whats diff between.. Officers and Enlisted?

JulesLee

JulesLee

Active member
uhh post some differences with them..
the pay is different by alot.. dats all I know.. o__O;
 
Treatment and Privileges, as the boss you give the orders as an enlisted man you are the bottom of the food chain and you take orders
 
True LeEnfiled but everybody takes orders from someone in the military. The pay rate differences between senior enlisted and junior officers might surprise you if you look them up.
An enlisted rank in the Military of the United States anyway is generally any rating below that of a commissioned officer. The term can include non-commissioned officers and warrant officers. In its most exclusive sense, the term applies only to the lowest ranks of military service.
As I understand it, in the British Armed Forces and the armed forces of other Commonwealth countries (except Canada), the equivalent term is Other Rank (OR); in Canada, the term is Non-commissioned member (NCM).
Commissioned officers get their authority through their country's sovereign power. They are "commissioned" or charged with the duties and responsibilities of their position.
Non-commissioned officers (NCOs)are enlisted people who obtain their positions of authority through promotion in the enlisted ranks.
I hope that helps to clear it up a bit.
 
Question: If I have a PhD and join the military, what rank would I get as soon as I join? Would it make a difference?
I mean in the US and in the UK. Thanks.
 
It depends on what you sign up for. Conceivably, a PhD "could" enlist. But I don't know why they would. You would sign on with a professional skill that would put you in a position that would likely carry an officer's rank. Although I remember during the draft days, serving with a man who had recently graduated law school. I have often wondered how his law career went considering he couldn't get himself out of the Army :lol:
 
Yup you can have a college degree and be a Private First Class, like yours truly.
Of course if I got pissed off enough I could sign up for OCS.
The main difference? Pain and Suffering. Though I think that in terms of mental stress nothing beats the 2nd Lieutenant. In terms of overall shit PFC is probably hardest.
 
Well if you've got a PhD and joined the army (in Australia), you could join as an SSO (Special services officer), as opposed to a GSO (general service officer). You would be commisioned as a captain, but you would never lead troops, you would not be promoted and you would do that job only, so a doctor, lawyer or political analyst or something like that.

You get commisioned as an SSO so the army can stick you in an office and take advantage of the particular skill you have. You would do what we call "the knife and fork course" because it is only 2 weeks and your commisioned... so just enough time to learn to use a knife and fork. That is why you never get promoted, you never command anybody because the army has no interest in putting an SSO in a leadership position.
 
im in JROTC and will be a PFC when i join the Marines.
My MSGT said in regards to rank-" a 2nd Lt really could tell the CMSGT of the Air Force to drop down and give me 20, but it wouldnt be wise."
 
I never saw a second Louie drop anyone for pushups outside of a basic training company.
 
I'm not disagreeing with him I was relaying my experience which I think reiterates what he told you.
When I was a Platoon Sergeant, my Company commander used to assign many new LTs. to my platoon (Light Infantry Scout) and always say the same thing to me: "I'm assigning Lt. XYZ to your platoon. Chew him up Sergeant". The ones that didn't understand were quickly transferred. The others became Plt. Ldrs. or company XOs and the like :)
Sometimes I'd have two or three of them at a time with me. Good eatin' :firedevi:
Actually most of them put up with whatever I threw at them pretty well and some of them took a little shot of brains before they got it. There were a few that well, let's say they got transferred pretty quickly.
 
I hear that! Maybe I'll get to serve with you. When can you join up?

As for officer Vs. Enlisted, it seems to be portrayed that officers are thought of with a certain... distaste by the enlisted guys. Is that true?
Hopeful
 
I can sum it up in one word - responsibility.

Not that enlisted folks aren't responsible for personnel and equipment, but when all the "i"s are dotted and the "t"s are crossed it's the officer who is ultimately responsible.

Why is this? Because of the other essential difference between officers and NCOs - that being how they affect the battle. NCOs are tactically responsible. Tactics are their domain. Strategy is the officer's domain. Officers plan how to "take the hill" and so create a plan to do so. NCOs employ tactical skills to accomplish the mission.

This is, of course, an extreme over simplification, however, it should give someone without any knowledge of this a general outlook.
 
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