What is the difference between a senior NCO and an Officer?

Question

In terms of personal qualities, character and attributes? Thanks

Let's say an NCO who has been in for 20 years, and an Officer who has been in for the same amount of time. What tells them apart? Thanks

Answer 1

Too many answers from Americans, so a British Army answer won't make much sense except to say that NOBODY IS ENLISTED - they all join of their own free will. A lot is to do with education too - anybody from a good university will usually be offered officer's training. As they get older and wiser, the "gentleman" in the officer clearly shows whereas the NCO tends to treat anybody in a lower rank as shite ! ! !

Answer 2

Strangely no-one has given you the correct answer yet! An Officer is commissioned, that is he is appointed by the Queen (in the UK) to exercise the privileges of his rank. An NCO, in Navy parlance, is a rating. That is, he is of a different corps of the Navy. There is a Rating Corps and an Officer Corps.
There is a distinction for many reasons, mostly historical. However the major practical difference is that an Officer is groomed for Command from an early stage and learns skills that prepare him/her for that. Ratings tend to start there careers in more technical or manual positions whereas Officers are expected to command, lead and manage from the word go. You have to have the 2 corps in order that you develop people for high command from an early age - although it does sometimes happen that people from the lower deck are promoted to very senior ranks.
The difference between an NCO and an Officer of 20 years service is quite hard to define. An Officer of that seniority is likely to have commanded ships or regiments and whilst the NCO is probably very experienced, will likely have had little autonomy in any of his or her jobs.
The key distinction is responsibility - Officers are often expected to take the legal responsibility for those under their command and their actions. For example if someone crashes a ship, then the Captain of that ship may have to suffer the consequences if it is shown that he, for example, allowed a system where an incompetent person was in a position of responsibility.
Sorry this is a bit rambling - but its a complex thing to explain!

Answer 3

An NCO is an enlisted, while an officer is appointed. Officers tend to have a college degree while this is not necessarily true of an NCO. However, now a days NCO's tend to be more educated than theyu were in the past and Officers are now required to have a 4 yr degree by the time they pin on O-3. A senior NCO tends to be more experienced than a jounior to mid-grade officer. A good officer will welcome advice from a senior NCO.

Answer 4

Age. An officer can be 25 but a Senior NCO is going to be older.

Plus this is a strange question, because being an officer or an Senior NCO aren't really that comparable. There is to much going unsaid here. You need to provide more information to compare the two.

Answer 5

If they have both been in 20 years one of the biggest things you may notice is that officers will be more political and NCO's are more hands on. But it is 2 different worlds and without each, the military wouldnt function the same.

Answer 6

Well there is not a lot of difference with regard to their disciplinary powers. Both give guys like me orders and bollockings and a general thoroughly unplesant time if we are deemed lazy or inefficient or scruffy or anything of similar ilk. NCOs do however normality express their viewpoint with regard to any personal failings of guys like me with the aid of more verbiose expletives and many more words beginning with F than do Officers!

The only other difference appears to be that Officers get pissed in the Officers Mess and NCOs in the Sergeants Mess after putting the likes of me on a fizzer for our failings, but I still end up on punishment whether it is an Officer or NCO that signs the form that gets me on punishment, and in either case I know I thoroughly deserve it, so do they!.

Answer 7

The clue is in the title. NCO = non-commissioned officer. Officers hold the Queen's commission, which gives them the responsibility to "exercise and well discipline in their duties" those placed under their command. Essentially commissioned officers exercise command at all levels while NCOs control under the command of the officers. If you like, the officers are the managers while the NCOs are the supervisors and foremen.

Answer 8

an officer is an officer, ie, a 2nd LT, Captain, Colonel, an NCO is enlisted personnel in this case a Master Sergeant, or 1st Sergeant. As far as attributes they depend on the NCO and Officer. The Officer is supposed to get more respect out of the 2 but in reality the Nco is the one that usually gets the trust of the soldiers since he is more interactive with them. An NCO tends to understand the lower enlisted more since he once was lower ranked him/herself at one time whereas an Officer more than likely started off as just that, an officer (2nd LT) Unless you are talking about a warant officer, they tend to be more down to earth with the enlisted since they used to be enlisted as well.. just my two cents. It will vary by person and unit though. That how it is in my unit.

Answer 9

howdy. you would be on the comparable IOT direction as NCO's and the different ranks who've been chosen to decide for a commision. I actual have known many ex rankers who've taken a cost and who've thrived and tailored to the "officer ethos" and others who attempt to be "nevertheless between the lads". each and every person is diverse and at Cranwell you're all interior the comparable boat with the comparable purpose. sturdy success

Answer 10

Really not that much, when you speak of personal things like character and such. Both men would be intelligent. Both would be respected by their peers and by their superiors, and hopefully by their troops. Both would be leaders, although at differing levels of responsibility. (Think of a corporate VP and a department level head.) They would both probably be assuming leadership roles in their community (current elders at our church happen to be a Col. and a SMSgt!) Both concerned with getting their kids into and through college or at least out of the house. Both wondering what they are going to do after their military career. Both very driven and dedicated people, with a high work ethic.
Now, that said, you can find losers in both areas. Folks that managed to brown nose their way up but are real jerks. Folks that are biding time and you wouldn't trust babysitting a cat. But they are few and far between!
Hope that's what you are looking for!