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Just curious. Is the division between civilians and officers different from the division between civilians and enlisted? My guess is that it's easier for HN to

Just curious. Is the division between civilians and officers different from the division between civilians and enlisted? My guess is that it's easier for HN to relate to the vets who have college degrees. And the problems faced by enlisted men are completely alien.

AndrewKemendo 11y ago
A civilian is someone who is not a uniformed member of the Armed services. There are civilians who work for the branches of the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force) but they do not (typically) wear the military uniform, do not (typically) fall under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, get paid on a different scale and have different legal standing. Commissioned officers and Enlisted members are two sides of the same coin. Commissioned officers are formally appointed by the president and have certain constitutional provisions applied to them. Junior enlisted members and non-commissioned officers do not have the same constitutional charter. In practice these differences range from marginal to extreme in terms of how the groups interact with each other and the general public. Interestingly enough, the amount of enlisted and non-commissioned officers with college degrees has never been higher, so it's not really that much of a differentiation anymore. It is however increasingly common with commissioned officers that they will have pursued a masters degree within 6-7 years of commissioning.
- kelukelugames 11y ago
  Really? I always assumed people needed college degrees to become offers. And enlisted men were ones without. Also to clarify, I don't mean civilians on a military base. My question is "Is it hard for people like me to relate to enlisted men than the ROTC officers, etc?"
  - AndrewKemendo 11y ago
    Sorry I should clarify: Officers do need a college degree prior to commissioning. To your question: I don't think so, but it largely depends on the person.

AndrewKemendo 11y ago

A civilian is someone who is not a uniformed member of the Armed services. There are civilians who work for the branches of the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force) but they do not (typically) wear the military uniform, do not (typically) fall under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, get paid on a different scale and have different legal standing. Commissioned officers and Enlisted members are two sides of the same coin. Commissioned officers are formally appointed by the president and have certain constitutional provisions applied to them. Junior enlisted members and non-commissioned officers do not have the same constitutional charter. In practice these differences range from marginal to extreme in terms of how the groups interact with each other and the general public. Interestingly enough, the amount of enlisted and non-commissioned officers with college degrees has never been higher, so it's not really that much of a differentiation anymore. It is however increasingly common with commissioned officers that they will have pursued a masters degree within 6-7 years of commissioning.

kelukelugames 11y ago
Really? I always assumed people needed college degrees to become offers. And enlisted men were ones without. Also to clarify, I don't mean civilians on a military base. My question is "Is it hard for people like me to relate to enlisted men than the ROTC officers, etc?"
- AndrewKemendo 11y ago
  Sorry I should clarify: Officers do need a college degree prior to commissioning. To your question: I don't think so, but it largely depends on the person.