I do not want to be a Sergeant. Can I refuse a promotion?

Question

I do not want to be a Sergeant. I do not want to be a Squad Leader, a Platoon Sergeant, an NCO of any kind. I have nothing against NCO's, but I simply feel that if I am going to have the responsibility of others, I might as well be a commissioned officer, get paid properly and get saluted and have better resume' material when I get out. I see 20 year and on occassion 30 year guys calling 22 year old 2nd LT's Sir and Mam, and it just looks peculiar to me. I'd rather be an E4 for the duration than to be an NCO with the extra responsibility and lesser pay. U.S. Army. Can I refuse to be promoted? What will happen if I do?

I don't want to get out like that. I like the Army. I just see LT's doing not much of anything, but getting paid better than NCO's and getting saluted while NCO get up early and have to take all this grief off LT's who don't really know crap. Old guys snapping to attention when LT's enter a room (tent). It just looks odd. It just seems that accepting promotion to NCO means that I accept my place in the world as an enlisted man. And I have more ambition than that. I only have six months to ETS. I do not plan to re-enlist. I am going to college to finish my degree, and signing up for ROTC. Officers just get treated better, it seems.

I seriously doubt they will boot me for failure to progess. We are under strength as it is. MOS 31B.

I am sorry that some of you are taking this personally. Yes, I am in the military. And I am not the only one who feels this way. I have spoken with my 1st Sgt. Not about refusing promotion, but about simply not wanting to be an NCO. He said, paraphrased, I know how you feel. I used to feel the same way. But I got married, had kids and the Army took care of us and I made a career out of it. He also said that he will retire with full benefits, whereas most officers never get promoted past Captain because they have to get a Master's. Most do their time and get out as 1st LT's and wind up as bums who do not get the same respect in the civilian world. He also said that in private that he tells the Captain what to do and even has gone head to head with an LTC he pulled over drunk on base who called him an f'ing black striper. The LTC soon after resigned.

I'm anything but a slacker jackass. Only NCO's behave the way you do. That's really why I do not want to be considered a career enlisted man. At least officers BEHAVE like gentlemen, for the most part. P.S. Yes, your daughter is doing the LT.

Mrsjvb. "Taking care of the people below you while folowing the orders of those above you....held to a Higher Standard...more money...etc?" So, what you have stated is in complete agreement with I have stated here. Officers are considered better and more important than NCOs. The way you described Officers, it's like they are the antithesis of NCOs. NCOs can out getting drunk and ho chasin' but officers are the right hand of God and cannot shame the grade. Please. Take it out of town. Bet! Take a simple Captain straight out of the military and a Segeant Major straight out of the military. All other things equal, I'll bet you that having been a somple Captain would look a hell of a lot better on paper than having just been an ol' Sarge!

Answer 1

there is High Year Tenure. If you don't promote to the next Paygrade within that time frame, yes, you WILL be disallowed to re enlist.

and boy, do you have a perverted and INACCURATE view of the Officer ranks. With more pay comes more repsonisbility. Being held to a higher standrad. Having to look out for the people below you while obeying the orders of the people above you.

With an attitude like yours, I don;t see you lasting long at all.

Answer 2

Yes, you can refuse the promotion. My question to you is, Why did you go before the promotion board if you don't want to be promoted? It's a good idea to be a sergeant though, NCOs run the army; plus, the leadership experience will make you a better officer should you earn a commission. Knowing that you were an NCO will make your life as an officer easier as your NCOs will have more respect for you knowing that you were one of them. Besides, if you are selected for promotion and earn the points to be promoted and refuse the promotion, you will forfeit all the good things of being an NCO should you earn a commission AND make it that much more difficult to earn a commission. Remember, those who have the responsibility to recommend you for a commissioning program will know that you refused a leadership role and figure that you really don't want to be a leader, making it much harder to get a commission for you (you probably won't be recommended for a commissioning program). Don't refuse it; take the promotion and ETS when your contract is up and move on. Be proud to be an NCO...a LEADER.

Answer 3

You can refuse, but it will create problems if you later decide to re-enlist. I was actually scheduled to appear before the promotion board for SSG/E-6, and had some personal issues going on. I requested that my name be removed from the list. It was done. But it took me a year to get back in front of the board.
Keep in mind, as a Corporal or Buck Sergeant you'll have very little real responsibility. You'll just be carrying out the orders of those with higher rank. I hated calling Lt's sir. Most didn't deserve it. Most of the NCO's I worked with were equally useless. You could always take the promotion and try to better job than your peers. That's what I did. I wasn't always popular with my superiors, but I got the job done and took care of my soldiers.

Answer 4

You can't refuse to be promoted. You can TRY to refuse to go to the E-5 board, but then you will be told that your "appointed place of duty" is the promotion board. Don't show, your AWOL. If you go in there and make a fool out of yourself, you will regret it, because then you will have made a fool out of yourself, your team leader, your squad leader, and your 1SG. While you won't see UCMJ action, they will make your life hell.

If you don't get promoted, you will be kicked out of the Army. An E-4 can only stay in the Army for 8 years. Then you will hit your Retention Control Points (RCP) and you will be kicked out.

If you want to be an officer, then you will have to get your degree. The program is OCS (you have a Bachelor's degree), or Green to Gold (you have an Associate's degree).

Answer 5

FYI - you _will_ be booted out for 'failure to progress.' If you do not make SSG by 10 years in service then you will be separated.

The only place where a lower EM can remain as a lower EM throughout his career is the National Guard.

And BTW - officers work hard. I learned that lesson many years ago when I was a platoon sergeant without a platoon leader. I had to do both jobs and I worked my *ss off.

Answer 6

Take the promotion, you earned it.
Then go become an officer.
In the Marine Corps E4 is an NCO.
I was an 0331 in the USMC, as an E3 I had an E4 billet.
Once I was promoted to E4 I rated the bloodstripe and a sword.

Answer 7

Just refuse. Then get the hell out of my Army when your ETS date comes up. If you don't want to step up, shut up and get out.

I have no time for slackers.



Edit -

LoL...your a slacker, Fess up. You don't want the responsibility required to accomplish a mission. You said it yourself; you "see" officers not doing anything and you want to do what they do. How little you know.

Get out of my Army. Your nothing but a liability to me and every other Soldier in it.

And most wonder why senior NCO's are retiring quickly....Because of Soldiers like you.

I don't have any kids hero. I suggest you don't have any either...save us the misery.

Answer 8

Yes, you can refuse to get promoted. You have to earn your promotion to sergeant. They don't just give it to you. You have to get selected by your NCO support channel to attend the Promotion Board, you have to earn promotion points, you have to be selected for promotion, you have to meet the minimal promotion points required in your MOS, etc.
As far as what will happen to you? Nothing as far as UCMJ is concerned. But do NOT be a f@#k up. If you are, you'll be picked on by your 1SG and your NCOs. Just stay in the background, serve your contract, and get out.

Answer 9

You have to go to some sort of Officer Training/Candidate School first. I seriously doubt you're even in the military.

Answer 10

If you are truly in the military, then you should know that you can't or you will be booted for "failure to progress!" C'mon on now! Get real. You just sound lazy!