Enlisted Personnel Commissioned as Officers

[Negative]

Hey everybody.

I was just wondering, how common is it for an enlisted Marine to be commission as an officer without going to college?

Thanks,

-Mike

[iowasurfer2]

In the modern militery? Not at all. During times of war, such as Viet Nam and earlier, it was not uncommon for an enlisted man, normally an NCO but not always, to be given a battlefield commission as a Lt. due to combat losses and the shortage of officers available to fill the billets. So, it was all based (as everything else is) on the needs of the service. Today, there are far too many college educated individuals competing for a limited number of spots as militaary officers. The only exception is the Warrant Officer. The WO is appointed by replacing college credits with real world and MOS experience. I have worked for both, and would, without hesitation, choose to serve under the Warrant Officer every time. Hope that answered your question.

[jinelson]

Thanks Mike you asked a very thought provoking question and it was answered very well by Iowasurfer2 and I can only ehco what he said.

Welcome Aboard
Jim

[Osotogary]

Could the term "Mustang" be applied here?

[Gunny McMillan]

Originally posted by Osotogary
Could the term "Mustang" be applied here?

I don't think so because even all the Mustangers I've known graduated college...and were almost always better officers.

[USMC-FO]

I believe "Mustang" is the commonly accepted term for a non-com making the leap to the officer ranks. Unlke "Gunny M" above I have known several officers that made a move from the enlisted ranks who did not go to college. I do agree that they are almost always better than average officers---4 years in college does not by dint of simply having gone necessarily impart wisdom and leadership to any individual.

[Gunny McMillan]

Originally posted by USMC-FO
I believe "Mustang" is the commonly accepted term for a non-com making the leap to the officer ranks. Unlke "Gunny M" above I have known several officers that made a move from the enlisted ranks who did not go to college. I do agree that they are almost always better than average officers---4 years in college does not by dint of simply having gone necessarily impart wisdom and leadership to any individual.

Like others are saying, it wasn't uncommon for enlisted men to make the jump to O during your time in...I was active much later than you so I didn't see any (at least to my recollection).

But I've always known "Mustang" to describe any enlisted Marine who makes the jump, don't know about being an NCO though. I once had an Lt. who went to boot after high school and was in the Reserves through college...then got commissioned after graduating college. He was a better officer than those who've never been on the enlisted side, but I think he was only an E-2 or E-3 when he went active and got a commission, so he still didn't have a whole lot of leadership experience.

[enviro]

A college degree is a requirement in all circumstances for today's officers.

Read MCO 1040.34A for further guidance on Enlisted Commisioning Programs. http://www.usmc.mil/directiv.nsf/820...569770048925e/$FILE/MCO%201040.43A.pdf


Your only "kinda-sorta" exception is MECEP. MECEP requires you to have 75 credits prior to applying to the program. Then the Marine Corps transfers you to a college to finish up your degree. Then it's off to OCS/TBS.

The cool part about MECEP is that you get all of your pay and benefits while the Marine Corps picks up the college tab. Your duty assignment is to go to school.

Be prepared for a 4-6 year commitment after graduation.

[Phantom Blooper]

4 years in college does not by dint of simply having gone necessarily impart wisdom and leadership to any individual.

This is true of officer ranks and civilian counterparts. I know of a handful of Marine officers and civilians that have been to college........WHICH IS A GREAT THING!..but come out stupider than cat $hit!.

Some of the most educated people in this world never set foot on a campus. For most kids,college campus= PARTY TIME! Burn brain cells = dumba$$ civilian & officers.

Semper-Fi! "Never Forget" Chuck Hall

[Phantom Blooper]

A college educated man decided to write a book about famous churches around the
world
So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to , Bangkok,
Maine,
thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from
North to South.

On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs
when he
noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read,
"$10,000. per call."
The man, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by,
"what
the telephone was used for." The priest replied that it was a direct
line to heaven and that for
$10,000. you could talk to God. The man thanked the priest
and went
along his way.

Next stop was in Chicago. There, at a very large cathedral,
he saw
the same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if
this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Maine and he asked a
nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct
line
to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to
God "O,K,, thank you," said the man.

He then traveled to Kansas City, Billings MT, Seattle WA, and
Salt
Lake City . In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the
same "$10,000 per call" sign under it.

The man upon leaving Salt Lake decided to travel down to the
Southwest to see if any of those states had the same telephone
service.
He arrived in Fort Worth, TX, and again, in the first church he entered,
there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it
read, "$.40 per call." The man was surprised so he asked the priest
about the sign. "Father, I've traveled all over America and I've seen
this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a
direct line to Heaven, but in the Northeast and Southeast, even on the
West Coast the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?"
The priest smiled and answered,
"Son, you're in Texas now, it's a local call."

[LDO Capt]

I am a Marine Officer...Mustang...I was a Gunny, went Warrant Officer to CWO3, now a Captain Limited Duty Officer which means that I am restricted (have to stay within my MOS) unlike a new college 2nd Lt that is unrestricted and can go any where and do anything anytime the Corps deems it necessary.
Not a day of college. So I would have to say yes it is possible...but it does take a while, I just went over 23 years. I am working on the college thing now, not for the Corps, but for my future...as much as I would like to I can't stay in this gun club forever.

[Negative]

Well thank you all very much for the quick replies, sirs. This brings up another question, though. How does one become a Warrant Officer? I've been told that when an enlisted person is trained in all of the MOS's in his field, he is commissioned as a WO i.e. an infantryman having training as a rifleman, mortarman, LAV crewman, etc. Is this so?

Originally posted by jinelson
...Welcome Aboard...

Thank you, sir. It's good to have a place to go when I have questions about the Marines. I'm counting down the days until I can enlist and I want to be as prepared as possible for Boot Camp.

[DanCross]

Becoming a Warrant Officer is not easy. You have to first become a Marine, and then make it to the staff NCO ranks (e.g., Staff Sergeant) before you can apply, and you may still not get in. It's a long and twisty road, with no guarantee of success. But, if you work hard, you can certainly make it. If you really want to become an officer, the easiest route is to go NROTC with the Marine option in college.

Btw- there was a Staff Sergeant that became a Warrant Officer in my unit when I was stationed at 29 Palms. It was a bit strange for all of us to make that conceptual leap when he got promoted. In the morning, it was, ``Good Morning, Staff Sergeant.'' In the afternoon, it was, ``Good Afternoon, Sir,'' with a salute. It took some folks a while to get used to. Luckily, the new Warrant Officer was patient with us pulling things like, ``Good Morning, St....ir!'' for a while.