd have to know what is beneath the ground to be able to upload the data. Global positioning systems or compass readings are a start; they are what commercial AR applications now rely on. But the information is only approximate, meaning augmentation is only approximate. Underground pipes are identified by color and placed in virtual excavation. A vertical slicing tool provides context. Image: Bentley Systems As a workaround, Cote and his small team determined that panoramic images could be used, and linked with 3-D data. In an application devised for a mobile device with an orientation sensor and GPS, the system first gets the GPS location and uses it to download and display the closest panorama. Then, the system overlays the 3-D model to the panorama. The system simply gets the current tablet orientation from the orientation sensor and displays the panorama in the same orientation. Then, the user can use the tablet as an aim and shoot device: to get information about a specific object, the user aims at it with the devices crosshair, says Cote. Workaround Cote acknowledges the scheme is not true augmented reality, but it does offer a stable workaround. For underground utilities, he and his team devised a virtual excavation that places pipe, for instance, within it. Color coding and adding texture helps provide a 3-D view within the excavation, but it does little to determine an accurate distance between the pipes. That is important for workers seeking to fit new pipes within the existing grid, for instance. As a solution, Cote worked out a vertical slicing tool to display a 2-D vertical section of a model. If what lays beneath the surface is unknown, Cote says new 3-D ground penetrating radar can be used to lay out a picture of what is beneath the ground. That reading can then be placed within a virtual excavation to put it into context for the operator. Glomar Explorer, an ASME historical mechanical engineering landmark.> Developing Drawings For building construction, Cote is looking into integrating construction drawings into a virtual image. Engineers have long relied on drawings, and lots of them, to precisely plan and guide them through myriad tasks, including fabricating machinery, manufacturing products, and designing and building simple and complex structures, buildings, infrastructure as well as their operating systems. Especially for large projects, however, their complexity and volume can present problems for designers and builders in determining how a detail corresponds to the physical world on a building site. The development of computer-generated 3-D models eases such problems, but viewing them on tablets and small devices in the field is difficult at best. And because drawings remain the legally approved document for construction, designers still have to remove one dimension from a 3-D model to create a 2-D drawing. Cotes first attempt produced two options: A sliding plane technique that slides the drawings plane at its exact location within a structure, to attract the users attention by indicating the location of the drawing, and something similar to virtual excavation where a wall is cut, revealing the inside of the building model, showing the 2-D section drawing at exactly the location it represents, in a representation that retains full context. Cotes work represents the first steps in development of a viable tool for engineers, he says. I think well get to a serious augmented reality [tool] in the next few years, he says. But there are complex problems. Thats why this is all in the research field. The potential for accuracy is great, but achieving it is extremely difficult.Stephane Cote, Bentley Systems

How to Get Over Your Fear of Failure (Video) - The Muse

How to Get Over Your Fear of Failure (Video) - The Muse How to Get Over Your Fear of Failure (Video) When was the last time your fear of failure stopped you from doing something? Maybe it was a dream job you felt unqualified for, a major speaking event you were worried about screwing up, or a creative project you couldn’t quite perfect. Sometimes, uneasiness can save you from making terrible mistakes, but other times, your fear can go so far as preventing you from seeing things through. In the video from Business Insider below, life coach, motivational speaker, and author Tony Robbins shares how you can understand and control your fear- even going so far as explaining how to use that instinct to your advantage. Photo of person thinking courtesy of Astronaut Images/Getty Images.