I dont mean to pick on one of the answerers to my last question but Dr Z states that he is a Captain retired..

BioProf

could have been busted or may have been in a job with low promotion potential. It happens.

Sam

Picking up rank in the Marines is sometimes more difficult than other branches, especially in the infantry. And yes, he was probally former enlisted if he retired at 20 years as a Captain.

paradigm_thinker

Nothing wrong with retiring as a Marine Captain. Perhaps he loved what he did and did not want to change.

The military has a way of encouraging retirement on those who do not advance...but you knew that, right "leatherneck"?

Hagar

"Colonel" in the navy, that kills me, the navy don't have colonel's. Why would you question the rank of a twenty year marine. He could been in a field where there was little room for advancement for crying out loud. This a rather rude question if you ask me.

danny

this is rare, but not unheard of, when i went through Officer basic course there was a guy who was enlisted for 12 years, he was an e-7 who just decided to become an office (most of us thought he was crazy for going to 0-1 from e-7, and he was..... he was EOD and they had just opened it to officers at the time). but by tracking his career he expects to only make captain before retiring. the question is how long was he enlisted before making the switch?

another thing to think about is that a lot of good officers dont make COL or higher because it become too political. it doesnt mean that they arnt good or that they dont have ambitions, they just dont want to play the political game.

what ever his reason for only being an 0-3 at 20 years the fact remains that he gave 20 years of his life to this country and deserves respect and thanks for that.

GoGo Girls

They may have finished out in the reserves, they may have been busted somewhere along the way, or like you said, someone who went from enlisted to officer during their career.

Marc X

Even going through enlisted, then through Warrant, and then Commissioned, it would take more than 20 years, especially in the USMC. And most CWO's won't take a commission because it actually means a drop in pay and retirement benefits.

1371

listen
there is a limit to what people get promoted
he could have went of for promotion but been denied for promotion
after being denied after a certain amount of times, and now hes stuck at his rank
and since he was enlisted he could have been a gunner Sgt. and then went to officer. if you really want to find out ask him
hes the only one that has the true answer

Chris L

Several of my troops went from enlisted to officer ranks and had enough remaining time until retirement to make Captain, so it's not difficult to understand how the person you site could do so. I would think a true leatheneck would have seen such instances before and know enough not to ask the question as it was stated.

cmortality

I don't know. Maybe you've just been under a rock.

shinobisoulxxx

It is likely that he is either a liar, or former enlisted. It isn't uncommon for someone to put in lets say, 12 years enlisted. Go to school, get comissioned, and retire at o-3. Also, the time for promotion from Capt to Maj is huge.

desertviking_00

Maybe he was retired for a disability. Placed on the permanent or temporary disability retired list with less than 20 years completed. I knew a Captain of Marines who was retired for disability for the loss of an eye. We had to remove it because it wouldn't heal after he was wounded in Vietnam and he was medically retired in that rank. So, by your measure, he was too low in rank. BTW, he is a holder of the Medal of Honor!

vtjames7433

Could have been an enlisted man first but even then you cant retire as a captain these days because there are certain ranks you have to achieve by certain yrs of service even for these people. However this was not the case in the old days where you could actually retire at relatively low ranks for officers and enlisted

Mike W

If he was a LDO it would be perfectly reasonable for him to retire as a Captain. I have seen many Navy LDO's retire as Lieutenant (O-3). The time in rank for O-1 and O-2 for promotion to the next rank is fairly short, but there's a long wait between O-3 and O-4, and many LDO's decide to retire rather than staying in that long.

AmericanPatriot

With 20 years service coming 'up through the ranks' it is not unusual for a Mustanger to retire as an 0-3. Good friend of mine is a retired 0-3 combat U.S. Marine. The retired pay for an 0-3 with 20 ($3,126) is a bit higher than an E-8 with 20 ($2,080). So do not try to belittle that U.S. Marine for what he has accomplished. What have YOU accomplished in 20 years?
(USN, retired)

wichitaor1

There could be various reasons for someone to retire at the rank of captain in the Marine Corps.

-He could have received a medical retirement from being wounded. A medical retirement does not require twenty years of service.

-He might have had to take an early retirement. I nearly had to take one in the Naval Reserve, until my promotion to E-6. In some reserve occupations, promotions are slow going.

-I do know of one exceptional case. Several years ago, I met a second-class petty officer in the Naval Reserve. I was a captain in the Marine Corps, but resigned his commission. When he joined the Naval Reserve, there were no available officer billets, so he joined as an enlisted man. However, whatever rank he attains in the Naval Reserve, his retirement pay will be that of an O-3.

anoldmick

There are a good many men who retired after twenty or more years in the Armed Forces of these United States at the rank of captain and even lieutenant. And a good many enlisted men have retired at the rank of corporal or sergeant. And they were all good men who retired with honorable discharges. By the way - before you go asking any more impertinent questions, tell us how long YOU have served in any branch of the Armed Forces - or are you another AWOL like George W. Bush?

Sgt Little Keefe

Hon, you must "earn" your rank in the military and perhaps her did not.

I was a colonel in the navy myself.

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