Joined
·
61 Posts
LTC for me.
If you could have any rank in the army...
What would it be?
Take all pay and associated benefits out of the equation. Ignore prestige, job opportunities after the military, or what your family would think. If you could be any rank, which one would you choose?
Would it be:
A specialist, enough time in service to avoid the bad details, but low enough in rank to avoid having to take much responsibility?
A Captain, with his own company?
A Lieutenant General, with enough power to make real changes?
A First Sergeant, the top enlisted guy in a company?
A buck Sergeant, in charge of a group of enlisted soldiers, making things happen?
A Chief Warrant Officer, "the best rank in the army."
Take all pay and associated benefits out of the equation. Ignore prestige, job opportunities after the military, or what your family would think. If you could be any rank, which one would you choose?
Would it be:
A specialist, enough time in service to avoid the bad details, but low enough in rank to avoid having to take much responsibility?
A Captain, with his own company?
A Lieutenant General, with enough power to make real changes?
A First Sergeant, the top enlisted guy in a company?
A buck Sergeant, in charge of a group of enlisted soldiers, making things happen?
A Chief Warrant Officer, "the best rank in the army."
1 - 20 of 107 Posts
Joined
·
70 Posts
Major General, since that's as high as I can go in the JAG Corps.
Joined
·
7,740 Posts
COL (P) would be perfect!
CW4.....on an SF ODA.
For officers I think LTC is as good as it gets. Everything before battalion command seems to lead up to it and prepare an officer for it. Everything after battalion command seems to take an officer farther and farther away from really leading troops by example.
Keep in mind that my perspective is that of a former fire team leader. Many officers may not agree. But I'll tell you this: I really felt and was influenced by my battalion commander's personality and policies on a daily basis; I knew very little about my brigade and division commanders at all.
Similar for NCOs. I felt the influence of my BN CSM but I knew very little about CSMs above that level. I wasn't really aware of CSMs above battalion level on a daily basis.
For officers I think LTC is as good as it gets. Everything before battalion command seems to lead up to it and prepare an officer for it. Everything after battalion command seems to take an officer farther and farther away from really leading troops by example.
Keep in mind that my perspective is that of a former fire team leader. Many officers may not agree. But I'll tell you this: I really felt and was influenced by my battalion commander's personality and policies on a daily basis; I knew very little about my brigade and division commanders at all.
Similar for NCOs. I felt the influence of my BN CSM but I knew very little about CSMs above that level. I wasn't really aware of CSMs above battalion level on a daily basis.
Joined
·
1,057 Posts
Drill sergeant.
"Beat your face PRIVATE! Beat your face!
"Beat your face PRIVATE! Beat your face!
Joined
·
1,546 Posts
I think it was in one of Tom Clancy's novels when a group of CIA agents were going somewhere posing as military officers and they wanted to decide what rank they would pose as and the decision was to be LTCs. The reasoning was that this rank was high enough that most people showed deference and did not want to mess with you, but it was not high enough that it caused undue excitement and concern from folks like the protocol office. Actually, though, LTC is great for what was stated above, you are still at the tip of leading be it in the Army and Marines as a battalion commander or in the AF as a squadron commander. You are really still close enough to the troops, yet you are at a point where you can be a major decision maker and hopefully screen the troops from the "good idea fairy." Understanding that ALL officer ranks have politics involved, as a battalion/squadron commander, you can avoid most (especially if you really don;t care about making O-6 and just want to do the job and take care of the troops).
Joined
·
699 Posts
Command Sergeant Major. Nobody fs with a CSM
Joined
·
7,740 Posts
I'd jsut like to wear the old shiny "general belt!" :whistling:
Joined
·
747 Posts
Not always true. When I was at Fort Benning, our Battalion CSM decided he didn't like me(I was a SSG), so he told the 1SG to move me from the job the he(the 1SG) had put me in. The 1SG told the CSM if he wanted to come and run the company he could and the 1SG would go run the battalion(Gotta admire that 1SG :tongueout
. The CSM didn't like it, but he was in the wrong, there.Anyway, he eventually got rid of the 1SG and put another one in, and got his wishes, but not much later it was recommended to him that he should retire(and I went back to the job I was doing before he came along).:tongueout:
Joined
·
3,625 Posts
a retired 4 star General with 30 years in servicel?
Joined
·
7,740 Posts
Just as long as you're not Wesley Clark!a retired 4 star General with 30 years in servicel?
Ah, yes, the humility of Maj. Gen Enoch Crowder, the Army JAG during WWI. Recommended for promotion to Lieutenant General for his work as JAG, Provost Marshal, etc., he declined since he led no troops in battle and other general officers were not attaining the 3-star rank. Unfortunately, he set a precedent and politics being what they are, the JAG will be a two-star for the indefinite future.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enoch_Crowder
LTC, since that's where I'll top out.
MJH, another JAG
Joined
·
37,051 Posts
CW-2
Not a W-3 or -4 so they're not going to put you in charge. Not a -1 so they trust you. And you get paid to break a helicopter.
Or E-6. You're above Sgt, so you get to tell them what needs to be done, and not have to actually conduct the actual menial task, yet you're low enough that you can get away with being one of the guys still.
Not a W-3 or -4 so they're not going to put you in charge. Not a -1 so they trust you. And you get paid to break a helicopter.
Or E-6. You're above Sgt, so you get to tell them what needs to be done, and not have to actually conduct the actual menial task, yet you're low enough that you can get away with being one of the guys still.
1 - 20 of 107 Posts
