Career Overview: What I Do As an Officer in the U.S. Army
Service in the military is a noble career path followed by people from all walks of life. Most of us only know what it looks like from video games and movies, but how do you really enjoy day-to-day work in the US Army? In short, preparation, training and more preparation.
To find out more about a possible career in the US Army, we spoke to a mid-level army officer who proudly leads a squad of 88 soldiers.
Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.
My name is Chris Morrow; I am the captain of the US Army. I’m 29 years old, from Austin, Texas, and I served in the army for seven years.
What prompted you to choose your career path?
I became an officer for two reasons; to test myself, and because I enjoy the challenge of leadership. I wanted to see if I could handle the ordeal, lead the soldiers, and win despite adversity.
How did you get a job? What kind of education and experience did you need?
To become an officer, you have three options: ROTC, West Point, or Officer Candidate School. I chose the ROTC, which includes four years of military training as part of your college curriculum, as well as two weeks of training near Tacoma, Washington (now south of Louisville, Kentucky). I had to be in good physical shape, have a physical exam, be competitive academically, and sign a four-year Active Duty contract after school. In return, ROTC paid for my tuition in full.
What are you doing besides what most people see? What do you actually spend most of your time on?
Most people see or understand field training (like camping on steroids), live action shooting, and of course are aware of deployment. What they don’t see is countless hours of paperwork, training, audits, and other things we do that people don’t expect. Everyday activities are surprisingly mundane. The army is a human business, and training these people takes a significant amount of time. Maintenance of our equipment is also time consuming. At my job, we spend at least two days a week getting our Hum-Vees ready for use. In addition, among other things: we volunteer in our communities, participate in parades, mow our own grass, and provide non-field training in a variety of subjects.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
I think the two most common are the belief that most of the soldiers joined because they had no other options, and that every day straight from Call of Duty.
Army soldiers are some of the most inspiring people you have ever worked with. I am honored to lead 88 of them. Many overcame major life challenges to join the military, while others abandoned promising careers and opportunities because they felt the need to serve. I have served with NCAA Division I athletes, ex-Wall Street investors, and soldiers with a master’s or multiple bachelor’s degrees. Some soldiers traveled halfway around the world to join them; I have served with soldiers from Ghana, the Philippines and India. The military accepts many types of people as professional volunteers, and it is important for Americans to understand the character and ability of the soldier.
Many days in the army are [wasted] in clerical work. I spend most of my week in meetings, and a large part of it prepares to train. Preparation for training takes almost twice as long as training itself. Like construction firms or other companies using heavy equipment, safety is of paramount importance in the military. So we rehearse for hours, making sure everyone understands the plan before firing live ammunition, driving anywhere in our cars, or doing any risky training. From time to time we train in the Call of Duty style, but this is more the exception than the rule.
What’s your average uptime?
Most weeks I work 60 hours, some weeks closer to 80. In my position I am in charge of a squad (think of a medium-sized corporate business); I have 88 people working for me, so my watch can be terrible. Approximately every eight weeks we go to the field (camping?) Where you usually work 18-20 hours a day for the entire time you train.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
Always put people first and take the time to build relationships. People are the cornerstone of my work, when I invest in people I make my organization better and it works better. Getting to know people, finding out what drives them, studying their families and helping them solve their problems builds the cohesion of my team. As unit cohesion grows thanks to my investment, we are on a mission faster and can accomplish more with less leadership, making my job easier.
Relationships are the secret to success. I quickly realized that no one person can be successful all the time. I build relationships with as many people as possible, so when I need help I know who to turn to. Knowing who can solve a difficult problem saved me a lot of time and made my job a lot easier.
What are you doing differently from your colleagues or colleagues in the same profession? What are they doing instead?
I take notes, follow my instincts, and take risks.
It sounds simple, but by taking notes and reviewing these notes periodically, I keep track of a lot of the things that I have to do every day. The discipline in taking notes and following up is what has helped me succeed. It’s amazing how quickly you forget about something if you don’t write it down.
Second, I follow my instincts. I trust myself. I know instinctively how to create a team, and I just do it. I instinctively know what my organization needs. I let these instincts guide me. Sometimes I have no data to support these instincts, and then I take risks. My instincts are not always correct, but I risk following them. Sometimes I am wrong, and these circumstances turn into a lesson. A willingness to take courage and take risks has helped me several times in my career.
What’s the worst part of a job and how do you deal with it?
Like many jobs in corporate America, my job requires frequent travel, late nights, and an often unpredictable schedule. This can, at best, make it difficult to find a balance between personal life and work. It’s a cliché, but it is your love of work that helps you through these difficult times. It also requires a certain level of resilience to “hunt for good things” during particularly challenging missions.
What is the most enjoyable part of the job?
I lead the 88 best soldiers in the United States Army. Each one is unique and many have inspiring stories. Leading this team is by far the most enjoyable part of my career. I also really enjoy working with our overseas allies. I have had the opportunity to train with the Iraqi Army, the Canadian Army and the Philippine Army. Each of these possibilities opened up a perspective-changing destiny. There are also some exciting workouts; main tank gunfire, air assault and artillery are thrills that you won’t be able to replicate anywhere else.
How much money can you expect at your job?
The compensation package is indeed available online. A new army officer usually earns between $ 35,000 and $ 40,000 a year, plus housing benefits, comprehensive health insurance, and life insurance. In my position, I earn $ 65-70K a year, plus the same benefits mentioned above, plus the ability to use retirement age, provided I have worked for at least 20 years.
How are you progressing in your field?
Combining your time on the job with your ability and professionalism. There is a minimum amount of time a person must complete at each rank before they are eligible for promotion. Once you meet the criteria, the central promotion system looks at your file (a combination of all the performance ratings you received, as well as awards and anything else that is relevant) and determines if you will be promoted. Each title becomes more competitive and fewer people are promoted to more competitive positions.
What advice would you give to those who want to become your profession?
Learn as much as possible about the army before joining it. The best thing about the army is that there are many different paths to each goal. If you are interested in applying to be on the Officer’s Commission through ROTC or West Point, try to be a good student, good athlete, and well-rounded person. West Point and ROTC award scholarships to balanced and motivated individuals.