Do cadets actually outrank non-commissioned officers?

Ummm what?

Actually, no. Because they haven't completed the training that is required to commission, they have no real rank. So an NCO does technically outrank them. It's why we generally laugh when they try to chew people out for not saluting them.

This is not a question of whom outranks whom, A Good NCO utilizes encounters with cadets as opportunity training, mentoring and molding a Cadet towards the responsibility that he or she will shoulder and be burdened by, a Cadet will know they are facing knowledge, experience in short a seasoned leader and won't think to try out the who outranks who, in 32 years who outranks who was never a question

Just my $.02 ...and only because you asked ....and I know I didn't answer it

Haole

Back in '76 it wasn't unusual to be short Jr Officers, and in my Plt, we had 2 E-6's. SSG Thomas, who acted as the Plt Ldr, and myself who did the Plt Sgt job. Every summer we'd get the Cadets from WP, and for some reason, they'd put them with us. Allegedly so we'd have an 'officer' but I like to believe it was so the Cadets could be around NCO's more. Normally, by the 3rd day of them being there, the Cadets from the other companies would come down in the evenings and hang with us. Made us feel good that they were actually listening. This picture has one of our Cadets in it. Someone just pointed out the other day that he's the spitting image of "Toad" from American Graffiti. Bottom center of the photo. The question of rank never came up. If it had, I'm sure we could have worked around it.

As an E-7 I had a cadet believe that he was in position to give me orders. The other two cadets that observed the interaction never made that mistake, and all of them did a remarkable job cleaning the latrines! My philosophy was that if a cadet is there to learn. If they show me respect, then I will give them the same courtesy. If they come in thinking they are General Patton, then I will reduce them to Beatle Baily!

I see everyone talk about the show and "I'd like to see....". Let's get down to brass tacks. A cadet is a cadet! Period! They don't hold a commission and are in the field to LEARN. As a Chief Petty Officer, I was responsible for training cadets in all things Deck Department. I respected the fact they were at some point going to be officers and they needed to learn everything my department could teach them as quickly and concisely as possible. Teaching them that there was a right way, a wrong way, and the military way (Coast Guard in my case), was just as important as getting them qualified to stand watches. In any case, respect shown is respect received and in both cases, respect earned.

I was part of a midshipman cruise on the. USS John S. McCain DL-3. 4 middys were assigned to CIC for training. As a NCO Igot the orientation job. Long story short I was challenged to a pushup contest. I won when I asked " which arm". What they didn't kow is I had been hitting the gym for about 18 months.

Until they earn their commission they are shit under my shoe... and I tell them that too. With one son that went to the USAF academy, and two ARMY, war hardened sons with nine war zone tours between them.... and they all agree with their ol' man.

LOL!
Yea! ... Just like a wet, behind the ears butter bar out ranks a CSM!

Unless you are eligible for DD 214, you are not eligible to be considered a Veteran. In spite of pencildick written ARs. Take it as you please