Posted on Jul 25, 2015
What are officers who resign their commissions and then enlist called?
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I have known several enlisted people who were once officers, but resigned their commissions and then enlisted. When enlisted go officer they are called mustangs, but is there a term for people who take other path? (Not looking for derogatory names.)
Officers
Enlisted
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 41
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Worked with someone who said their sister was enlisted, went the OTS route, was RIF'ed, but since they were prior enlisted they got to stay until 20+ years and retire, but when they retired, they would get "promoted" in retirement and get their officer retirement.
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No known terminology, it happens very little. I've only known two that went from officer to enlisted.
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CPT Pedro Meza
SSG Sean Knudsen, Make that Three. And I knew another Captain in 2004 while at J-BAD, that did the same.
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I've known two cases during my career. One was the common type listed in above threads - got field promoted during Viet Nam, got RIF'd afterwards and converted back to NCO. This guy made MAJ/O4 then reverted back to SFC and retired as an E-8 at 20 He told me when he hits a total of 30 years (20 active, 10 retired) he would start getting O-4 pay and rank on retirement forms, ID, etc. This was late 80's early 90's.
Another more recent example was a reserve CPT (when I first met him and I was a SSG) who got passed over twice and told he had to get out. He wanted to retire so he was told to resign his commission if he wanted to enlist and serve his remainder to reach retirement years/points. He did so and I crossed paths with him again, he was a SGT/E5 and I was 1LT/O2. He told me his story, come to find out the promotion board was wrong, he didn't get passed over, actually made MAJ, but because he resigned his commission was told there was nothing that could be done any more. He stayed enlisted. Part of the problem was his switching from reserves to NG also during this change over.
Another more recent example was a reserve CPT (when I first met him and I was a SSG) who got passed over twice and told he had to get out. He wanted to retire so he was told to resign his commission if he wanted to enlist and serve his remainder to reach retirement years/points. He did so and I crossed paths with him again, he was a SGT/E5 and I was 1LT/O2. He told me his story, come to find out the promotion board was wrong, he didn't get passed over, actually made MAJ, but because he resigned his commission was told there was nothing that could be done any more. He stayed enlisted. Part of the problem was his switching from reserves to NG also during this change over.
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CPO Jon Campbell
Mustangs have to go to Fork and Knife school so they know how to behave properly in the ward room.
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I call them Leaders. A guy I knew graduated from VMI. He denied his commission because he wanted to see the enlisted side of the house first. He completed an enlistment made either Sergeant or Staff Sergeant then went to DCC. Now he's a more effective Officer, in my eyes.
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Those people need a psychic eval. Why would you want to go from being a master to a servant?
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CPO Jon Campbell
Although it may seem like 'master' and 'servant' are terms that describe the relationship between officers and enlisted, it really isn't that way in the modern military. You certainly need to know what you are getting into when you make a radical choice to move down. It can be quite liberating though according to people I know who have done it.
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We generally assumed they were "Passed-over". Don't think we had a nickname for that.
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MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht
I am not up to date but I thought someone passed over 3 times was discharged. I did not know they could come back in. I got my pilot 0-4 and he got me E-7. great guy.
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CPO Jon Campbell
I can't think of anyone I know who was passed over and then went enlisted. An NG officer I know was a Captain and became an E4 in the CGR. He told me that he was expected to do paperwork nearly everyday even though he was only getting paid for 2 days a month. He left that and got to drive a boat and get paid for it. He quickly made it up to E8 and he still is out on the boats.
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Smart? Foolish? maybe had no choice. resign your commission or get court martialed. or someting. dang, I need spell check!!
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CPO Jon Campbell
Most of the people I have met resigned their commissions to get away from paperwork and get their hands dirty. One guy said that his leaving the officer's corps was by 'mutal agreement' and that he wasn't officer material. Most have told me that the amount of work they were required to do unpaid was so volumous that it just wasn't worth being an officer. (These were all reservists and National Guard officers)
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MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht
I had a 0-3 pilot and a 0-3 co-pilot. The pilot thought he was hot shit and verbally said he bought his new van for family, NOT Guess which one I liked.
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MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht
Did not finish the answer. He told an 0-5 that. He ended up E-4 and the co-pilot 0-4. Don't mess with Colonels.
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