Professional Development

[Necco]

Should every officer have to attend an Advance Course in order to be promoted or advance in his/her career track? Is it "required"?

I have an interesting tale to tell about a recent Warrant Officer advance course event that took place no longer than a month ago. Most will be suprised....others should be outraged.

[chucksnee]

Should every officer have to attend an Advance Course in order to be promoted or advance in his/her career track? Is it "required"?

I have an interesting tale to tell about a recent Warrant Officer advance course event that took place no longer than a month ago. Most will be suprised....others should be outraged.

Relax....My last commander was in Aviation...but he had not been tracked yet (career course)...waviers for everything...

[INGUARD]

Should every officer have to attend an Advance Course in order to be promoted or advance in his/her career track? Is it "required"?

I have an interesting tale to tell about a recent Warrant Officer advance course event that took place no longer than a month ago. Most will be suprised....others should be outraged.

well for the warrant ranks, the advance course is basically the last requirement unless you seek to go higher. Enlisted and Commissioned Officers have alot of more courses for their grades.

[CORNELIUSSEON]

Should every officer have to attend an Advance Course in order to be promoted or advance in his/her career track? Is it "required"?

I have an interesting tale to tell about a recent Warrant Officer advance course event that took place no longer than a month ago. Most will be suprised....others should be outraged.

When I joined the Army, professional development was an iffy thing. Nowadays, in spite of what a lot of people will say, professional development is the only route to the top, and you will only continue to rise if you keep your eye on the very top. You probably won’t reach the top, but your trek will take you as far as is possible, given the effort and the period of time you progress through. If you are still in when the two wars end, and the Army does a Reduction In Force, then the amount of Professional Development you have achieved by then will determine whether you are retained or let go. If the former is your fate, then keep your nose to the Professional Development grindstone. If the latter, then immediately go to the National Guard so you can finish out your career and get your Pension.

The fastest and easiest progression is during the up-slope of a war. Progression slows down once the peak is reached, and almost stops with the down-slope. We are on the down-slope in Iraq, and are past the peak in Afghanistan. Any planning you are going to do now must be made with those facts in mind. Once we are out of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army will do another reorganization, and the question of whether it will retreat to peacetime strength or else idle at wartime strength with a peacetime defense mission won’t be decided until then. In the meantime, I would recommend that you stay on the Professional Development track without pause, and get as many courses under your belt as you can. It wouldn’t hurt to get a Degree, especially an Advanced Degree if you already have a Bachelors.

[cobra6]

Hopefully this will answer some questions. A) In order to get promoted beyond CPT and officer is required to have their Career course done. This goes for the Guard and USAR as well. B) In order to get promoted to CPT you must have your Bachelor's degree period no waiver for this one. The management of an Officer's career is just that..their career their responsibility. No one is going to call and tell you what you have to do. Planning is the key.

[CORNELIUSSEON]

Should every officer have to attend an Advance Course in order to be promoted or advance in his/her career track? Is it "required"?

I have an interesting tale to tell about a recent Warrant Officer advance course event that took place no longer than a month ago. Most will be suprised....others should be outraged.

Actually, YES. If you are a Warrant Officer, you have a constant requirement to develop yourself professionally. If you decide to coast along, you will find out in your OER that the Officer given the job of monitoring your progress will rate you accordingly, and you will slowly fall behind your peers. If you fail to make the grade, and get passed over, you only get one Passover as a event of warning. If you get passed over twice, you will find yourself being told to turn in your property and cease darkening the Army’s door. Worse still, when – not if – the Army goes through a Reduction In Force at the end of the current wars, you will be on their list to be immediately sent out the door.

[Career_Soldier]

I have an interesting tale to tell about a recent Warrant Officer advance course event that took place no longer than a month ago. Most will be suprised....others should be outraged.

So what is the interesting tale to tell?