Benefits of joining as officer over enlisted?

[AF Engineer]

Originally Posted by yocan

I'm an enlisted now, and soon I'm going to OCS (as in 23 days) to become an officer. O1s are O-1s cause they are clueless. To become ann o-2 shows you've learned enough to be intelligible. To be an o-3 shows that you are a leader. I've been annoyed with half of my O-3s even then. I have never had a dislike for a Major, every one I've ever seen I'd trust. To make it to O-2 all you need is a good Sargeant, after all the Marine Corps runs on Sargeants. To make it past there shows something good.

Officers are smart, they can handle 10 weeks of hell. TBS (which isn't that hard, just a pain) and have a college degree. Thats the resume. They can also continue when failing repeatedly.

Once you get past the butterbar, you are an officer, if you get out still a butterbar your just shown to be not impressive.

Do yourself a favor and print the words you posted above and carry them with you or file away for future reference. They'll make for a very interesting read when you are that 1st Lt or after a couple years of being a captain. Trust me when I tell you that you honestly don't know squat until you've been there.

[wbyrd]

When I was in the Army I spent a month on an aircraft carrier. One thing I can say about naval offices .... they got good chow, not as good as the chiefs though!

[Cannibul]

Originally Posted by Palmguy

That doesn't mean they are "dumber than a stump"

Are there some O-1s that meet that definition? Absolutely. It is ridiculous to say that they all do though.

Perhaps the problem lies with the inability of some people on this thread to comprehend English.

What I said was:

While it's a military truism that most O-1 are dumber than a stump

Most. Most. Most. Most.

Not all.

[Boanerge]

Originally Posted by MarineFlyboy

I didn't know that O-1s are dumber than a stump. Yes they (I can say they now) might not have the expirence but they sure have the brain power to learn. Why are young JO's "paired" with SNCOs? I'm assuming you mean when a boot Platoon Commander meets his first platoon and is under the wing of his Platoon Sgt. The Lt might have the knowledge of tactics, weapons, etc (that is what TBS is all about) to run a platoon but doesn't yet have the common sense and expirence. That is where a good JO listens and learns from his SNCO's. In the wing that doesn't really happen but I happen to luck out on recruiting duty and worked with an outstanding SNCO. To this day I believe she had a very big impact on molding me into a better Officer. Of course there are some good O-1s and some bad ones. I saw them at TBS and still today.

Back on topic. I only know about the Officer role (to an extent due to expirence) in the Marine Corps. I remember the last thread where you talked about seeing combat. The Corps takes their new Platoon Commanders fresh out of Infantry Officer Course and puts them directly into a platoon. To the point some of my friends deployed within months and are in Iraq leading Marines. If that isn't leadership than I don't know what is. Sure you might not be the number 1 guy in a stack getting ready to bust down a door but you should be leading from the front. I am some what jealous of my buddies that are leading their Marines in Iraq right now while I sit in the training command for another 2 years.

Only thing is you need to have a 4 year degree, so just having an AA isn't enough. Your 22, finish college, go to OCS and go for those "Butter Bars". Good luck in whatever route you go!

Well said!!! additionally with Two (2) years of College you could apply for a two (2) year NROTC. If you really like a challenge, enlist in your Service of Choice, after completing your Boot Camp, and MOS School, apply for a two year Service ROTC Scholarship. You will have more info and experience from which to base your decisions as an Officer. One of the Primary tenets of Leadership; " Never ask some one to do something, that you yourself are unwilling to do, first!"

[RVwannaB]

From an Air Force P.O.V.

I would say it depends. I served 6 years as F-16 crew chief and became an NCO. Let me tell you there are plenty of leadership roles in the enlisted ranks. I knew many NCO's who were much better leaders than many officers I knew. My time as a E was great, I learned alot, worked alot and partied alot (TDY).

I have been an Officer now for almost 2 years and it is great. I get treated much better than I did as an E, not to mention the pay. I make more in 2 weeks now, than what I made in a whole month as an E-3. At the same time I expect much more of myself, and much more is expected of me. But I am still in training and my career is what I have wanted to do since I can remember. Actually it is the main reason I joined the military.

Most of my friends who have jobs where they are the only officer in the section are not as happy. There is a saying "it's lonely at the top." I knew many enlisted dudes who went on to be a MX officer and it wasn't what they wanted. Now they can't go out and party with all their old buds who are now their subordinates.

[Palmguy]

Originally Posted by Cannibul

Perhaps the problem lies with the inability of some people on this thread to comprehend English.

What I said was:



Most. Most. Most. Most.

Not all.

My statement still stands, replace the word all with most.

[Radio Relay]

My statement still stands, replace the word all with most.

Try not to feed the troll, Bro!

This guy (Cannibul) is a total moron. He likes to hijack threads by making ludicrous b.s accusations and with name calling...

I suspect he's an anti-gunner. If you look around this forum, that's all this fool does.... i.e. Disrupts threads.

The left likes to play that game. They come in and pose as someone who has similar interests as everyone else in a forum that the left doesn't like, and then proceed to disrupt everything with their stupid threadjacks. Almost every gun forum has at least one.

[Cannibul]

Listen up RR. You need to quit with the name calling. You lost a discussion. Now you are pouting.

I guess my Anti-Gun threads would include this one.
Very light primer strikes....

Or perhaps this one
Sig GSR

I suspect you are headed to Kalifornia right now to marry your boy friend. Because you act like a little bitch.

Anyone who knows me would NEVER consider me Anti-Gun or being a Democrat.

[yocan]

Close thread time. Personally I think its funny for someone thats been on this forum with so few posts is jumping on Cannibul, do I think he has too much time and or photographic memory to remember posts thats uncanny? Yes, are his posts usually intelligent? Yes, is he a torque on the system/drag on the forum? Never. With maybe his points of calling repost, else he's gold.

[Radio Relay]

yocan said "Personally I think its funny for someone thats been on this forum with so few posts is jumping on Cannibul, do I think he has too much time and or photographic memory to remember posts thats uncanny? Yes, are his posts usually intelligent? Yes, is he a torque on the system/drag on the forum? Never. With maybe his points of calling repost, else he's gold."

Trolls usually work in pairs. One posts inflammatory crap. The other jumps in and supports him. While both are outraged that somebody tells it like it is, and confronts them.

Thanks for completing the circle, and destroying this thread.

BTW both of you go ahead and post more attacks. I've had my say. I refuse to feed the trolls further. From here out you two will be ignored (by me, anyway)... enjoy your threadjacks.