If I loved being enlisted, will I like being an Officer?

It depends on the person. I really enjoyed being enlisted. It was a great experience. I wouldn't take it back for anything but I also really enjoy being an officer. I don't think it is better than being enlisted but I really enjoy my experience that I am gaining as an officer and my ability to further take care of the soldiers as a prior service officer. I don't know many that that commissioned and regretted it. You have to ask why you wanted to be officer. I don't have issue when some want to say enlisted and they don't value the role of the officer. That is fine. We need great NCOs. Being an officer is not for everyone. For me it was. But I wanted to stay in positions where I could lead. Once I hit squad leader I felt the next position of progression was Platoon Leader. I just didn't really want to be a PSG.

As much as I'd love to say otherwise...no.

Being an officer means being accountable for a wide range of things you've either no formal training on...or woefully incomplete training on. We all know who REALLY runs the services, but that has never once in history kept a JO from facing the wrath of superiors when things go south. I can't speak from experience, but I imagine its only harder coming from any significant amount of enlisted experience-which you clearly have. Your men will expect you to be "immune" from the "mistakes" new JOs make (though a few of 'em are unavoidable for anyone), and your superiors will be looking for more from you from the very first day. You'll lose the connection and fraternity with the "grunts", and have serious challenges in adapting to the new "rules" of the commissioned side of the house.

That said...

I hope you continue to consider it because one thing the services sorely need are officers who love their service and have the maturity and dedication to be of use. You sound like someone who would be a true asset and a well respected officer in time.

The right question to ask isn't if the pay is worth it, because in the long run, it isn't. Neither is whether or not you will like/love it...because there's so much you won't. The correct question to ask is if you're willing to make the sacrifices for the better of your fellow Marines and the Corps, because in the end, that's what its all about.

Best Wishes and Good Luck

I always hate to respond to the same question more than once, but I remembered an advisory note that General "Chesty" Puller wrote to me when I got him to sign his biography. He first said some nice things about me, but then wrote "Be a leader, not a commander." Can't improve on that.

No, you won't.
The reason why I stayed enlisted is the reason I still love it to this day, training Soldiers.
There is nothing like being in the mud and sharing the comradery. I'd do anything for my Soldiers, and they know it.
While officers certainly can (and should) get dirty, they by definition can't be close to the men anymore. They can canoodle in the Lieutenant mafia (blanch) or the Cabal 'o Captains, but it is not the same.
I wouldn't trade the experience of an enlisted man for the world, and while I'd have probably been a pretty good officer, I know that I made the right choice.

Cpl David Smith I would say maybe....first I would ask, has anyone ever sat down and truly explained the difference between being enlisted and being an officer? It is much, much, much more than the pay divide (which is a whole other topic that needs to be corrected).

As a NCO, if you like leading Marines, then I would say no, you wouldn't like being an officer. Although Officer do get "Some" time leading Marines, majority of an officers' career is spent on a staff at some level with minimal interaction with Marines / Soldiers. Don't get me wrong, being a platoon commander or company commander is great and I wouldn't trade my experiences for the world, but after that, it has been kind of downhill. The Marines I work with today our outstanding, but there are only a few of them in my section, and no where near the size I had as a battery commander. And, most of my time is spent planning while my Marines execute, but rarely are we together.

If all this sounds like fun, then sure you might like being an officer. Had I known then what I know now, I would have stay enlisted much longer, still switched over and had the fun at the Lieutenant and Captain levels, but probably stopped there.

Good luck with your decision.

Great question for prior-enlisted Marine Officers, might take a little creative searching here on RallyPoint but I bet you can find them. I'll ask you this you this: are you more excited about squeezing triggers and maneuvering tanks? Or are you more excited about developing and growing Marines?

I don't have enough enlisted time to brag about (PI, ITR then casual company waiting for OCS), but I know I enjoyed being commissioned more than enlisted. You'll have more responsibility and your seniors will expect more of you, but remember every time you would be waiting for something to happen, or wondering why you had to do something you didn't understand? As an officer you'll have a better understanding of the whys and an opportunity to make things better. You'll have one up on the young officers just out of school because you'll have a better understanding of what your people are thinking and what you can do to make their life better. Your restrictions will still be there, but at the same time you'll have more of an opportunity to influence what is happening around you and test those ideas you always had about doing the job smarter. Only one word of advice. Never forget you are the officer and have left your stripes behind. You'll have to make things happen and will be held responsible for the results; use the talents your men have and listen to your SNCO's opinions, but in the end, you are the one in charge.

for a while. being a PL or Company CO is very rewarding. but once you make Sr CPT or field grade and get sent to BN/BDE staff 90% of your time is mind numbing paperwork and death by powerpoint. I was enlisted for 11 years before I got commissioned and loved it. I loved being a PL as an LT and enjoyed my time in company command. Spent the last 8 years on BN or BDE staff and, yeah, not so much. I'd much rather be back down with the troops where the rubber meets the road, but that's just the way they system works.

I was a MSG before I crossed over, so it depends on why your doing it and what your end state is. I don't regret my decision to switch!

It really comes down to the level you want to make your impact. As an NCO, you are going to make your impact largely at the individual level, working directly with your troops. As an officer your impact will be felt more at the organizational level, where you are driving plans and policy. Neither is superior to the other.