How does each service view transitions from enlisted to officer

When I and thousands of others were commissioned in 1980, I had ten years service and was an E-6. My initial findings were as described, many appreciated us "Mavericks." However, the AF didn't expect us to stay past Captain. When we did, promotions slowed down, but we hung with it. We did the "officer things" of the time, i.e. Master's Degrees, community involvement, joined the Club, etc. We caused a logjam in the promotion cycle and they responded with some pretty nasty SERBs. Their reasoning, published at the time, were "you already have your 20, you can retire." They said nothing about career advancement, remote tours, great OPRs, etc. They would rather "save" a 17 yr poor Major than keep a 24 yr excellent Major. Yes, I was SERB'd, and I was bitter. However, some things come around and 15 yrs later they asked me to come back for two years (pictured)! I retired again in 2011!

The Army has quite a bit of bias against former enlisted. They are still never regarded as 'one of the guys' and the Army keeps adding arbitrary roadblocks (Active federal service time limits, which have been getting shorter ect...) Frankly, the Army would rather have a high school kid before they would rather have enlisted swine. It is even in our regs if a cadet is present, they would take command over an NCO in the unlikely event that all the officers are killed. You'll also find that bias against enlisted continues into the civilian world. I've a buddy that almost had to fire his production manager who didn't like it when he found out his boss for over a year was a former NCO. I know my policy as a civilian will be to never hire them. I need employees that are accustomed to following the rules not accustomed to finding creative ways to interpret their way around them.

For me when I was on active duty, I and many others in a Victor unit (Grunt Unit) appreciated when we had a Mustang in-charge. I was lucky enough to have my section O.I.C be a Mustang and Our Battalion Commander be one too. Mustangs knew what it was like to be an enlisted person and what we when through as enlisted compared to an Officer so they would lead in a different way from the officers that Just went through O.C.S. from collage. Mustangs would sometimes the 1st (Officers) to jump in and help he's enlisted with duty's that would require physical hands on work. Now I'm not saying non mustangs didn't get down and dirty with their enlisted people when needed, I'm sure hey do. It just from my experience Mustangs jump in faster and treat their people a little better (For The most Part) because they went through the same shitty duty's while they were enlisted as we did when they were officers.

Most Army folks are pretty conscious of the pay gap; however, no one envies the officer's job, either. The happy medium is going nurse, PA, or doctor. That feels like a logical career progression to many in the enlisted medical ranks at least.

Each branch will always have those that don't look favorable upon those that choose the commissioning route. I was enlisted first, then went to OCS. I'm glad I did. I encourage any enlisted personnel who thinks they can serve as a commissioned officer to do so. My son is an Army National Guard Soldier. He was also an ROTC cadet but is no longer. Whether he remains enlisted or gets commissioned or even warrant, I am confident that he will do well which ever path he chooses. No one is forced to choose a path: enlisted, warrant, or commissioned. But we each do choose one of those three paths...

The drive does exist. I am an Army Medic, SSG, and see PA as my career goal. However, if someone came to me and said drop that nonsense, instead you’ve got a guaranteed chance to make 1SG and SGM, I think I would take it.

Officers plan and sit in meetings. They have authority, but it’s authority by committee. The power senior officers hold over their junior officers is unreal.

NCO make men. It feels to me like a more direct experience of leadership, barring officers’ command role.

I have not noticed any reduction in their thus far stellar performance. The Richmond VA facility is fantastic. How they pull it off without the support of Congress is beyond me.

I did generally have more respect for LDO's/CWO's than I did for Ensign Billy Bobo fresh out of Annapolis/OCS/ROTC.