Officer with enlisted expirence vs just an officer

Partisan said:
I've dealt with quite a few GOPWO's (grossly over promoted Warrant Officers) in my time as well, they tended to be resistant to change, opportunity and normally quoted regulations to support inaction.
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I would have hoped that if the system was working correctly, they would never make it through the selection phase.

Unless of course someone just really wanted to be rid of them,... and I know that in cases of absolute desperation it must happen, as unfortunately I've seen one or two cases where there could have been no other logical explanation.:smile:.
 
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Enlisted before becoming an officer? Or straight to officer?

There are other options. Being an E8 before becoming a warrant officer gave me a lot of insight into how best to accomplish my duties as an officer.
I was very proud of being an E8 and I got a lot done, but as an officer I was privy to what battalion command was trying to accomplish and was often able to modify their methods so that the mission was accomplished more smoothly.
Also my pay and privileges weren't bad. They were roughly equivalent to a major's and all ranks consider WOs expert in their field.
 
Being an officer who went the traditional route through Duntroon I might seem biased... but the reality is this. You get good and bad through both means.

I've worked with a lot of officers who have been OR's (enlisted) first, including one of my best mates, and some of them are excellent. Some can't get the OR mentality out of the system which can be bad. Others, especially those who have been a section commander or platoon sergeant are usually great at admin and the little points, but often have trouble detaching themselves from the platoon and end up micro-managing things too much. This goes for WO's who swap over to MAJ as well. Tactically these guys often have trouble understanding the 'bigger picture' of warfare as well and tend to get too caught up in the 'section battle' not the platoon or company battle.

Being detached from the platoon might sound bad, but it's not... what it means is that you can't be best mates with everybody in the platoon. You can't. You are the commander and it doesn't matter what they think of you. If you are a good leader (from the college or not) it doesn't matter. They can think you are the meanest bastard around but if you are a good leader they'll know it, and they'll follow you because of it.

Also, if you don't go through the college you won't have a cohort, and officer life is very focused on your cohort. They'll be the ones who help you out when your in need, that you'll compete with for every promotion and who will be your best mates.

Truth be told though, some time spent as a rifleman won't hurt you. It'll do you good. It lets you see things from your soldiers perspective. I wished that I had done a couple of years as a rifleman first before doing officer training, but now that I've had some time in command, and am now heading toward Captain I don't regret it. Choose your own path. It won't be the wrong one if that's what you want to do.
 
Everything Nick says rings true.

But if you ask me, if I knew nothing about two officers except that one was previously an enlisted rifleman and the other was not, and for some crazy reason (like hell froze over and 5.56 gave up all his guns) I was allowed to pick which officer to serve under, I'd pick the guy who used to be an enlistedman.

Doesn't mean it's a surefire system. I could make that decision and end up under the command of an idiot at the expense of a great officer but really I think it's about the odds.
Depends on the country, but because in a lot of militaries (especially small ones) the academy pumps out more officers than OCS, the academy guys support each other and they tend to get promoted better.
 
Statistics show that 35% of officers in the Marine Corps come from PLC (Platoon Leaders Class) Basicly an OCS split into 2 sections in between your Sophmore-junior and junior-senior summers. 24% from OCC (Officers Canditate Course) wich is the regular OCS. 16% from NROTC. 15% from the U.S. Naval Academy, and only 10% use the MECEP "enlisted to officer program". These are statistics that do not show Who is BETTER,but tell you something about most officers. And Basicaly if you think about it if you use NROTC or The Naval Academy, it Is about 5 years of training before your first deployment.

Oh and if you are really looking at it being a career, most generals and Commandants, higher ranks, etc. come from the academies or ROTC programs and some from OCC and PLC.
 
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Proud Texan said:
Statistics show that 35% of officers in the Marine Corps come from PLC (Platoon Leaders Class) Basicly an OCS split into 2 sections in between your Sophmore-junior and junior-senior summers. 24% from OCC (Officers Canditate Course) wich is the regular OCS. 16% from NROTC. 15% from the U.S. Naval Academy, and only 10% use the MECEP "enlisted to officer program". These are statistics that do not show Who is BETTER,but tell you something about most officers. And Basicaly if you think about it if you use NROTC or The Naval Academy, it Is about 5 years of training before your first deployment.

Oh and if you are really looking at it being a career, most generals and Commandants, higher ranks, etc. come from the academies or ROTC programs and some from OCC and PLC.
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What does that have to do with anything? 5yrs of "training" at USNA or in NROTC on top of OCS and TBS and basic officer course for whatever MOS, and it still produces a basic officer.
 
03USMC said:
What does that have to do with anything? 5yrs of "training" at USNA or in NROTC on top of OCS and TBS and basic officer course for whatever MOS, and it still produces a basic officer.
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im saying they have had alot of training, im not tryin to say whose better just informing this guy so he can make an informed decision.
 
Proud Texan said:
im saying they have had alot of training, im not tryin to say whose better just informing this guy so he can make an informed decision.
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See first you'd have to have an "informed" opinion and since you haven't attended USNA, been commissioned from USNA, NROTC, or PLC or are serving or have served as a Marine Officer you have an uninformed opinion. So save your advice.
 
03USMC said:
See first you'd have to have an "informed" opinion and since you haven't attended USNA, been commissioned from USNA, NROTC, or PLC or are serving or have served as a Marine Officer you have an uninformed opinion. So save your advice.
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once again i didnt have an opinion i said statistics and facts about history i never said wich i thought was better.

can you just calm down and not contradict every single post i make please?

thx :cowb:
 
I'll throw in my 2 cents. My mom is a Army Officer, she was a SSG before going to OCS. She is pretty well respected and people do not mind working for her. As she puts it "You have to get **** on before you do the shitting."
 
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