Is today's Army an officer's Army?

we have officers that smoke our NCOs so lets see... HUMMMMM (lost in thought)

@SGT Felipe J.

Today's Army, Yesterday's Army and Tomorrows Army are/have been and always will be an Army of Officers (Commissioned), Officers (Warrant), Non Commissioned Officers, and Junior enlisted. Officers have always had the power, those who are successful know that the NCO's and enlisted can have ideas about what would help and will listen when approached.

Sadly though, I have come across officers Commissioned and Warrant who would not listen to the suggestions of their "servants" and blow them off. Those were the officers that I had problems with. Working together is not that difficult, keeping the lines of communication open up and down the line is where the problems can start. As a lower enlisted/junior NCO you are expected to listen, and with some people in authority positions, remain silent.

The idea of seniors listening to juniors is something that is not new, but has not happened often enough unless it is the officer who realizes that the enlisted knows what he/she is talking about. However, as junior enlisted, you also need to understand that you do not know all and can benefit from the experience of the NCO, the Warrant Officer, and the Commissioned Officer.

In today's Army there are many officers, both commissioned and warrant who used to be among the enlisted, whether or not they remember where they came from is another story. To officers serving today I say thank you, but remember that without the soldiers under you you would still be out in the woods trying to find your way back inside the wire.

Pro Patria

NCOs are there to lead soldiers, to train and teach them. Officers have always had the power. NCOs take their orders and carry them out. In the CEOs are and always will be the backbone of the Army.

In the era of certain people going out and filing injunctions against their command, I'd say it's more the era of the civilian influence upon the army more than anything else.

Let us hope not. While there will always be a need for the paper-pusher and administrator, true leadership and management comes from the sergeants and the lower-enlisted do the tasks. The Army should never be an officer's Army.

It always has. The NCO is nothing more than the mid level management, we are like the foreman on a construction site. We do have an impact obviously on everything that happens on the daily operations but at the end of the day it all lays on the commander. There are initiatives to further develop the NCOS, like the strategic broadening seminar, unfortunately some of the requirements to attend are kind of difficult to meet. I know for a fact I meet the criteria to attend any of those within the Milper message exept I did not have a General Officer (not retired) to write me a letter.
The way I see it if we want to have a bigger impact we have the option to attend OCS, and warrant school but as long as we stay enlisted we are constricted to be nothing more than operational management.

part is the history of the whole thing - once upon a time the officers were the only ones that could officially read and write, that's why when I get my promotion orders I can't pin myself, technically the officer has to read it to me - increases in education have reduced that need - NCOs can do way more than they used to do - Yes, I know officers plan and NCOs accomplish, but my time in this was in the support side of things and there are so many things in the individual little support offices where NCOs can do the job without the officers, and so the officers double down on their power in those offices. There were a few years where my plt sgt was the acting bn med officer, during one of which is when i ran the plt as the senior SP4 for loading the equipment for the FTX, that the running of that led to my promotion board.

I have the power to make things happen. I watched as I moved up in rank as other NCOs used their power to make things happen. I also see Officers make things happen. I have talked an Officer into my way of doing things and I have been talked into doing things their way and I have been ordered to basically shut up and do it this way by an Officer.

If as an NCO your are either scared to disagree with an Officer or you do not have the ability to change and Officers mind about a plan then you need to voluntarily demote. Part of being an NCO is working with Officers to put forth the best plan. That means you need the ability to think and project possible outcomes. My new Commander started having endless planning meetings that all NCOs must attend. He encourages us to give our opinion and many times we have discussions about the best way to accomplish the mission. Ultimately he chooses the way we do things but many times he takes our advice or our plan and uses it. I have never known it to work any other way then this, Officers and NCOs working together. (I have seen it tried other ways and it always failed.) These endless meetings are having a fantastic effect on the troops and the training. Things are going smoother and faster. But my point is I and my fellow NCOs have power and we have influence.

That's because we have a whole new generation of YES boys..

I really think so 35 years ago when i was a young private E7,s were like god. i left in 2001 and since then it only got worse NCO;S cant even make a decison by them self . As a army cillivan i just shake my head when i see what goes on.