Does rank still have privileges?

Capt Christian D. Orr - Actually in 1970-71 I lived in Bachelor NCO Quarters at Lowry AFB, CO and We did have maid service. They cleaned our room, made the bed etc. We paid a small amount of money for that service but if You lived there it wasn't an option. it was sure better than living in a regular barracks. The Commander when I made mY PCS into Lowry wanted me to decide to move in the barracks and be a dorm chief, I declined, the Bachelor NCO quarters was My choice. (that was an easy one to make) I may add We also had vending machines with bottle beer but all our residents were NCOs.

Nice!

Hahahaha…nice!

Well, you certainly have cafeterias manned by civilians and don’t have to clear your own tables! And boo-hoo, the students in training actually have a 10 pm curfew, for class to start at 8 am. While Navy and Marines still stood watches outside of class time, even at night, with a 6:00 am class start time, out at 3:00pm with a 1 hour lunch. Atleast AF people got all their nights-and weekends- off duty.

Must have been nice…

I agree with You and if You take care of Your troops, most of them will do what they are told but if You show You care they will do even more than required because they want to. The end result is not only are they happier and motivated but Your job is easier also as a result.

SFC Casey O'Mally - I did, yes. And when I didn't, my senior NCOs made darned sure my Soldiers were taken care of.

Rank has its privileges, yes. But it also has its responsibilities. Too often, NCO's see the first and forget the second.

Maj Robert Carson - Sir - that's what we do

Indeed it does. My memories of the increase in headaches I incurred when I went from E-3 to O-1 (and even more so when I became an O-2) were a big reason I avoided applying for a Supervisory slot after I made my way over to the Federal GS-series civilian side of the house (it would've been a promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 had I gone for it and been successful in my efforts).

Yes, there comes a time in one's life, when they don't want to Command anymore.
That's OK............live life and be a mentor.

I agree; rank has its privileges because rank also has its headaches. If you get one, you should get the other. But as the original poster stated, having also started as junior enlisted, I'm not too upset if I get the first class suite for lodging. I'm happy with just a private room.

Well said ma'am ... well said.

So, I see the Air Force isn't the only branch of service with an "E-4 Mafia;" back in my day, we called it the "Senior Airman Clique." ;-)

I was an acting jack, wore SGT stripes but paid as an E4, I liked CPL but couldn't safe the gun (could safe it to fire by wearing SGT. AND during that time, we had active Army NCOs that got a bachelors degree and had a Reserve Officer commission in the ARNG or Army Reserve, so if there was a large scale mobilization, a percentage of the officer corps in the reserve component would already be in the fight as NCOs. I've seen a few other oddities in the Army and in its rank structure :)

I hated being a specialist. I ran a section as specialist, in charge of NCOs. Yes, they were bad Sergeants. I was in a E-6 slot. I wasn’t that high speed, just new my stuff. I have, for whatever reason, always been placed in higher rank positions. I hated being a specialist. I was supposed to get corporal, but the higher ups didn’t want a corporal in the unit. It sucked, but I learned a lot. When I pinned E-6, nothing changed in my responsibilities just my pay went up.

Rah sir!

Sir this is the way things should be and I wish all officers and ncos would see it this way. I hope everyone sees your post and will adopt it.

SPC Steve Irvine - When did you ever get in a fart sack on ambush or in an LP/OP? I didn't say troops don't get wet. But if sleeping bags are part of the load out, mine is dry and a Marine's is wet, and it is time to bivouac, we swap.

Any other "unobtainable" examples of taking care of the troops in my list?

SPC Steve Irvine - Give me a leadership maxim and I can probably craft a scenario where the exception to the rule is the smarter move. I believe you understand my intent.

I understand every every man in his place. On the type of movement you described, the Plt Ldr was where he should be, and he WAS taking care of his men. But on an admin movement, I've seen junior officers think their place is in the jeep, while their men walk. It isn't. It isn't even about inspiration. It is about knowing how much your men have left to give. If you baby yourself, you don't know.

SFC (Join to see) -
OK then, just mutter, "Chief McGirr" when you say it... Like William Shatner's character in "Boston Legal" when he self-quoted. "Denny Crane". Lol!!

And when we are dead and buried, all we have to leave behind are those we train, lead and mentor. That is where we can truly stand out, by passing our core values on to the next gen. It's all a matter of perception, I think.

SFC (Join to see) - Actually, it's called "Elder Abuse" and there are laws against nearly every offense to the elderly which carry heavy fines and bar-time.
Some states it's ages over 55, other states, it's over 60.

No you have the privilege of a 3am phone call that pvt dipshit got drunk started a bar fight and lost lol. Or was thst just my fucktards

I know rank is (supposed to have privileges) but mostly, the officers I've met saw things like you do. Not sure how you managed to sit with the enlisted through. I joined in 86 and by 89 officers who spoke or did anything with NCOs without a a job related need were come down on like the wrath of Thor's hammer. It was spooky how severe the things were getting.

Some places I saw this odd perspective especially on training posts. I was at Ft Knox when DI's were getting busted for inappropriate behavior with trainees and I saw some of this at other places like Ft Dix, NJ when some DI's got in trouble for taking advantage of trainees/AIT Soldiers. I guess there are times and places when you actually can have chow and not be concerned about who is sitting next to you.

LTC Andrew Addison wow lower enlisted without them no job for you

SSG Charles Prussia Not sure how to take your comment. I started as an E-1 Private and retired as an O5 LTC so if you are saying I have no job without the lower enlisted meant as an insult you can go pound sand.

Ha I found the same thing at times as a former SSG

Lt Col (Join to see) - It may be a little petty of us fliers but, isn't it amazing how many non-fliers spent the flight with their heads in a barf bag? As a Loadmaster I can't imagine why, especially on my bird--The Mighty C-130E Hercules-- such a smooth flying aircraft. (snicker,snicker)!

By the time I got commissioned, the "perks" of rank had begun to go away. When I pinned n that gold bar, i found out quickly just what a fallacy that was. My pay as a 2LT was only about $7 or $8 a month more than my pay as a SSG with 10 yrs. Furthermore, although Butterbars have always been at best, ignored and at worst hated, by their subordinates, it was worse at the particular point in time when I was commissioned. Senior officers were derisive of young officers right in front of their troops. In my job at the time, I was given more responsibility than some of the CPTs because of my years of experience and was working across the command with senior NCOs that I only met occasionally. I encountered the typical Second Louie" treatment at their hands on a regular basis. I to wear Class Bs and never wore anything other than my rank on them. The COL I worked for saw this first hand one day and suggested that I start wearing my ribbons, so I did. I walked into an orderly room once and the SSG that greeted me, informed his CPT that a "PX hero Butter Bar" was here to see him and did he want him to send me away.
He came back out and with a sneer on his face asked, "How much did all that fruit salad cost you? Just how in the hell does a second lieutenant rate four rows of ribbons?" "Well," I said, "it cost me almost eleven years and six stripes. I was on the list for E-7 for two years and in a platoon sergeant slot when I was commissioned. As for how I "rate" them, do you really have the time?"

CPT Derial Bivens -

Amazing how “experienced” leaders can’t understand a concept as simple as a NCO completing a commissioning program and earning a commission. Definitely not looking forward to dealing with that “thought process”.

I want to comment as I commanded a Basic Training Company. The Drill Sergeant can not be thanked enough for teaching the new soldier RHIP and a bunch of other vital military stuff(both written and unwritten) As it was common for the first person seeing an officer to enter the mess hall to yell at ease, the first time I entered my own messhall, several trainees did not stop eating. I still smile thinking of the lecture given by SFC Lonnie Fields and SFC Albert C Dobison to those trainees on proper courtesy that should have been given to me. To make a long story short, I had been on my way to Battalion Headquarters at the time. I returned from their about 15 minutes later. At-ease was yelled by at least 6 trainees. Standing up at the head table was the Brigade Commander(O6) looking to see who had entered. It was "my privilege" to go over to him and apologize.