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elyse
Student
Covington, Virginia
1
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how do in become a military officer within the research fields of marine biology?
I love animals, being outdoors, and nature. I'm okay with performing hard work or getting dirty, because it doesn't bother me. I love stories on military researchers and their experiences. #marine-biology #military #army #marine #animals
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2 answers
John Medeiros MS EHS
Environmental Health and Safety Manager (Seeking Next Great Opportunity)
65
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Lakeville, Massachusetts
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John’s Answer
how do in become a military officer within the research fields of marine biology?
I am an officer in the Army National Guard. The first thing you should know is that there are four ways to become an officer. Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and Officer Candidate School (OCS) are the most used but there are also the Military Academies (like West Point and Norwich) and then there is also a direct commission process.
As for where you will work. Military Officers work within a corps or general categories such as Infantry or Logistics. There are officers who work in fields like legal or medical which interact with Soldiers but they don't normally get anywhere near the fight. Currently, the military doesn't have science officers like on Star Trek. Of course, we didn't have a space command when I first joined so maybe they are coming.
I am sorry to say that you could join with a degree in marine biology and never use it. For example, I have my master's in environmental health and safety. I am a logistics office. The Army has broken up environmental to be managed for the engineers, health to be run by medical and safety to be run by aviation. I have applied for two out of three of those jobs and can't break-in. Not even with a master's degree. That is because what you get into early on you are often pigeon-holed to stay in for the rest of your career.
May I suggest finding somewhere in the federal government system that you could get an internship with and work your way up if you have your heart set on staying in the marine biology field.
However, you want to be an officer and stay in research as a recruiter. They would be the ones to help you built a path to success. Good luck, i wish you all the best.
I am an officer in the Army National Guard. The first thing you should know is that there are four ways to become an officer. Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and Officer Candidate School (OCS) are the most used but there are also the Military Academies (like West Point and Norwich) and then there is also a direct commission process.
As for where you will work. Military Officers work within a corps or general categories such as Infantry or Logistics. There are officers who work in fields like legal or medical which interact with Soldiers but they don't normally get anywhere near the fight. Currently, the military doesn't have science officers like on Star Trek. Of course, we didn't have a space command when I first joined so maybe they are coming.
I am sorry to say that you could join with a degree in marine biology and never use it. For example, I have my master's in environmental health and safety. I am a logistics office. The Army has broken up environmental to be managed for the engineers, health to be run by medical and safety to be run by aviation. I have applied for two out of three of those jobs and can't break-in. Not even with a master's degree. That is because what you get into early on you are often pigeon-holed to stay in for the rest of your career.
May I suggest finding somewhere in the federal government system that you could get an internship with and work your way up if you have your heart set on staying in the marine biology field.
However, you want to be an officer and stay in research as a recruiter. They would be the ones to help you built a path to success. Good luck, i wish you all the best.
Jacob Schwarber, CPA
Finance Lead
130
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Jacob’s Answer
Hi, Elyse,
I was an Army Infantry Officer for four years. I am not familiar with the more niche, technical areas of the military that it sounds like you are interested in, but hopefully I can point you in the right direction to get more information.
First off, pursuing a career in the military is a noble endeavor. The decision to join the armed forces is not one to take lightly. My first piece of advice is to think very carefully about whether serving in the military is something you really want to do and take the time to very thoroughly research the path you want to pursue. Military life is very challenging and often is romanticized by film and the media. Managing expectations and working to understand what your experience may be like are crucial to enjoying your military experience. With that said, spending time in the armed forces can be a tremendously rewarding career and I think worth exploring if it appeals to you.
Again, I cannot speak to the specific steps you would take to become a researcher in the Army, Navy, or Air Force but, below, I added some links that will help you start your research. Hopefully those serve as a helpful starting point. If you are able to find something online that interests you, it may be worth talking to a recruiter to get a better idea of the steps you need to take to get started. If possible, try talking to some veterans or current service members who worked or currently work in the field that interests you.
I hope this helps - good luck!
https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs.html
https://www.navy.com/careers
https://www.airforce.com/careers
I was an Army Infantry Officer for four years. I am not familiar with the more niche, technical areas of the military that it sounds like you are interested in, but hopefully I can point you in the right direction to get more information.
First off, pursuing a career in the military is a noble endeavor. The decision to join the armed forces is not one to take lightly. My first piece of advice is to think very carefully about whether serving in the military is something you really want to do and take the time to very thoroughly research the path you want to pursue. Military life is very challenging and often is romanticized by film and the media. Managing expectations and working to understand what your experience may be like are crucial to enjoying your military experience. With that said, spending time in the armed forces can be a tremendously rewarding career and I think worth exploring if it appeals to you.
Again, I cannot speak to the specific steps you would take to become a researcher in the Army, Navy, or Air Force but, below, I added some links that will help you start your research. Hopefully those serve as a helpful starting point. If you are able to find something online that interests you, it may be worth talking to a recruiter to get a better idea of the steps you need to take to get started. If possible, try talking to some veterans or current service members who worked or currently work in the field that interests you.
I hope this helps - good luck!
Jacob recommends the following next steps: