Having been in the military for a while, I feel that in order to be an effective leader you must follow at some point in your career, start at the bottom and work your way up. I don't really feel that having a degree makes a person a capable leader (don't get me wrong, finishing a degree does require dicipline). Does anyone else agree with that statement, and if not why?
2006-12-11 13:42:44 · 13 answers · asked by danigirlusn 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
I used to think so, but after serving with quite a few "mustangs" who had prior service and quite a few officers right out of the academy or ROTC I realized that it doesn't make that big of a differance. A crap officer is a crap officer prior enlisted or not, and a good officer doesn't need any enlisted time to take care of his or her soldiers. That's my feeling on it.
2006-12-11 13:47:02 · answer #1 · answered by Chance20_m 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
While I don't agree that they should be enlisted I do think that it's BS that a college degree is required to become an officer( yes "Mustangs" are the exception), being college educated doesn't mean that you are a leader. Yes there is a certain amount of discipline involved in finishing a college degree but it's really not that hard. Check out this quote:
"As a board of officers reported to the commanding general of the European Theater at the end of World War II:"... on the battlefield, if a platoon sergeant, whose platoon commander has just been killed, can successfully lead fifty scared, confused men who depend on him for everything, and who must be made to accomplish what they think is impossible, it is of no consequence if the AGCT(Army general Classification Test) score of that man is less than 100 and he never attended high school..."
And whoever said that a 2nd Lt puts up with some crap, compare that to the crap that your average LCpl. puts up with and tell me who has it worse.
2006-12-11 14:06:12 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I used to think that but I am not so sure anymore. I am enlisted and see all these fresh officers all the time. Yes they are put in a leadership position, but I see them pushed around by enlisted all the time. Being an officer is different than being enlisted and it truly does take a different breed of person to be an officer. I love being a mechanic and the only way I can see myself as an officer is if I was guaranteed to be a pilot. I do not think that officers are necessarily smarter, but I do think that they have a different mind set from the normal enlistee.
2006-12-11 14:32:15 · answer #3 · answered by Jamie C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
one of the biggest gripes i'v heard is when leaders expect you to do something that they won't themselves (or are incapable of like pt reqs for BIG guys). I think that by starting out as enlisted at the bottom of the totem pole leaders can prove that they've been there too and they're not putting their troops into a position that they themselves haven't been in and accomplished. My husband is enlisted now because he wanted the experience before he gets commissioned...
2006-12-11 19:26:24 · answer #4 · answered by pele 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As a former Marine, I would agree.
I think to lead a unit into a combat situation, the leader should have some combat experience themselves, not be a higher rank because they spent 4 years in college.
Somethings are best learned through experience. Booksmart doesn't always apply in real world situations.
2006-12-11 13:48:56 · answer #5 · answered by jastorsjeep 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If I'm not mistaken, commissioned officers go through the same training as enlisties. They also are taught the military way to lead. By teaching them all the same techniques of leadership, there is somewhat a form of uniformity across the board.
2006-12-11 13:49:31 · answer #6 · answered by jay r 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Officers do start out at the bottom, as a 2ndLt/ Ensign. In the military you must have a balance of officers and enlisted men.
2006-12-12 00:05:51 · answer #7 · answered by WC 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
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2016-10-18 03:38:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, becuase officers will understand the full function of the military structure, not just their little officer world and their shiny pins... I'm not bitter about that at all... LOL!!!
2006-12-12 09:51:29 · answer #9 · answered by throughthebackyards 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That will never happen. There must always be Officers to make the military work.
2006-12-11 14:00:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋