u/PasCompris817

The statistic I came across on Reddit that only about 35% of OCS applicants are selected was a bit alarming..
My background is thus. I served from 2013 to 2018 in the French Foreign Legion, first as an AMX-10RC gunner and later as a motor pool corporal. Since 2018, I've been a police officer in South Carolina, where I've received lifesaving awards and gained leadership experience as an FTO. I feel confident in my 6 LoRs. That said, I'm also aware of my weaknesses. I'm 35 years old and graduated with a rather rubbish 2.7 GPA in English. I'm inclined to think USARC is going to look negatively rather that good on my foreign service- why did he do that instead of enlisting then or applying for OCS then. Both reasonable questions. I was an idiot college grad who read about the legion history and drank the kool aid.
I completed my battalion interview on June 10. My recruiter told me I should hear a final decision around September, though I recall somewhere it being mentioned it would be in August. I'm really hoping it is August.

If I don't get selected, my plan is to enlist for one contract before returning to police work. Because of that, I'm not too concerned with picking an MOS for civilian skills. At the moment I'm leaning toward an 11X Option 4 contract. My recruiter told me I can't combine Option 4 with Option 19 for a guaranteed assignment to Fort Bragg, but he estimated there's about a 90% chance I'd end up there anyway as an airborne infantryman. My wife, our two young children, and I recently bought what we hope is our forever home about three hours from Bragg, so that would be the ideal outcome- one that would theoretically allow us to return on the odd weekend. And if I am honest with myself, I want to drink the 82nd kool aid. We'd be very happy with the 173rd in Italy as well, but my wife has absolutely no desire to move to Alaska if I were assigned to the 11th Airborne Division. My recruiter said Alaska is possible but relatively unlikely.

I realize that, if I were selected for OCS, I could also end up in Alaska. The difference is that if I become an officer, my intention is to make the Army a full career, so we'd approach those assignments very differently.

So my questions are:

1. When can I expect to learn if I got the OCS spot?
2. For recruiters and infantry folks, is an 11X Option 4 contract genuinely likely to end up at Fort Bragg, or is it more of a roll of the dice than I've been led to believe?

I'd appreciate any insight.

I am interested in buying a nihonto katana in koshirae for display on my book case. I see plenty of katanas on ebay in shirasaya. I pose the question here: is it possible for me to buy an old nihonto in shirasaya and then source the koshirae parts separately? I understand the saya is where it gets tricky- can one be made for my sword at an affordable rate these days?
I'm not looking to spend $10k + on one of the great katanas, I only want to know that it was made in Japan even if it is in less than perfect state.
Please let me know whether this is possible.