Green to Gold offers path to Army commission

  • Published
  • By David Bedard
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Raised in Malangawa, Nepal, Spc. Bijesh Shrestha never imagined himself as a U.S. Soldier assigned to Alaska and deployed to Afghanistan.

But there he was, assigned to 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion as a member of the personal security detachment at Forward Operating Base Gardez, with his head poking into the back hatch of a RG-32 Scout mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle.

Supporting a U.S. Army Rangers mission, Shrestha had an important message for the veritable entourage of interpreters stooped in the confines of the armored vehicle. He sounded off in one of a half dozen languages he speaks. Nothing. Another language. Silence. Finally, he belted out his best Urdu, and an interpreter's face lit up in acknowledgment.

Two years later, and the multilingual paratrooper can be found plying the halls of the University of Alaska Anchorage, shuffling to class clad in his Army Combat Uniform. Shrestha is in the Green to Gold Active Duty Option Program, a two-year course of study allowing him to stay on active duty with full pay and benefits, while earning a mathematics degree and a commission as an Army officer.

Army National Guard Maj. Tim Brower, UAA ROTC assistant professor of military science, said the window for eligible Soldiers to apply for Green to Gold opens in November and closes in February. With three Active Duty Option cadets currently at UAA, Brower said the program is fortunate to have cadets with field and combat experience.

"ADOs bring that active-duty experience," he said, offering an example. "So when I get a sergeant first class, [who is] Ranger-qualified, been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, or both, they bring a higher caliber of student. They're sharing their experiences of what right looks like with the other cadets. It helps with the professionalism of the program."

Because ADOs have to finish their degree within two years, Brower said they are required to have two years of study completed toward their declared academic major, prior to beginning the Active Duty Option Program.

According to the Army's recruiting site www.goarmy.com, other eligibility requirements are:
  • Be a U.S. citizen (non-waiverable)
  • Be less than 35 years of age on the date of the projected graduation and commission (waiverable)
  • Have a minimum of two years' active duty experience at the time of application and three months' of active-duty time for every month of specialized training (waiverable)
  • Achieve a GT score of 110 or greater
  • Pass the Army Physical Fitness Test within the last six months with a score of 180 or higher, and a minimum of 60 points in each event
  • Possess a college grade point average of 2.5 or higher
  • Have a letter of acceptance to a school of choice offering Army ROTC and a letter of acceptance from the professor of military science of that Army ROTC battalion
  • Receive a favorable National Agency Check (or have initiated the action)
  • Pass the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board qualification
  • Be eligible to reenlist
  • Not be a conscientious objector
  • Have no more than three dependents, including spouse (waiverable)

Sgt. Brandt Ange served in the same squad as Shrestha, and is also seeking a degree in mathematics. The Kennesaw, Ga., native said he took up the Active Duty Option in part due to the financial benefits. Because he decided to study at an institution so close to JBER, rather than move to a new location, he said the transition was mostly transparent to his family.

"I didn't have to change anything," Ange said. "We're still living in the same apartment. We're living the same lifestyle. I just have to close the door sometimes when I'm doing my schoolwork at home."

Ange said his grandfather, who earned his Army commission after an enlistment, influenced his decision to pursue a commission. He received further encouragement from his platoon leader, who earned his commission through Green to Gold.

The ADO Program doesn't cover tuition, books or fees. Though Soldiers can use the GI Bill to pay for education expenses, Ange said he uses money he saved from his deployment and plans to use his GI Bill to pay for a master's degree later.

The sergeant said he plans to compete for a commission as an Air Defense Artillery officer. His grade point average and his leadership performance will determine his branch assignment and duty location. He said he hopes the branch can serve as a gateway to a career in Space and Missile Defense Command, and eventually to general officer rank.

"I want to aim for the stars," he said. "I plan on doing this as a career, and if you're going to do a career, you should always set your goals high. I'm going to shoot stuff into space, and I'm going to have a star on my chest."
In contrast to Ange's laser focus, Shrestha said he doesn't know what branch he wants to serve in. The former chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear specialist said he relishes the luxury of time.
"If you know what you want right off the bat, great," Shrestha said. "But if not, that's okay too, because you have a lot of time to make an informed decision."

Shrestha said, because the program at UAA has only 30 cadets, he enjoys the benefit of a lot of one-on-one mentorship from officer instructors like Brower.

"Before, the only time you would see a field-grade officer was in a [staff]-shop or at a formation," he said. "Right now, everyone has an opportunity to actually learn from their experience. They do take time and pride teaching all of the cadets the right way - the way it is."

Both cadets had the same advice for interested Soldiers: don't procrastinate. They said all of the necessary forms can be downloaded, filled out and uploaded to the goarmy.com Green to Gold page, but the difficult part is completing the requirements and filling out the forms. Both cadets said they received a lot of help from the cadre at UAA, and help is also available for prospective cadets who plan to PCS out of state.

"If you're not serious enough to finish all of the paperwork, then you don't want it bad enough," Ange said. "It's a speed bump, but it's worth it. It means something, because you have a goal, and you have the discipline to follow through with it."

For more information about Green to Gold and other Army ROTC commissioning options, call the UAA cadre at 786-6093 or 786-6092, or visit www.goarmy.com.