Why do we need officers in the military?

Pilots are officers...
Nope you don't make sense since officers do more than you think. Without rank there is no organization if there organization we are no more than an angry mob with very expensive guns.

FT-5

Considering that the military is NOT a democracy, you will always need officers... If you have every man with equal authority you will have nothing but a mess of different ideas and theories!

Besides the obvious, i agree with those who pointed out that the military does not usually draw the sharpest tacks in the box. Many who enlist do so because they have no other place to go after graduating HS. They usually don't qualify for college or advanced education and would probably be doing nothing more then selling cigs at the local handy stop, or at best become crew chiefs at McDonald's.. All in all I don't think I would want some of these people making decisions that could effect my life.. So yes officers are needed.. especially in the military.

CRH

just like companies need people to oversee other people the military needs officers. I am not a big military person but I am a business person and what sets a supervisor or in this case an officer apart is their leadership skills. Think about a football team without a coach....

anarchymaster8

If you think a college degree is the only thing seperating officers from enlisted, you don't know much about officer training.

axsooted

your the only one with this thought

Sinn Fein

Have you been in the military? Have you seen the vast amounts of stupid that are in the military? There are plenty who aren't stupid I grant you that, but you have to have people in charge otherwise it would be basically lawless and a lot of things would get broken, bad things would happen, and very costly mistakes would be made. Even simply having a degree does not ensure that one will become an officer, there is a lot that goes into becoming an officer. Checks and balances, it's the same as managers in a corporation. I've met a lot of people in the military, (the vast majority) who could not manage to govern themselves. That would simply be an absolute disaster. The fact that you would simply propose such a thing proves the lack of validity in your thought to begin with.

hamuci

So that there would be someone with brain and keep the enlisted.in control. To tell the enlisted WHAT to do and HOW to do...

To Jessica' man: Trust me I am even happier that I am an EX military officer. I got fed up with the lots of stupid people in the military ( respect for the minor part who are not) and with my degrees I found a better and more lucrative job in the civilian life. But what is much more important thing than money is the mental freedom that was almost shocking after the military.

Hungran

Your question is stupid. If you are in the military look at the history. Do you think for a minute we could have won WWII with just NCOs. Patton is rolling in his grave right now wanting to get out and slap you for your thoughtless question enough said.

manfromcrete@verizon.net

I ANSWER The Q. WITH TWO WORT'S.SOME ONE MUST CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY.

Lillian

Every corporation has management and in the military the officers fulfill that role. Its because of your type of thinking that they are requiring the degrees.

USAF Veteran.....enlisted.

Donnie H

some one must tell you to get out of rain.....

dreamweaver

What plant are you from? Where did you go to school? Use your common sense!!!!

its just me. relax.

I'm going into the ROTC program, but I don't know the answer.

T K

OCS sets the two apart.

Okay, you're active duty, so you ALREADY know the rank structure. The President directs an admiral, who directs another admiral...and so on, until he gets down to the captain of your ship, who directs his department heads, they direct division heads...or in your scenario, the individual pilots. It's all about the concept of how many people can ONE person control effectively. The CNO doesn't actually control the thousands of people in the Navy PERSONALLY and DIRECTLY...but he does control them.

Jessica's Man

You say that there still needs to be a rank structure, but that an Enlisted would jump at the chance to fly a jet or do any of the same jobs an Officer does for less pay - correct? So, what you're really saying then is that the Officers are overpaid? So... and try to follow my logic... we both agree that with more rank comes more responsibility? Therefore, if we pay the Officers less then it would follow that the Enlisted should take a pay cut as well?

Come on. Be serious. The rank structure is in place to assign responsibility and authority. Plain and simple.

Now to hamuci -- I am entirely offended by your remark as is, I'm sure, every other Enlisted (and Officer who is worthy of the rank) is. As far as keeping the Enlisted in control... the Officer ranks need just as much help in that area. I've been on three aircraft carriers and the Officers cause just as much trouble proportionately as the Enlisted. And I don't know about the other services... but as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy... we are the ones telling the Junior Officers WHAT to do and HOW to do it. Ask nearly any Senior Naval Officer and they'll tell you that if it weren't for good CPO leadership, they wouldn't be in the position they are in, and neither would the Navy be as powerful as we are.

I am glad that you are an EX-military Officer.

Wounded Duck

NO SENSE AT ALL!

Marc M

i feel you ,,,, but they go to school for that ,,,,and for some reason that instills more responsibility in them to handle situations better and i guess they would have to be smarter ,,,which isn't necessarily true ......so i guess i would agree with u ....i know alot of nco's that are just as smart and use more common sense ........

Crazy4someone

don;t know

SP 21

Half of the military are officers

to be in the military, you need to go to school for police, medic, and fire fighter.

i know this because my cousin is in the military army

nonldsinutah

The Enlisted need SOMEONE to laugh at. May as well be Officers!

Sherry B

I guess officers are needed so that way when something goes wrong there is someone in place to pass the blame to the enlisted guy.

Ayr1225

If you think any officer leads one enlisted man youre a retard. Been in 12 years now and the officers are never at work our chits sit on there desk a week for them to sign there not in meetings there screwing off don't play stupid. Officers don't lead enlisted at all there money managers plain and simple. Don't church you job up spoiled rich kids I never once met the LT from the ghetto that rose to fame in the service as an officer everyone I have and I'm an aircrewman I work close to them all of them are rich kids whose dad is some ambassador or company owner. Someone said the enlisted would be doing nothing without the service well guess what hommie all the pilots here are p.e. Teachers and home economic teachers and nutritionists they have nothing without the service too they play xbox for hours on the ship while the enlist work to death and get injuries you wouldn't believe. You'll never meet a bigger group of pansies ever if you think the enlisted like you well your even dumber than we thought were nice cause we have to when you leave us we say how gay you are and talk about how we can't stand you in your Mercedes Benz and we are on food stamps. No enlisted likes you. You think tuff with all the talk and then you turn to the enlisted to do the walk and when it's done you talk like you did the job there's nothing more disrespectfull than officer there big mouths no guts to do any of the hardships, there the most corrupt people in the military there crimes are covered up and our offenses are job ending there's is swept away criminals the lot of them.

Enlisted Marine

Let me start by saying wow! Some of you posting on this sit obviously have no idea what really goes on in the military, especially the Worlds Finest. NCOs and SNCOs (those are enlisted Marines for you idiots that don't know what you are talking about and not in the military at all) run the Marine Corps. Doctrine and policy aren't written without the consulting the enlisted experts on any subject. Are there seriously people that think Officers are above or better than Enlisted personnel? Who trains officers to be officers. I'm not talking PFC Smith right out of bootcamp. I am talking about a non-commissioned officer. With my 8 years of experience I have seen first hand what an officer. A PFC is worth about as much in the military as a 1stLT. Both have no experience and tell boot camp stories . Are you going to tell me that same 1stLT or even junior Capt knows how to lead and knows how things should be ran? The only thing that officer can tell me is what the Commanders intent is, which I can find out on my own, direct subordinates, and execute correctly myself. Officers usually end up making things harder do to their lack of experience and not listening to their NCOs. In fact the only officers we need are Warrent Officers and Mustangs (commissioned officers priorly enlisted) quite frankly. Those are the only officers I won't question and respect right off the back. I am not saying there are no good officers because there are some out there but there are also some complete idiots wandering aimlessly through the impact area of life leaving me to wonder how they even lived this long. Can senior enlisted do the job of officers? damn right they can, just give him the opportunity and training. Do prior enlisted make considerably better officers? Damn right they do. The military can operate fine with out officers but can not exsist without the enlisted. Are officers over paid for what they are actually worth in most cases? yes they are.

Forest

As part of edge organization technology research I asked a focus group of mid-ranked officers and enlisted (majors and staff sergeants) the same question. The answer is simple, 'responsibility'; if an enlisted man fwcs-up life goes on, if an officer does the same it is the end of their career. Also, some responses to this post misread the original post. The topic is not abolishing hierarchy, it is why have a dual hierarchy. Why not distribute everyone across one rank system; based on talent or ambition some advance to the highest ranks while others due to competence or satisfaction with their specialty stay in the lower ranks. On day one regardless of degree or background - everyone is a private. And, on the last day regardless of degree or background - some are not. From my observations, in today\'s technology rich world - with web access to course material, knowledge, and web forums - attending a traditional university is not necessary to learn. This opinion has widespread support. Learning is by doing in the real world not in a classroom. Do not discount the university degree, it may be worth the cost but is not for everyone. General Electric recently found that the best executives had attended small liberal arts colleges or had no degree at all. For example, an engineer from a top university may be the most gifted combat corporal known to history and is best supported down the chain by a general that never attended a university but has a natural talent for keeping things going and recognizing those who need it.

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