Do cadets actually outrank non-commissioned officers?

According to AR 600-20 Dated 06Nov14 they do...hope this helps.

I never had a cadet in 30 years ever assume to out rank anyone. They are in training and have no authority to direct or supervise any enlisted member. Once commissioned that all changes.

Couldn’t beat so you decided to join them I see ;-)

This is pretty much a Strawman debate. I was a cadet and a young 2nd Lt at one point and I never went around pulling rank on senior NCOs. I have never heard stories of any of my West Point classmates doing so either. Pretty much career suicide having your First Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant against you as a new 2nd Lt and we knew this.

Cadets don’t outrank NCOs

LOL this is hilarious. They don't outrank ANYONE because they are NOT active military members. They are cadets in school and they are not considered active military forces until they graduate and sworn in.

BTW there is one caveat to this, For purposes of active military they hold NO rank, NO power, and no authority at all unless they have been sworn in and given a commission for duty, whether for special circumstance or because of war. Only then would they be granted authority of rank... and even then it would most likely be limited.

I would love to know who came up with this idea that a cadet is somehow a ranked US Military active duty member? LOL Some cadet tries to pull that shit with me, he better be ready to be called a dumbfuck and laughed at.

I don't know about cadets, but I did see a 2nd LT tell a CSM to do police call. I also saw a 2nd LT cry that day.

no cadets don't outrank NCO's or for that matter any enlisted soldier for they don't have a commission yet. It is implied that they do because they are getting training and experience being an officer

AR 600-20 gives you an answer, but in my opinion it's really not explained well. I'm assuming you're referring to West Point / USMA cadets and not ROTC.

A good analogy is Ranger, Airborne and Air Assault training. If you are in a trainee status and others are training you, rank does not matter and the person doing the training out ranks you.

Anyone who tries to pull rank in a collaborative situation is frankly a jackass. Military service (as long as you're trying to get something done) is a TEAM SPORT. No one on a SpecOps or Ranger team pulls rank except when a serious decision needs to be made and someone has to hold the bag of responsibility, or doctrine requires officers of a certain rank to make the call.

Certain regulations and parts of military doctrine (and law in some cases) change the dynamic.

I'm an amateur military historian so take this for what you will but I think these rules date back to the Civil War when cadets were released from West Point early to serve as brevet commanders of field units.

My understanding is from reading Gods and Angels / The Killer Angels / The Last Full Measure trilogy which are works of fiction, and I've never verified that they were correct. For what that's worth.

Well, a contracted Air Force ROTC (and academy) cadet carries the rank of E2/3 so it is a resounding NO to this question.