I have always wondered, why is there a graduate degree program only for officers and not for Senior NCO's?

BURN!!!!

Shame! Ha ha

Hilarious!

Awesome!

Very nice, too bad the Army's combat arms section hasn't done so yet.

I've worked with a few NCOs who held post-grad degrees; but they couldn't be put to much use WHILE STILL IN SERVICE. But there is life after retirement. and IMO, no education is ever wasted. These programs should be encouraged, but I don't expect DOD to ever pay for them if they can't directly benefit from them.

The Air Force also opens the doctoral degree program to the enlisted ranks but they can not find many within the enlisted ranks to participate. I think we are the luckiest of all the services, we continue to elevate all our airmen together. We offer a way to succeed even after we are out of the Air Force.

Sir, you are absolutely right. If it's not needed to fill a job requirement than it wouldn't be needed to be a requirement. I have thought about this question for over 10 years. I believe that today's NCO Corp could really benefit from a program that would entice and educate NCOs to a level that will only make the force stronger. SGM's have been given the opportunity for future schooling while at the academy, which is a great start. I believe that by starting at the Sergeant First Class level that it will benefit leaders in away of better understand officers and officers will have a well educated NCO to rely on.

Most officer branches also require graduate degrees for promotion to senior rank. NCOs don't. That requirement becomes a discriminator.

Col. glad that law wasn't in effect in 1967 when I became an Officer. No college at all. 19. I fit in quite well with the West Pointers and was more physically fit and pretty smart (my acceptance to Cornell was "removed" by the draft), so the ROTC guys didn't really impress me. But, that was then and this is now. I used my GI bill benefits for college after active duty and was already "worldly" with a bunch of kids protesting Viet Nam and the draft. Sorry I didn't have more benefits for an advanced degree. I do know some now retired Air Force officers that got their Masters while in, and they were quite happy with the program.

Inside the Special Forces Regiment, Green berets are afforded the opportunity to graduate the SF Qualification Course with an Associates Degree. By the time they graduate SLC, they could have a Bachelors with two separate tracks for NCOs (E-6- E-8) to earn their master's degree on while on Active Duty.