My congratulations to those exceptional young women! I noticed that at least one of the three cadets being interviewed appears to be former enlisted. In my 20 years of military service, I found that the majority of Acadamy graduates who were former enlisted made better officers and better leaders.
I think that's because Mustanger's started out at E-1 and know what it's like to be on the bottom of the pecking order. I remember when I was in Antarctica, I worked with a Dentist from VXE-6 who had been a enlisted dental technician in the Navy before becoming a dentist. Many of us enlisted who smoked would cluster outside in a small generator but to partake. That dentist would join us outside to light up. When I asked him, "Sir, why are you hanging out here with us enlisted?" His answer was, "Ed, first off, my name is Mark when we are out here or when there are no other officers around. Besides, I spent too much time as enlisted. Most officers that have never had that experience can be real jerks! I don't really like hanging around them except when neccessary!" My respect for that man went up by orders of magnitude after that.
My parents met and married when they were both officers in the Navy, after getting Bachelors' degrees and then attending OCS. When I asked my mom, she said that she thinks the rules should have required people to be enlisted before they can become officers. If you haven't been through it, it seems like it would be much harder to lead those who have.
I've known a few cases, all Air Force, where that philosophy just didn't work. I had a OIC who was former enlisted who lied about what he did when he was enlisted (said he worked in the missile launchers as a launch technician). Got a degree in Industrial Technology and they made him a Bioenvironmental Engineer. I'm pretty sure Ind Tech is not an engineering degree.
Then there was the former enlisted Marine who had a few screws loose who was my OIC in Alaska. That man was mentally abusive to his troops and was denied promotion to Captain.
No, they are not really any different. There are always turkeys in every service. I knew Navy Medical Service Corps LT when I was stationed at the Naval Medical Clinic at MCAS Yuma in the mid 70's who had been former enlisted who was hated by those of us unfortunate to have to work for him. He turned his back on ever having been enlisted and treated the enlisted like crap from the Chief Petty Officers on down. Funny thing is even the other officers thought he was worthless...
Maybe it's the medical field that draws assholes like that. I belonged to the Med Group when I was in the Air Force. These OICs I had were engineers (they're weird anyway).
I did know some nurses who were former enlisted and they were awesome
When I was a Buck Sargent I was tops in almost every list complied. With the a outstanding record that I had I became a Mustang and was promoted to Major. I skipped all of the lower officer ranks, (LT, Captain) and went right to the field grade level.
I was known to the men and women that served under me as Major Screw Up....
Congrats to the class! Stellar accomplishments on full display. I wish the class and these women specifically fun and interesting careers! I am sitting here thinking about a certain black female Chaplain who did something important for me 'back in the day' and how professionally it went down.
Strong women rule and i am so proud of these women. i am confident they will met any challenges head on. Success is ahead of them and i know they will get to it!!
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
What an amazing career these women will have.
Kudos
Congratulations to these amazing young women
The majority of the comments at NBC news are overwhelmingly negative and racist.
Sad.
Do you have a link to that?
hit the seed link button and scroll down from the video.
Those are Youtube comments.
You are correct, my bad.
And therefore not to be accepted at face value
My congratulations to those exceptional young women! I noticed that at least one of the three cadets being interviewed appears to be former enlisted. In my 20 years of military service, I found that the majority of Acadamy graduates who were former enlisted made better officers and better leaders.
With only one exception that I can remember, (there's always one, isn't there), Mustangs are always better, more balanced and more fair.
I think that's because Mustanger's started out at E-1 and know what it's like to be on the bottom of the pecking order. I remember when I was in Antarctica, I worked with a Dentist from VXE-6 who had been a enlisted dental technician in the Navy before becoming a dentist. Many of us enlisted who smoked would cluster outside in a small generator but to partake. That dentist would join us outside to light up. When I asked him, "Sir, why are you hanging out here with us enlisted?" His answer was, "Ed, first off, my name is Mark when we are out here or when there are no other officers around. Besides, I spent too much time as enlisted. Most officers that have never had that experience can be real jerks! I don't really like hanging around them except when neccessary!" My respect for that man went up by orders of magnitude after that.
My parents met and married when they were both officers in the Navy, after getting Bachelors' degrees and then attending OCS. When I asked my mom, she said that she thinks the rules should have required people to be enlisted before they can become officers. If you haven't been through it, it seems like it would be much harder to lead those who have.
I've known a few cases, all Air Force, where that philosophy just didn't work. I had a OIC who was former enlisted who lied about what he did when he was enlisted (said he worked in the missile launchers as a launch technician). Got a degree in Industrial Technology and they made him a Bioenvironmental Engineer. I'm pretty sure Ind Tech is not an engineering degree.
Then there was the former enlisted Marine who had a few screws loose who was my OIC in Alaska. That man was mentally abusive to his troops and was denied promotion to Captain.
The Navy and the Army are probably different tho.
No, they are not really any different. There are always turkeys in every service. I knew Navy Medical Service Corps LT when I was stationed at the Naval Medical Clinic at MCAS Yuma in the mid 70's who had been former enlisted who was hated by those of us unfortunate to have to work for him. He turned his back on ever having been enlisted and treated the enlisted like crap from the Chief Petty Officers on down. Funny thing is even the other officers thought he was worthless...
Maybe it's the medical field that draws assholes like that. I belonged to the Med Group when I was in the Air Force. These OICs I had were engineers (they're weird anyway).
I did know some nurses who were former enlisted and they were awesome
MSCs, say no more.
I remember an old joke in the Navy that went something like a HM1 who was never smart enough to make Chief, so they went MSC...
Hello, Army here.
When I was a Buck Sargent I was tops in almost every list complied. With the a outstanding record that I had I became a Mustang and was promoted to Major. I skipped all of the lower officer ranks, (LT, Captain) and went right to the field grade level.
I was known to the men and women that served under me as Major Screw Up....
This is a true story. Well kinda true.
Well, I believe it. But I thought you were a Marine?
Congrats Ladies.
We have coma a long way.
Congrats to the class! Stellar accomplishments on full display. I wish the class and these women specifically fun and interesting careers! I am sitting here thinking about a certain black female Chaplain who did something important for me 'back in the day' and how professionally it went down.
Chaplains are some of the most underappreciated people in the military.
That's the truth. I remember a Catholic chaplain telling Mr Giggles he needed to apologize to me and right now!
Strong women rule and i am so proud of these women. i am confident they will met any challenges head on. Success is ahead of them and i know they will get to it!!