Is today's Army an officer's Army?

The chain of command’s strongest link is E6/E7......

Having been out of the Army 50+ years I believe things have changed. My recalculation in Nam. If a newbie officer made decisions contrary to the plan in question. Sergeant Major, E-7-E 9 would step in. After all Top has the experience. In our unit as in others. Sergeant Majors had at the very least been in WWll or Korea or both. The newbie officers were just coming out of 4-5 weeks of training in OCS. Not one ounce of experience. Our lives depended on experience. Not a bar, double bar, bronze cluster, etc. Regulations during a combat situation be damn. Thanks an awful lot, and thank God for all Sergeant Majors during the Nam conflict.

Officers run the Navy, Chiefs make the Navy run. That’s our take on the power. Our senior people are generally considered as CPO, SCPO and MCPO. Warships are unique and we do things that make a lot of officers cringe.

PSG runs the troops and ARMY

This isn’t true in any real sense. Our Army has the finest NCO corps in the world. Hands down, and it ain’t even close. There are very, very few armies in the world that are organized as our army is in that if our officer(s) go down, the mission doesn’t stop until the mission is complete. There’s a reason why we have NCO academies. There’s a reason why we have “command teams” from the PL and PSG level all the way up to the Chief of Staff and the SMA. It’s proven, it works, and it’s genius. And it’s one of the reasons why we kick ass everywhere we go. It’s not us (NCOs) and them (officers), it’s just us. ALL of us together kicking ass.

Officers lead and command. NCOs lead and manage. Effective NCOs are trusted and respected by their officers. Ineffective NCOs, not so much. This argument is relative. An NCOs authority is inherent, so that isn’t the issue. The issue is do you as an individual NCO have the sacred trust of your officers? Are they impressed with your ability to effectively lead, train, and take care of Soldiers with their best interests in mind? Are you confident that your officers sleep well at night knowing that you have their back as well as the soldiers under their command? Do your officers seek your wisdom and value your opinions? Lastly, officers have eyes and ears so they know what your Soldiers think of you and how you interact with them. If your one of those NCOs whom everyone (officers, NCOs, and Soldiers alike) knows your name and actively engages with you on some level based on real trust and supreme admiration, then have no worries because your authority is right where it’s supposed to be. If your one of those who doesn’t meet the criteria outlined above, then you are not living up to your end of the bargain. NCO authority isn’t the issue. Authority is inherent.

It’s not any ranks Army.I saw it go from NCOs worked independently,When in Honduras I went and did things without an officer anywhere near.When I got back to Ft Bragg after about 3 months ,soldiers screwing up,all of a sudden we had to have a Lt. bring us to a signal sight ,field,Even though we new exactly where we had to go,so much we left ground rods in the ground because we new we would be there,if not me then tell the NCO where it was.At first didn’t like it but I realized that new crops of Lt and NCOs have to learn and experience at peace before real world missions.As far as power NO rank has power.Case in point,Cpt. Wants to be controlling or as E4 mafia says asshole,has Company doing shit just to prove he is the one in control he is god.When the lower enlisted get together with a few sprinkled E5 that command will be short lived.Ltc might relieve Cpt but what will you get next what will you be doing next what shit hole job or site will you be at?Could Be Why they are called a unit.

Wow, I thought since Valley Forge our Army knew the roles of officers, NCOs and the individual soldier. Go back and read what Von Steuben wrote on the role of First Sergeants. Officers are responsible for the collective and NCOs are responsible for the individual needs of their units. Yes, officers have the power of command and the law, plus responsibility. NCO are granted authority and are
Accountable to their officers.

Officers make the over arching plan and we die for them

Guess what happens when the NCOs decide an officer is full of shit and shouldn’t be trusted? Either minimal effort or active sabotage.