Deciding to stay enlisted or go officer?

2015-06-02T22:44:17-04:00

I've been told many times by a few CPTs and LTs that id make a great officer and I never really thought about going officer till they mentioned it. I always hear about E-4s deciding to go officer . I guess my question is how do you decide something like that what do you look at?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2015 10:49 PM

2015-06-02T22:49:28-04:00

There were many reasons I decided to become an officer after spending seven years enlisted. I encountered stagnation in my career as an E6. There are a few different paths that all infantry NCOs go through and they seemed lack luster to me. I wanted to broaden my scope of responsibility as well as my personal development. Army schools, institutional learning, and civilian education/licensing is not only easier to get as an officer, but a lot of it is required. The Army invests a lot in the development of its officers and there are numerous paths to go on, far more than I could ever have had when I was enlisted. I also wanted a new challenge and I have not yet been disappointed. Of course the extra money looks good at retirement. Good luck on your decision!

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2015 10:58 PM

2015-06-02T22:58:46-04:00

Iam going threw the same thought process my self,at the end of the day it's all about taking care of each other ,it's just about what position do you want to place yourself in do to just that ,me personally I hope one day my work ethic will lead to becoming a WO. We as lower enlisted are exposed to all different types of leadership wether it may be ,ENLISTED COMISSIONED, or WARRANT we have that choice now as lower enlisted to stay on a straight path and be like a sponge and soak all this info up, some lower enlisted are intimidated by higher rank, don't be afraid to ask your leaders how they got to the position that their in and what's the steps to get there.I don't care at the end of the day it's your decision ,what do you see your self as.

MY 1st SGT always says everybody wants the stripes but nobody wants the responsibilities that come with this ish(censored)...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2015 11:28 PM

2015-06-02T23:28:05-04:00

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member I think my first question is do you want to be an Officer? Although you've said your CPT and LTs have mentioned you would make a good officer, have they really explained to you what that means? There is absolutely nothing better about being an officer or anything worse about being enlisted, each has its pluses and minuses. It is all personal preference.

Things to consider about being an officer:

1. Time with troops. Something we all love about being a leader (both officer and NCO). You will get plenty of time with troops as a LT and some time as a CPT, after that, that's about it. You will have minimal time at best as a MAJ and maybe, if you are selected for BN CMD as a LTC, but still you are dealing with the seniors of the organization. So, if you think you might like the interaction your SSGs, SFCs, and even 1SGs are having with you, then being an officer might not be for you.

2. Can you say Power Point? As an officer, you will spend majority of your career on a staff somewhere and in today's day and age, we are a slave to power point. Not fun, not sexy, and just a fact of life.

3. Command, Command, Command....not knowing what you would want to branch, but Command is an opportunity only afforded to Officers. We have command teams within the enlisted ranks as 1SGs and CSMs and any officer worth their salt would recognized that. Out of all my time as an officer, my 18 months and 3 days in Battery Command have been by far my highlight of my career. Now, I was surrounded by great NCOs, Soldiers and LTs, so it made it easier. From what you have seen of your commander, if you have that desire to command Soldiers, then going officer might be for you. However, just remember, out of my 18 years of commissioned time, only 18 months was in command, 18 months well worth it.

4. What branch do you want to try and go? However you would chose to become an officer (OCS, ROTC, West Point), you may not be guaranteed your branch of choice. So, if you like your MOS and your career field, it might be a good reason to stay enlisted. If you are thinking of going aviation and being a pilot, I would recommend looking into Warrant Officer versus Commissioned Officer, as Warrants fly a whole lot more than the officers do.

It's a tough decision to make. Based on what you have for college already, I would talk with your Commander about opportunities to help pay for school and still receive a pay check while doing it (Green-to-Gold ROTC Scholarship, West Point Appointments, etc).

Also, I would seek out other officers on RP from different branches and get their perspective on being an officer.

The best part of this decision is there is no wrong answer. If you stay enlisted, great, if you become an officer, equally as great!

Good luck!

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Jun 3 at 2015 12:01 AM

2015-06-03T00:01:09-04:00

You are at a point that you are seeing all that the Army has to offer. Before thinking about going off to be an Officer, learn how to be a Soldier.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2016 12:07 PM

2016-02-17T12:07:24-05:00

I looked at the paychart. I was in the NG and my drill pay doubled going from enlisted to 2LT.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2018 1:26 AM

2018-07-26T01:26:24-04:00

Being a commissioned officer is a huge responsibility. The pay is better and the opportunities for growth are exponential compared to the enlisted side. But you career is what you make out of it. The enlisted side has plenty of opportunities as does the Warrant Officer route. You habe to do what is best for your career and family. My only comment that about becoming an officer that I experienced was my ROTC class in college. I left the program right before we all went to LDAC at Fort Lewis. Out if a class of 25 students 3 are still in the Army and I'm one of them. The ones that left said they would have been better off enlisted, that the branch they were selected for was not there 1st or 5th choice. Enlisted Soldiers and Warrants choose their path. Best of luck to you.