I’m looking for candid input from recruiters, recent Army Reserve 09S applicants, officers familiar with the selection process, or anyone who has recently dealt with similar age and medical waivers.

I’m 39 and will turn 40 in December 2026. I’m interested specifically in Army Reserve OCS through the 09S enlistment option, with the goal of branching Military Intelligence if a suitable position is available.

I understand that nobody on Reddit can predict what MEPS, a medical waiver authority, an age-waiver authority, or an OCS board will decide. I’m mainly trying to determine whether I am a difficult but viable applicant or whether I am realistically stacking too many obstacles together.

Here is the full picture.

Education and testing

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance
• 3.5 GPA - graduated Cum Laude
• Scored a 99 AFQT on the ASVAB in 2015 (I’m not prior service, I’ve just been considering this for a LONG time)
• I understand the score is likely too old to use and that I may need to retake the test

Civilian and leadership experience

• Approximately 14 years with the same large corporation
• Currently a senior manager in data analytics
• Experience leading employees, managing projects, presenting to senior leadership, working with data, and making decisions in ambiguous situations
• Several years of football coaching experience as a head coach
• Currently serve as a head coach and board member for the organization

Personal background and motivation

• Married with four children
• I have spent considerable time thinking through the effect this would have on my family, career, and finances
• Military service has had a significant place in my family’s life. My brother served as an Army Armor officer and was killed while deployed to Iraq. His service is part of the reason this path has remained meaningful to me, although I recognize that his record is his own and is not a qualification for me.
• I am interested specifically in serving as an Army Reserve officer, not simply obtaining benefits or adding military service to my résumé

Physical condition

• 6’2” and currently approximately 210 pounds
• Lift weights four days a week
• I bench about 290 and deadlift about 400 pounds - just sharing this because I‘m painting the picture that my past orthopedic issues clearly aren’t holding me back (details in the Medical History section below)
• Can perform multiple sets of eight strict pull-ups
• My running is currently my weakest area, and improving it is a major part of my preparation
• I do not currently have any functional limitations from my orthopedic history

Medical history

This is where the application becomes complicated.

Historical or resolved issues

• Two previous Bankart repairs for torn labrum (Texas high school football is brutal) on my left shoulder
• Biceps tenodesis on my right shoulder in February 2025 - fully cleared by the doc
• Prior hand surgery (power tool accident, no limitations currently; I play guitar)
• Partial finger amputation - missing about a quarter inch of my middle finger from slamming it in a door as a kid
• Ruptured appendix that required open abdominal surgery/laparotomy when I was 6. No issues since.

I have returned to unrestricted activity and heavy lifting. The recruiters I have spoken with reviewed this history and did not seem especially concerned about these resolved issues compared with the conditions below.

ADHD

• Diagnosed as an adult
• Currently prescribed Vyvanse
• No history of special education, academic accommodations, disciplinary problems, employment instability, or inability to function independently
• Completed college and established a successful professional career before being diagnosed
• I understand that current stimulant use and any required period off medication may be the most significant medical obstacle in my packet
• I’m talking with my doctor tomorrow about ending my medication to try and give me more time off meds if/when I actually get the opportunity to submit my packet

GERD and hiatal hernia

• Controlled with daily medication
• No history of hospitalization, major complications, or limitations on normal activity
• I understand that the diagnosis and continued medication use may require medical review or a waiver

The recruiters I spoke with focused primarily on ADHD and GERD, especially ADHD, rather than on the previous surgeries.

Age issue

Because I will turn 40 in December 2026, my understanding is that I will probably require an age waiver or exception to policy depending on the controlling requirement and when I would commission.

I have seen conflicting information online. Some people claim that OCS age waivers are no longer being approved, while others report that they are still being submitted and granted, particularly for Army Reserve applicants.

My questions are:

1. Based on current FY26/FY27 conditions, how realistic is an age waiver for an Army Reserve 09S applicant who may be approximately 40 when commissioned?
2. Has anyone here personally submitted, processed, received, or been denied an Army Reserve OCS age waiver recently?
3. How serious is the ADHD issue in practice for an applicant with current stimulant use but a strong academic, employment, and functional history?
4. Is GERD controlled with medication generally waiverable when there are no serious complications or functional limitations?
5. Are the previous orthopedic and surgical issues likely to create significant additional problems if I can document full range of motion, strength, stability, unrestricted activity, and no current symptoms?
6. How much weight would the education, 99 AFQT, long-term professional record, management experience, coaching experience, and current physical condition carry when the packet is reviewed?
7. Looking at the applicant as a whole, would you consider this a viable but waiver-heavy packet, an extreme long shot, or something that is realistically unlikely to make it through?

I’m not looking for encouragement for its own sake. I would genuinely appreciate informed and candid feedback, especially from people with recent firsthand experience involving Army Reserve 09S packets, medical waivers, or age exceptions.

Thank you in advance for the input.

Edit:

I also should mention that I have already spoken with an Army recruiter and gone over the major parts of my background and medical history. They have not told me that I am ineligible or that pursuing 09S would be pointless, and they appear willing to continue evaluating the packet. I understand that this is not the same as approval, but I mention it because this is an active recruiting conversation rather than a purely hypothetical question. Last conversation we had (yesterday) he said he’s looking into the details of a “pilot program” that might help with the ADHD part of my background. I’m just guessing, but maybe he’s talking about MARPS? Maybe something else? Not sure. I’m supposed to hear back from him tomorrow.

Should all OCS rec letters be from military and/or government people? Or should I diversify my packet with letters from colleagues in my civilian professional career? I've been out of school for a while.

Two recruiters at my recruiting office have given me different answers.

#1 said to get as many as I can get from people in positions of authority ie: the full 6 letters.

#2 said to focus on getting them from 0-5+ military folks, i.e: only 3 but they have to be from high-ranking military/govt to matter.

I currently have two solid rec letters from high-ranking officers. I'm working on getting one from another 0-5+, but if that falls through, I can get an 0-4 and/or one from an executive in my civilian career.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Overall, they said I'm in very good shape for these upcoming boards with my test scores and college GPA, but I just want to put my best foot forward with how competitive things are, even for reserves, which is what I'm applying for.

Thank you!

Good afternoon,

I just got my REFRAD from the AGR program approved, I have a January class date for OCS.

For other AGRs that went from compo 3 to Compo 1 did you guys turn in all your gear prior? Or bring everything? I have a lot of things that are extra on my clothing record. Any guidance is greatly appreciated

I have a question regarding laptop use during OCS. For assignments such as OPORDs and other coursework, is it highly recommended or even required to have a personal laptop?
I also saw another thread where someone mentioned bringing a printer. Since my current laptop is a government issued computer, I’m no longer able to upload documents or email files to my personal email.

Does OCS provide printers that the class can use to print assignments and other required products, or is it recommended to bring a personal printer as well?

Hello. How are you supposed to get house rent and car and everything figured out once you are done with OCS? I've heard that depending on BOLC, you only get a day or two to report? My wife is not able to drive, so I have to do most things.

Also, I've heard holdover can happen, and it can be months. Does that mean I have to be separated from my wife for that much of extra time after all of BCT and OCS?

Thank you.

09s here shipping out to BCT in a week. was curious about when and where to buy boots and other quality of life items after BCT and before OCS. I assume there is an exchange we are permitted to use given we have to buy everything else on the packing list. Does that purchasing happen when you get to OCS?

I‘d also like to bring along a laptop to OCS but I heard that‘s a no no for BCT and I don't have any family that will be attending my graduation so an exchange of items can’t really happen.

Also, any boot recommendations would be great

Thank you!

So I am a former Navy officer with honorable discharge. I’m trying to figure out when going through the OCS process, if I have to go through basic again and then OCS or do I get to skip basic and go straight into OCS.

So if a recruit is put in med hold at basic and can't complete their training on time, what happens to them? Will they just be assigned another OCS class date, or will they be reclassed to a needed MOS?

I'm an 09S graduated with Charlie Company. Lmk if any of you want tips on how to not get recycled

As the only Active Duty Cyber slot recipient in my OCS Company, I can give a unique insight on how the entire process went for me personally.

If you are going for a packet branch (Cyber, Medical Services, Aviation and EOD) you better START that process BEFORE you arrive. If you are an O9S like I was you should be completing your packet and starting your interviews BEFORE you ship out to BASIC, if you THINK for even ONE MOMENT that the Cadre will give you TIME to work on the packet you are in for a rude awakening.

For me personally, I submitted my packet prior to basic and was able to complete the first step which is the HireVue interview. If you think thats gonna be hard and do what I did and study a bunch for it, guess what? Its easy asf all you have to do is give some generic answers for some goo goo gah gah questions about leadership, there is absolutely NO technical questions in the first interview outside of giving a basic background about yourself.

Now I completed the first step right before I shipped. Went off to basic and thought “surely the drill sergeants or the basic training command will give me some insight on what OCS is gonna be like or maybe If Im lucky they might even know what Cyber might be looking for”. Guess what? They don’t know SHIT about OCS, I went to Benning and even though OCS is right across the street they still had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

For the O9S, if you think you are gonna get outta basic and be like “wow that was tough, surely OCS is gonna be a cakewalk” then you have literally no idea what the hell you signed yourself up for because OCS is just Basic 2 Electric Boogaloo. “Surely I’ll get more privileges though right?”, depending on your company you might get some freedoms based on your phase, in one company you might get a weekend pass every weekend where the cadre reads you bed time stories and tucks you in at night, or you might get the one where the cadre hopes you fail, steals your sleep, greets you with misery before every sunrise, and spends each waking day trying to convince you to make a mistake that causes you to restart the entire cycle from day 1.

If you haven’t been able to tell by now I was in the latter. Besides that point, if you are like me you need to complete the second step of the packet process which is the second in-person interview, now the Branch itself doesn’t give a singular fuck about what the Cadre wants you to turn in, Cadre will ask you to give them a bunch of documents but the only real thing you need to give them is the 4187 which essentially tells them you are “switching” branches. Additionally you’ll need to speak with Cadre to setup a time for your second interview, easier said than done. I HIGHLY recommend you get this step done before shipping out so you don’t have the same experience as me getting on your hands and knees begging cadre for a 20 minute gap in the day to complete your interview. The interview itself is easy asf, again no real technical portion, just a background about yourself and your leadership potential. I personally did mine after completing the 6 mile ruck with all my gear still on as that was the only available time for me to complete it.

Now the good news is, you may have read somewhere that you have to complete some bullshit ahh cyber questionnaire and if you had the ability to find some examples of previous ones you might be like “oh my god this is impossible”. Well… they got rid of that, so all you actually HAVE to do is the HireVue Interview and the Zoom Call! Once everything is done, 4187 turned in, interviews completed, packet sent in, you will just wait for the Branch to contact your chain of command at OCS through the S1. Now this can happen before or after the official branching ceremony at OCS. We had one guy in a different packet branch (Aviation) find out his results AFTER, in my case I was SUPPOSED to find out BEFORE but cadre withheld that information from me so I wouldn’t shitbagmaxx the rest of the course. (All packet branches are OUTSIDE the OML, your rank in the class and the grades you achieve WONT MATTER if you are going for a packet branch)

The attached image is all you’ll need for your packet and where to send it, if you haven’t shipped out yet, start this the second you get your spot for OCS, if you are already in OCS, good luck trying to balance getting your packet ready while doing the other course requirements.

Blah blah blah, something something something, standards are compromised.

Anyone doing this now w their spouse??

Any prior service enlisted that went to OCS please dm. I have questions.

As the title suggests, I had a question about prior service individuals who went reserves. I was active duty, then guard & reserves briefly. I got out during Covid but was not separated because of it, I was allowed to just walk off clean.

I just finished college and wanted to explore potentially getting a commission through OCS before I’m 32 and missed the age requirement, although I know waivers exist for prior service, at least from what I’ve read. I went into a recruiters office while I’m home on vacation for the month and the conversation was less than a minute and they flat out said no after I told them I was at 100% with the VA.

However, I was at 90% when I was in the Reserves prior and knew plenty of people at 100%. Would it be because of having to go to OCS as opposed to coming back as enlisted? Was hoping somebody has gone through similar process. Also, my IRR time is over now as well.

Thanks if you made it this far.

Graduating today with a few others, wanted to pay it forward and ask any questions folks have on the process and cycle. I am a NG Candidate so I can answer USAR/NG questions as well.

I’ve got some admin questions in regards to an In service OCS application.

I work at an NCOA. My immediate commander is my commandant, a CSM with assumption of command orders and 0-6 authority.

The current OCS application requirements include:
2 memorandums for endorsement (brigade commander and CSM)
“Why I want to be an officer” signed by immediate commander
And DA 5339 signed by immediate commander

My question is, can any or all of these documents be signed by my commandant, or do I need to look outside of the NCOA for these signatures.

Greetings all,

I am currently going into my Junior year of college and have been weighing all sorts of options post-graduation.
As a preface, I am working towards my major in Political Science with a minor in Economics, as well as a certificate in National Security and Intelligence (3.62 GPA).

I have always been eager to join the military and serve my country with the opportunity to lead others. Not to mentions while I’m young having the ability to do something exciting/honorable. My dad is prior enlisted and a retired O from the AF. Due to this, and aspirations for eventual Federal Law Enforcement service, I have been looking for ways to gain valuable experience. I’ve thought about straight up enlisting as an E3/E4 (branch dependent) for one or two contracts. Though I believe going the Officer route would be more sensible and beneficial for my goals. Furthermore, I could definitely see myself actually turning the military into a career instead.

With the time-consuming and competitive process of directly commissioning via OTS/OCS, I have recently discovered enlisting in the 09S MOS. From my research I can enlist under 09S, complete basic, and then move on to AIT (which in this case would be OCS). Following the success of OCS I would then be given an MOS from a list of 5 that I were to list.

I would love to hear any information, feedback, and advice regarding the entire process. Such as: how difficult is getting an 09S MOS? Are there any better alternatives to the officer route? Any input is greatly appreciated.

So this is my background
I am 34 male
2.9 GPA for ADN
3.3 for BSN
Have 5 years of experience of med-surg at a university hospital.

I heard 66h is filled with ROTC nurses and barely leave 0 slots for direct commission
Do I have a chance?

I’m 35 with a bachelor’s degree. A recruiter today told me the civilian OCS age limit is now 34 with no age waivers and that my only option is to enlist first and apply later.

Has anyone recently received an OCS age waiver at 35 or older as a civilian applicant? If so, what was your situation?

I would really appreciate any insight or guidance. Thank you!

I haven’t received any updates regarding the OCS packing list or welcome letter yet, and I’ll be shipping to BCT soon. Could anyone share the most recent packing list and welcome letter for an upcoming OCS class?

I got my bachelor's degree last year and I am a few months from finishing my obligated time in the Marine Corps Reserves (I hit 6 years in October; I have 10 months of Active-Duty experience from a mobilization). After glancing around a few posts in this board, it seems that the process is already very difficult for soldiers as it is and that it's actually not very easy to find an Officer Selection Officer in any given geographic area. I am not very knowledgeable in the process nor am I familiar with the details, but it seems my chances are slim. Any ideas on my chances on being able to commission in the Army as an active-duty officer and how to find an Officer Selection Officer? Anything else I should know before moving forward? I live in the El Paso area by the way.

Edit: My GPA/stats and other info

I am an E3/LCPL (admittedly took a while to get my shit together; by then the cutting score was too high). For the past 2 years my leadership experience has been limited to guiding boots in tricks of the trade (I am the USMC equivalent of an 88M).

ASVAB: 81

GT/GCT: 121

GPA: 3.86