Should NCO rank progression and commissioning be tied to educational degrees?

I can offer a number of accounts that I know of personally where an educated person doesn't always turn out to be the best leader. There is book smart and there is experience smart. I'd take experience over book smart anytime.

The fact that a degree is all you need to be eligible to be an officer is disgraceful and the epitome of what’s wrong with military. So many officers shouldn’t be in charge of wiping their own asses and well and SSNCO’s that should be running entire battalions. Stop qualifying people based on their buying into the “American Dream” of being in debt that will never be repaid. Textbook discrimination at its best. Until a Second Lt can figure out a fucking compass and topographical map, or that off doesn’t stand for officer, maybe we should stop putting shiny objects on dumbasses shoulders. But then we’d bitching up our military and that wouldn’t serve the government objective

This type study, along with many others has been reviewed, and analyzed over the decades, generally vetted through the SGM Academy along with panels assembled by the Commandant and or the Battalion Commander At the direction of and for the SMA. Of course something this huge always has the watchful eye of the TRADOC as well.

In any case there has not been a major shift regarding direct paths for enlisted to become officers aside from what exists today.

Having said all of this my recommendation would be to have the architect of this particular plan process, go through his SEL to set up a dialog to determine whether something similar to his ideas have been vetted or not.

If there is interest the Commandant would have the wherewithal to put this in the pipeline for evaluation and review.

No, should deal with ability and knowledge of their job.

Unless they start getting degrees in things like small unit tactics or the like... Getting a degree shouldn't be tied to promotions.

No

I say no! If a person wants to be an officer (Green to Gold) then it is the individual to pursue that journey in his/her career. But to require enlisted personnel to get a a college degree to only get promoted to the next E rank is BS. I'm not college material and that's why I retired as an E-5. But to get back to the question. If a enlisted person has a college degree should not be pushed into the officer ranks by way of a commision. Like someone said! not everyone is a leader but you have followers and doers. When they took my SP5 away and hard striped me, not only I was a leader but I was a doer and helper along with my soldiers.

I see value in direct commissions for certain MOS. I can also support return to SPEC 5-8 for technical skills, supporting a leadership track for those who want to lead. Eliminating senior NCO ranks would never happen nor should. Enlisted need a career path, and coaching and mentoring by those enlisted leaders who made and learned from their mistakes. Officers from company level up need that NCO to tactically implement the commanders intent.

Again, room to tweak the system but let’s not go too far afield.

No!! Marine Major General Jim Day, the Medal of Honor recipient who also had three Silver Stars and a battlefield commission as a gunnery sergeant, didn't get his degree until he was a Brigadier General. Each case should be considered by senior leadership according to its individual merits rather than using overly officious rules.

While I am sure that some people (military potentials) are born brilliant, the rest of us need to study. Nothing worse than having a Platoon Sgt. with an IQ close to that of a Zippo lighter