Why Did you become a NCO?

I chose to remain an NCO for different reasons.
During my first enlistment, my commander wanted to recommend me for Prep School. I turned it down because I didn't understand the value of what was being offered. At that stage of my life, I would have blew it.
I took a break in service and attended college. As a junior, I was the cadet BN CSM. Life happened and I decided to finish my degree early and reenlist. My ROTC cadre asked me to consider staying, assuring me I'd be the BC and honor graduate my senior year. I chose to reenlist rather than remain and become an officer because if the life situation. I figured I could go to OCS once back in.
Once I was back on AD, I decided to remain an NCO because I believed I'd have more troop time, AND my MOS at the time wasn't a feeder to become a WO.
Had WO been an option before I was promoted to MSG, I would have pursued that.
I don't have any regrets.

I enlisted into the National Guard and went to college. Thought I puke give ROTC a try in my junior year as a Specialist. The way they program was organized at the time had junior year cadets filling NCO roles within the cadet battalion. They made me a platoon sergeant and lost me lol. While the platoon leader was in meetings or writing opords or doing lord knows what else I was wrangling 40 college freshmen into something close to formation and teaching them the basics of soldiering. I just found that I liked that better and had more of an aptitude for it.

I was encouraged and had planned to go Warrant (76Y) when I was about ten years in. Back then one just submitted a packet, and if approved, you became a WO1 overnight. I was discouraged when they changed the rules to what they are now, I suppose. I did not have the patience for that, and I had a few other things going on in my personal life. I dropped the idea and moved on, opting to go to a ten week course at Ft Lee that would give me a special skill identifier and subsequently, better assignments. In retrospect, I should have gone Warrant because the new skill identifier did not help me. My assignments, made by MILPO, were changed once I signed into the division. I continued to get the assignment that kept me in the trenches. Oh well..

I personally never wanted to be anything else from the time I used to set with my grandpa (who was twice awarded a purple heart in WW2 )on the couch and watch the old war movies, I knew that the senior NCO was the man who knew what was going on and how to inspire his troops to do extraordinary things, so that was the man that I wanted to emulate.

Went to basic in 1969 Ft. Benning, GA, was offered OCS but turned it down. Went to Viet Nam as an E-2 Jan 1970, and by June 1970 was promoted to E-5 by way of accelerated promotion (only one left). I was offered E-6 if I would extend for 3 months in country, turned it down because I though my luck would run out. After Viet Nam was stationed at Ft. Hood. I didn't even think about being an NCO, but now have retired as CSM

I really enjoyed the challenge of being able to "keep up with the boys". As I went up in rank and had more responsibility I recognized I was making a difference. My attitude was learn all I can and teach those I supervised everything I knew so they could take my place well prepared. I was asked to go for officer training but the thought of being a lieutenant was horrifying. I well understood my medical training and was able to translate what the doctor said to the patient so they could understand. Being an NCO was translating to lower Enlisted information necessary to complete the mission and bringing them to a higher standard of performance. A win, win. Never expect someone to do something well if you haven't done your job of teaching them how.

In 1973, After 3 years Active Duty, and a Speedy 4 on promotion list, my dad calls me, says he’s buying the little hometown hardware store he’s worked at since 1959. Wants to know if I’m getting out or re enlisting. Still up in the air. Well you can work here and live in the upstairs apartment. That evening I walk into the club and on the board is a notice “ Getting out? How about a 90 day early out in exchange for one year of National Guard in your hometown?” Next morning I sign up. By end of the week I’m on my way home. Well, between the time I left Virginia and drove to WA state, someone swooped in and outbid dad, and he lost it. So, home, but unemployed, only income is National Guard one weekend a month. So I did a semester of school, was boring, got a job. Met someone.
1975, a job opening with the Guard cane open I applied for, but didn’t get it. But it woke them up to the fact there was someone highly qualified. In 1976, I applied for and went to Warrant Officer school. Graduated, had to come back to the unit and go thru some hands on training successfully before being pinned. In the mean time another position came open I applied for.
December 76 drill I was called forward and pinned WO1. Two hours later I was called out to State HQ, an hour drive. I get there, go into a room with a “civilian”, who started to thumb thru paperwork, looks up once in a while, sighs, thumbs thru it again. I finally say, is there a problem? Well yes, you were called out here to tell you that you were awarded the civilian tech position, however it calls for the person to be in the Guard as an enlisted soldier. I’m sorry, you can go.
Um, I was just pinned this morning, can’t I just decline it and take the job? He stared at me for a moment, said, you’d do that? Yes. He gets up, leaves the room, comes back with the AG.
Well son, I understand you want to give up your Warrant Officer tank for this job. Yes Sir. You understand by doing this it will be totally erased from your records as if it never happened, is that clear? Yes sir. He stares at me for the longest time, breaks into a smile and says, welcome aboard. Then he reaches up and takes the pins off me. Then he says, you have your old pins? Yes sir, we’ll hand them to me I’ll put them on for you. Then he steps back and salutes me, which I returned of course.
Well over the years I made it to GS11, and MSG, which I retired in 2007. Unfortunately thru all this there was a divorce so my ex gets a portion of the retirements

You are so right with your statement. I had a chance to go to OCS to become a Infantry Officer but I made a decision to take the NCO path. Looking back on it, I wouldn't have changed anything. I have worked with some of the most outstanding Soldiers in my career. Bottom line, I am a hands on type of a leader. If my Soldiers were to do a task I was their to do the task with them. I had Soldiers at one of my units ask me why I was under my HUMVEE during PMCS, I told them that's my job to make sure it's ready for the mission. It doesn't matter if you're a E1 or E8, an NCO leads by example. I was taught by a old school CSM and I held on to his beliefs.

I was a specialist 5 and was stationed at the Presidio in SF. My brother in law was a 06, paved the skids for warrant officer and a board down at Monterey. It wasn't cold feet, I just wanted to earn it on my own terms. Shortly afterwards I was promoted to E6 and feel in love with working with soldiers, never looked back after that. Probably the best greatest decision I ever made.

Short answer: I wasn't given a choice.
Long answer: I was ordered to the promotion board, wasn't asked a single question, recommended with max points, and sent on my merry way. I had a reputation at that point, after having been named as the BN and BDE Soldier of the Year, and Division Soldier of the Quarter (SOY was the following month). I told my 1SG I didn't want to be promoted, I wasn't ready to be responsible for other Soldiers' lives. He told me he didn't give a shit whether I thought I was ready, I was going. So I went. Two months later, I sprained my ankle BAD. I was on a no run profile when a PLDC slot came open due to a HT/WT fail in the unit. The Commander literally took my profile away from me, ripped it in half in front of me, and told me to pack, because I was going to PLDC on Sunday (this was a Friday afternoon). So, yeah... not a lot of choice for me.

As to why I STAYED an NCO, which I think is really your question..... I never really gained the expertise I felt was requisite of a WO - I did a hell of a lot of admin and staffwork and not much work in my actual MOS. I felt like crossing over to Warrant, while it was a goal I had, would have been a disservice to the WO corps and to the Army as a whole. And I respected myself way too much to go Officer. Not that I don't respect Officers, I just respect the NCO Corps more - we are the ones who actually get shit done. I also saw that successfuly Officers had to be far more political, and I wouldn't respect myself if I went into that world. Either I would compromise my personal morals*, and lose respect for myself, or I would stand on principle, fail as an Officer, and lose respect for myself.

*Before anyone gets it twisted: I am NOT saying that all Officers, or even all successful Officers compromise themselves. I am saying that for *me* to have been successful as an Officer, I would have had to compromise myself.