Why can’t an enlisted soldier date an officer?

An officer/enlisted marriage complicates their social lives and those around them.

1. On base housing is assigned to the higher ranked spouse. How do other NCO/PO's feel when their peer lives much better due to their spouse's rank?
2. Officer's clubs must accept NCO/PO's as spouses. How do the other officers feel trying to relax when NCO/PO's are around?
3. Pillow talk. Much is said at home that should not be said. NCO/PO's spouses learn things that no other NCO/PO's know. This puts them at an advantage.
4. Rank has its privilege. NCO/PO's spouses receive advantages due to their spouse's rank. This builds resentment.

I will say this.... nothing gets an O-1/O-2 feeling frisky lime an NCO she knows she's not allowed to be with.... like fishing with dynamite. I'm sure it works the same way with male officers and female Enlisted.

Good order and discipline is what we all agree with!! Hooah??

Who's to say that down the line the officer won't be crossed trained or promoted to a joint command position where they are needed. This could put the person above the enlisted, maybe not directly but they could still let emotions effect operations. That could possibly send less qualified people down range. Cross service marriages may work but everything is a joint operation anymore including bases, camps, and forts.

The Navy goes so far as to forbid officer enlisted relationships regardless of the branch or country of the individuals concerned.

I have literally never been in a unit where officers were banging E-4's. So if you don't know about it people probably think you're too stuffy to let you know what really goes on in the unit LOL. so if you don't know about it people probably think you're too stuffy to let you know what really goes on in the unit LOL

I've been serving 27 years now, 12 of those were as prior Enlisted. It does essentially boil down to good order and discipline. Of course where there are two married Enlisted and one is commissioned during their career, then of course it's a no-brainer and fine. Keeping good and discipline by drawing a boundary line of unduly familiar relationship is essential because while some couples may not abuse or take advantage of the system, others may on the contrary. I wish we could easily say that it is not our business to tell anyone with whom they may have feelings or that it is forbidden, but professional decorum and discipline is what sets us apart from most other country's service members. Everyone is entitled to respect and dignity too. Also, this separation does save a lot of headache, not only for the Chain of Command, but also the JAG, even if both members are not in each other's Chain of Command. One could easily point out, for example, that a junior female Enlisted could attempt to "clean house" with a spouse who may be a mid-grade/field grade Officer and feel a sense of monetary entitlement in a divorce, conspiracy to commit therof, etc. people can be spiteful towards each other, especially in a divorce where children and financials are involved, sending the JAG and UCMJ on an unnecessary course, hence one of the reasons a service's legal office does not handle divorce litigation for any service member, but provide some form of divorce advice. This area would likely prove too much for the JAG because it is the most practiced case in the US. So, from a big picture take away, this can be seen as protection for both Enlisted and Officers. I've seen how messy it can be for dual military spouses going through divorce. I don't think I could imagine dual military, dual accession routes, and a disparate difference in pay grade going forward successfully.

I can only state from the position that I was in but that was thirty years ago! The Army back then was so interchangeable that officers can find themselves being transferred very quickly and even though males and females were segregated back then there was too great of a chance of it being seen as improper

What happenes if you've already been married you got married when both service memebers were both SPC's and one gets out of the Army and decides to become a Commissioned Officer?

I suppose it's even possible when the two mates are not even in the same command .. that a view of impropriety appears when a junior troop gets certain faves like being able to get appointed for certain positions not in line with their pay grade because their Commander may by chance know the spouse's superior and favors the spouse out of courtesy to the other's Cmdr. It may not come out until later when s'body in the convenient position put's pieces of the puzzle together and blabbers it around .. and they really don't know if the junior spouse got their position on their own merit.. it's the appearance of impropriety and that's what some people go on w/o checking facts .. they're in too much of a hurry to
Make a comment.
A sitrep I know of was not of enlisted/ officer relationship but of a SSG. And a junior enlisted in another service. This SSG worked hard to make sure that they were not seen together unless one of them was in civilian attire.. it worked pretty good for a while.. Apparently S/one (could have been a Senior NCO or officer or even a Civilian gov't employee).
Had seen one or the other at different times wearing uniform.. and sees both together at some place of business and
Engaging in pda .. that person is in a high enough position to make a mountain out of an ant hill .. but for some reason doesn't engage their brain to dissect e'thing.. all they know is at one time they seen the same SSG. In Uniform and another time seen the same Specialist In uniform, now sees the two together having a pda moment and determines it's inappropriate whether or not they are in different branches of the Military.. they just have their brain in one gear.. or between two and are shifting.. So that person who thinks they are dong the right thing finds the duty section where the SSG is assigned and then finds the section the specialist is assigned and gets the bee hives going in both places.. The SSG and Specialist decide on their own to find a totally new locale to meet but the command sections are already aware due to diligence of a certain Sr. NCO, OFC, or GS or high enough WG employee.. So what to do.. The SSG's people talk to him
and find a Place to deploy him to.. for about 5 months.. the Specialist is persuaded to go Reserve back in her home State of Ohio.. and she is processed
Quickly before he comes back and one more item.. Not to communicate with said SSG. Within Tidewater region.. (should she decide to hang around.. her people though that putting her in Reserves or the Guard had they done so, they can still effect some kind of disciplinary action.. although will not think about what they could do since she is no longer active or in their command.. could have sent her to Alaska.. the SSG and her were just good friends, sure a little pda occasionally.. that happens.. his comrades didn't know about her until the Un-named person got stuff rolling.. There was no question of retribution .. that could have not-nice consequences... even against a.civilian gov't employee. The SSG had people in high places in his corner also.. all the way to some General officers in the Command he was a member of and the Command where he'd been before.. that was brought up too.. didn't even think on it..
Got a good break .. went to Europe Command, sure some wet weather, not so
Nice weather, a little rain never hurt anybody.. Returned after an expenses paid vacay.. hey at least it wasn't to a disciplinary barracks at Lowery AFB.. or down the road to the Navy disciplinary Bks... or across base to motivation bks at Langley..