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 >1 y ago
Responses: 41
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knew a couple in the Guard - one was commissioned, and then something criminal from his youth popped up, and they took his commission away - another one - it had to do with the length of break in service, then Cpt that didn't finish degree in time, and the last Major(Bde S-3, my boss) who didn't finish his officer development course, was reduced to SSG, his unit called him the Staff Sergeant Major
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There was a small clutch of them after Vietnam . They received temporary commissions and were either RIFed or returned to their enlisted grade afterward. The quizzical looks were returned with 'Got Rifted'.
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MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht
Yes Sir, a WHOLE lot after Korea. I heard of a wing commander 0-6 who got riffed to S/Sgt and could not get promoted because he could not pass the 7 level test.
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CPO Jon Campbell, I have not heard of such a term. Most officers that I know of that go back to an enlisted status are simply trying to get more years of service prior to retirement. When they retire, they retire at the highest grade held, so they have the last laugh, I guess!
If there's a nickname for them, I've never heard it.
If there's a nickname for them, I've never heard it.
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COL Vincent Stoneking
MAJ Carl Ballinger - According to DFAS, high 3 will take the average of your HIGHEST 36 months of base pay, not your LAST 36 months.
Source: http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan/estimate.html
Edit: as http://militarypay.defense.gov/retirement/ points out, that is GENERALLY your LAST 36 months as well, based on how the pay charts work. However converting to Enlisted or Warrant would obviously be a case where last and highest are different.
Source: http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/plan/estimate.html
Edit: as http://militarypay.defense.gov/retirement/ points out, that is GENERALLY your LAST 36 months as well, based on how the pay charts work. However converting to Enlisted or Warrant would obviously be a case where last and highest are different.
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LTC Stephen C.
MAJ Carl Ballinger, I guess I've been out too long! I did put a response to your comment, though. Is what she's doing appropriate? She's told me all her correspondence shows her grade as O-4. COL Vincent Stoneking
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Private, Corporal, Sargent, or Staff Sargent. I don"t think an ex-officer will get a rank higher than SSGT,
I could be wrong.:>) I thought that Mustang was a term used for 2LT's that received a battlefield commission during WWII and Korea and maybe even those that graduated OCS during that same period, Am I correct?
I could be wrong.:>) I thought that Mustang was a term used for 2LT's that received a battlefield commission during WWII and Korea and maybe even those that graduated OCS during that same period, Am I correct?
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CPO Jon Campbell
I am not sure how long the term Mustang has been in use, but it is widely used across branches to refer to any officer who used to be enlisted. It likely is derived from the description of a Mustang horse.
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA
CPT (Join to see) As I recall H. John Poole resigned his commission as an O-6 Marine Colonel and became an E-7 Gunnery Sergeant.
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CWO4 Homer Callicutt
Mustang is any enlisted who bevomes an officer and still applicable in the Navy at least.
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Here is a common scenario in the Reserve Component. A prior enlisted Soldier who is now commissioned reaches MRD but still has years left before they can draw a retirement at age 60. These officers enlist (sometimes a Warrant) and continue to serve until age 60 getting paid at the lower grade. However, they continue to accrue retirement points that will be paid at the highest grade held.
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I have never heard of such a term. I know a number of individuals that have converted from the regular officer ranks to become Warrant Officers, but not resigning a commission to be enlisted.
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Capt Seid Waddell
CW3 (Join to see), I have known some officers that got RIFed and finished out their 20 enlisted.
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CW3 (Join to see)
SN Greg Wright I have a couple examples of this happening, both active duty and in the guard. Specifically, in the Army the careers of warrant officers and O-grade officers are very different. Warrants tend to stay at the flight line for the vast majority of their career flying, while O-grade officers typically spend the first three years flying and then move away from flying. They get opportunities to fly again depending on the jobs they hold, but the majority have limited time actually flying. I have a couple friends that were more interested in the flying portion compared to the command option and reverted. In the Guard, I have seen O-series officers reach a desired rank and instead of transferring stations to fill a different position (next higher rank), they reverted to be a Warrant and stayed put.
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I encountered RIF'd officers who went from commissioned to enlisted service while I was in the Air Force. It allowed them to finish their 20 years. I don't think there was a specific name like Mustang for them. I think we looked at them in awe.
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Suspended Profile
In the Navy there are cases where LDOs or Warrants revert to enlisted rank, but I've never heard directly of a Line officer who wasn't a Mustang doing this.
It kind of feels like cutting off your nose to spite your face...
It kind of feels like cutting off your nose to spite your face...
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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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