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SGM Frank Marsh
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I have been retired for a while but IMHO the whole service needs an overhaul. The pay between Officer, Warrant and Enlisted needs to be evaluated for equality...meaning level of responsibility. This is not WWII any more. Senior NCOs and even Junior NCOs do far more than ever before and adding on to it daily with the technology advances. It used to be because the officers had the degrees they did all the planning and the NCOs got the groups together to do the implementation. IMHO this is no longer the case. In my career field the senior NCOs and the Officers had the "same" credentials, but the pay was far from being the same. The old adage about, "ok, then go and be an officer if you want the pay" is archaic in my opinion. I know the NCOs have come a long way, but there is so much more. There is more to say, but digest this first.
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Sgt Phil Quintana
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In 1980 I was an E-5 as an Acting Platoon Sergeant training a cherry butter bar. I was making $600 a month. The butter bar was making $1,000 a month. Without me giving him "advice", our Platoon would have been a complete abortion.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
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I like the changes explained in this article. Up-or-out does get rid of some officers that shouldn't be continued, but it adversely effects many other officers that could remain on active duty providing valuable service to the Country. It looks like they targeted O-4 as the rank for people to be offered continuation. In my time in service, I knew many O-3 pilots that would have gladly continued in that grade to 20 years or more.

Another article said the Air Force is looking at what amounts to a limited duty officer program to allow some pilots to continue to serve. That's a good idea too. Even better idea would be to have Air Force warrant officer aircrew who only worked in operations for their entire career. Air Force could take a lesson from the Army Aviation Warrant Program.
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SSG Bob Teachout
SSG Bob Teachout
4 y
I think the up or out is bad policy - WE train so many people and than at a specified time - the military says we dont need you. What a waste. A civilian company would go belly up by having such policies.
There are two basic policies I would like to see:
1)
A) Have an additional 3 lower ranks ( called recruits or whatever) That way a GI would have several promotions - B) So with the additional 3 new ranks with the 3 current ranks of Pvt/Airman/Seaman - He would not become an NCO until E6 (Corporal/PO).

2) (at least in the Army - not sure about other services) A platoon (20-40 men) is lead by a Plt Sgt (E-7) and a Plt Leader (O-1). Most combat units have a Hq Plat and 3 line units. Each company should have one plt with the Plt Leader as an E-8. This will do several things -
A) Allow more E-7's to remain on AD
B) Would be promoted to E-8
C) Allow them to work closely with the troops w/o being a Top
(nothing against First Sgts)

D) Less need for Lt's - which means a higher % of LT would make Captain.
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