Do ROTC cadets have rank over enlisted personel?

Mutt

You do not outrank them until you are actually commissioned. You are also not enlisted, so they don't outrank you either.

On a side note, if you want to keep on the good side of your enlisted friends and family members, don't let the fact that you outrank them once you get a commission go to your head. I've seen many boot ensigns in the Navy that, after about 6 months out of ROTC, OCS, or the Academy, get what we referred to as a "God-complex", meaning that it finally sinks in that they have power over us, and it goes straight to their head.

cheechalini

If you are on duty in a unit, they are suppost to give you the same respect as an officer. This is command dirrected though, and not regulation. I had 2 cadets yell at me for not saluting them for 20 minutes. I eventually just arrested them. Sometimes, its good being an MP.

Jim K

You are not an officer until you get your commission, so no.

Ahhtchoo

Haha, are you serious?

Try to tell one of them what to do when they're in uniform - you'll find out pretty quickly that you're still a civilian according to the military.

When you get out of ROTC and you're IN, it'll be a different story.

Good luck with your future!

DOOM

You don't have any rank until you graduate something.

GunnyC

You are an Officer Cadet-not an officer and actually have no rank as such among the active military. When on duty with the military for training you will be treated respectfully as a cadet and should have the approximate power of a 2LT or ensign. That being said no 2LT or ensign would try to lord it over a senior enlisted or they might learn the hard way that rank, power and influence are not one and the same.

wraeth - PHA

Cadet is under every enlisted person. Even under scholarship you are not technically part of the service until you finish your officer training.

I once had to explain this to a 4th year cadet from the AF Academy who tried to chew my *** for not saluting him at my gate. He got to leave my gate a half hour later after getting his *** chewed by me, my Sgt, and my Lt., and with a DD 1408, Armed Forces Traffic ticket for Disrespecting a Sentry.

Funny enough I had similar situations with both JROTC and CAP cadets.

Hokie

You are in college, so no you don't. I was home while my husband was in Iraq, and I met the most arrogant AFROTC cadet ever. He was incredibly rude to me, when he was the one who walked into me and my son. He thought he could get an attitude with me with the "I'm going to be an officer, you need to worship me" crap. I told him to come brag to me when he's been on 8 deployments, until then I wasn't impressed with him.

I respect what you do, but until you are finished with the ROTC program and actually in the military, you outrank no one.

Tommy G

No you do not, you start at the lowest enlisted rank. Once you graduate ROTC then you become an Airforce Second Lieutenant.

TedEx

You are a "Campus Commando" and you are outranked by anyone who is active duty enlisted, warrant, or commissioned.
If you are in ROTC, there are possibly senior NCO's on campus as advisors and instructors, and I'm sure if they give you an order, you comply...........or else..

Victor Bout

Your rank is cadet. Please show me on any rank structure chart where a cadet is acknowledged.

Perhaps the scholarship money could have gone to a smarter cadet...

tobius13

Sorry Charlie,
No dice . . . yet. Not until you graduate from school and receive your commission. Then they can start doling out the salutes. But, remember, a great officer earns the respect of his men & women. He doesn't demand it.

Mac

Cheez, Have you taken an Oath? Have you actually been commisioned? Buddy my toe nails have more time in service than you!! And with an obvious rank happy, I'm better than you attitude, you aren't gonna survive long as an officer either. The best officers I have served for, realize the enlisted people that are under them are the back-bone of the military. You better get something straight, and quick. There are 2 types of respect in the military; earned and given. I will give you respect as an officer appointed over me, but you also have to earn mine. With the way you asked that question, when you graduate, you will be an O-1, not a leiutenant. Remeber, you better respect the Airmen and NCo's under you, because we can either make you, or hang you. I have NO problem letting a little egotistical, JEEP @$$ leiutenant hang because he is so rank happy he won't listen to me or my troops. Go ahead, think I'm BS'ing you. You will definitely see once you are commisioned. I have been in 17 years, and you think as a cadet, who hasn't done anything but sleep during class and gone to frat parties you out rank me?? Good luck!! My Fermunda cheese has seen more action than you, budy!!

RTO Trainer

As a Cadet you only have general military authority, just like any other military member. You may have whatever command authority as may be properly delegagted to you, but without delegation, no, you have no command authority.

As far as enlisted members, your relationship is that of a peer, however, they should render proper courtesies to you.

Some things to be aware of, Cadets, in command succession, rate between Warrant Officers and NCOs. This means that if all officers of a unti have been killed or disabled, and there is no warrant officer available, a Cadet would assume temporary command of a unit before a Senior NCO, until properly relived by an officer. This also applies to emercency scenes or cases where troops have been separated from their usual commands.

Roderick F

Here's a joke we say in the Army:
"What's the diffference between a Private First Class-PFC and a ROTC cadet? A PFC has been promoted twice!"

[Sorry if it was mentioned above-I didn't read all the postings....]
Everyone is correct-you have no rank other than within the ROTC program....

cordeliabrainiac

That's a big fat negative, Chaz.

If you look at your contract, you will notice that you contracted into the Obligated Reserves. You are what's considered inactive reserves.

An ROTC cadet who has not commissioned is a Mr. or Ms.

Roadrunner58-79

Absolutely NOT!! When and if you graduate from ROTC, you will be commissioned an 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air Force, until then, you have no jurisdiction over anyone.

nonldsinutah

Nope! Not until you get your commission.

If you don't believe me then go jump all over a Chief Master Sergeant - or any NCO for that matter - and see how fast you get your a** kicked.

I had a problem child Second Lieutenant. He was fresh out of Army ROTC. My fellow NCO's and I - including the First Sergeant and Sergeant Major - tried to teach this guy how to be a good leader and listen to the NCO's. But he was more interested in listening to himself bark out orders that no one cared to listen to let alone follow. His favorite line was, "I am a Lieutenant and you are just a Sergeant. You will do what I tell you!" Then he would threaten you with an Article 15.

Needless to say his leadership skills were ZERO!!

The Battalion Commander eventually got sick of him and relieved him. Booted him to some hell hole duty where he couldn't hurt anyone but himself.

Nobody ever saw him again. And no one shed any tears.

Please don't be like this guy. You life will be extremely difficult if you are.

Good luck!

mariner31

No, as a Cadet or Midshipman you have no rank relative to enlisted personnel... not until the moment of graduation and commissioning.

My lil brother was in the NROTC program while I was a PO3 (E-4), and graduated just after I was frocked to PO2... I was there for his commissioning and was honored to be invited by the unit's Enlisted Staff to give him his first salute. Amusingly, I got MY commission 3 years later and actually made Lieutenant Commander a year ahead of him.

Once we had a midshipman on "summer-cruise" at our squadron berate a PO3 for not saluting him... amusing thing was the Mid was chewing him out while the CMC (Command Master Chief) was walking in from his car.... WOW a beautiful example of cursing without using a single curse word !!

Navy Sailor - GAI

Dude, you're a college student that's it. Until you graduate from college and actually go to OCS and successfully graduate you are a civilian playing Air Force. Thank you for your committment but the military does not need anymore booter power loving officers so get over yourself, serve your ROTC time honorably, get your stuff squared away and we will see you when you are a little older, wiser and more concerned over important things rather than who's bigger than the other. Right now everyone out ranks you to answer your question.

Stephen H

NO! You are just a college student, and "Midshipmen" (as we called them in the Navy) are completely separate as far as any rank structure is concerned, and in fact do a LOT of their training alongside enlisteds when shipboard.

Ed S

I was a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute, I was told we were ranked right below warrant officer and 2nd lt. and that we had the power to drop enlisted personel on site etc....but we also were taught not to try anything so foolish as that because if we wanted to gain the respect of the enlisted we would have to value them as a resource and not a pawn...I never tried, nor had the desire to, i suggest you do the same until you graduate from whatever school you attend. Although ROTC was not a big part of our education we still valued its lessons....for us it was just another class we had to attend and change from our greys into BDU's for....

jason

no you aren't a officer yet. you are lower than they are..

All Night Designer

One thing to consider along with all the preaching is that if you aren't "in the military", then no one outranks you either. No one in the military outranks any civilian.

Dont be a retard...

ROTC in and of itself doesn't make that big of a difference. When you enter the military, ROTC typically will help you to enter as an E2 or E3 instead of just a plain old private.

Now, if you're in ROTC at a college, then when you enlist you should automatically be put in for OCS (Officer Candidate School). This is strictly because you will have a college degree. Still, you only enter as a second lieutenant if you pass OCS.

Since you aren't in the millitary yet, and especially since you aren't guaranteed that second lieutenant's commission, you do not in any way, shape or form outrank any enlisted personnel, past or present.

I suggest that you gain a small dose of humility, and reign in your pride before you enlist. I may be mistaken, but this question leaves you sounding like you want to look better than these folks or boss them around. I don't recommend that kind of attitude. Until you've been through BCT, AIT and gone to war, you'll never rank with the people who have been there and done that.

Good luck with your enlistment, there is nothing more honorable than to serve one's country.

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