OT - here's an interesting military thought

[narf poit chez BOOM]

i have no how the us army gets officers, but it seems to me that the only sensible way to go about is to get them 'from the ranks'. throwing someone with little real expereince into a command position strikes me as foolish.

yes, i have been reading military sci-fi. the sos snippet is up on baen.com . and if you don't know what i mean, go here: http://bar.baen.com/WB/default.asp?a...d=31614&fid=37

[ February 12, 2004, 07:15: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

[Paul1980au]

What about experience points for troops - perhaps planet facilities and a tech tree to support in the next patch training for troops. Perhaps each time they invade a planet - the home planet they came from gets experience points when they train troops in the future. You could get less EXP from invading poorly defended planets and more if youre troops manage to take a well defended planet ? or it could be put in as morale of home planet affects up to 10% troop performance in invading. Facilities to raise the morale of defending troops is an idea and also on board components that allow troops to train up to a certain EXP level. Not sure how to implement but discussion is there.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

oh. right. shoulda put OT in the title. sorry. and that's a good idea.

[ February 12, 2004, 07:16: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

[General Woundwort]

Heinlein was big on this topic. His comments on it in Starship Troopers are absolutely scathing. In the system he described in that book, all officers had to be selected from the ranks, and the idea of training and commissioning a civilian to be an officer was mocked to scorn.

Heinlein must have served under a Lt. Niedermeyer type at some point...

[ February 12, 2004, 10:58: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]

[tesco samoa]

From the ranks works great in wars for replacements.... But I think that the power of the rank is within the Corporals to Seargents. ANd all the classifications within those ranks. Not to mention specialation.

Since were talking army.

The lifers work with the command and make sure things run smooth.

Now for officers they also go through the ranks just that they start at a higher rank after they pass their training.

Then the issue of NCO vs CO comes into play.

And the question is rased. A soldier is good working with a team of 4 or 5 other soldiers. How does this make this person able to run a company?
It is very democratic in its structure.

Or are you talking about.... So and so's dad is this guy so lets make him a major.

In wars these people get weeded out due to the nature of the beast. In peaceful times it takes a little longer. But it happens.

[AMF]

Yeah...

The de facto role of officers is generally to manage, plan, and direct.

The de facto role of enlisted is generall to execute.

And, it is often said that the warrant officers are what keep military organizations running smoothly, acting as the requisite link between those two rank structures. Without them, the whole thing might fall apart.

Personally, having met a lot of USMC and USN officers who both came up through the ranks and those who didn't I can't come up with any overarching statement as to their quality or lack thereof.

The only thing I think I could honestly say is that, IMHO, those who with aptitudes better suited to officer skillsets (managerial, motivational, ambition) tend to gravitate towards officer commissions.

I've met many extremely competent enlisted and officers of all ranks. but in both rank structures, I think it is true that, largely, the better ones get promoted and the crappier ones don't. Havign said that, I've met some very incompetent USMC Colonels and Staff Sergeants, and some very ineffective or dysfunctional Navy Admirals. In these cases, it largely comes down to personality (or lack thereof) rather than skill.

Just my two cents. I'm shutting up now.

Alarik

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
From the ranks works great in wars for replacements.... But I think that the power of the rank is within the Corporals to Seargents. ANd all the classifications within those ranks. Not to mention specialation.

Since were talking army.

The lifers work with the command and make sure things run smooth.

Now for officers they also go through the ranks just that they start at a higher rank after they pass their training.

Then the issue of NCO vs CO comes into play.

And the question is rased. A soldier is good working with a team of 4 or 5 other soldiers. How does this make this person able to run a company?
It is very democratic in its structure.

Or are you talking about.... So and so's dad is this guy so lets make him a major.

In wars these people get weeded out due to the nature of the beast. In peaceful times it takes a little longer. But it happens.

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
i have no how the us army gets officers, but it seems to me that the only sensible way to go about is to get them 'from the ranks'. throwing someone with little real expereince into a command position strikes me as foolish.

yes, i have been reading military sci-fi. the sos snippet is up on baen.com . and if you don't know what i mean, go here: http://bar.baen.com/WB/default.asp?a...d=31614&fid=37

You should read the Brotherhood of War series. It starts in WWII and follows the career of several military men and there families through the decades. Never boring, and always intertaining, a great read.

[tesco samoa]

You also have to remember that the actual people who do the fighting are the minority in the military.

[sachmo]

The army thrives with both types of officers. The experience of being an enlisted person is very valuable to an officer, but while this person is serving in the military, the "fresh" officer was getting a college education, which gives him/her skills that the "from the ranks" officer may not have. I think there is place for both types.

[Ruatha]

I'm just a conscript anselm now, but I got into the reserve officer program, so this fall I begin my training.
(It's a short Version for medical personel and I'll still be anselm when I'm finished but in a few years I'll start advancing in the ranks - liutenant - captain - major. )

It'll be fun! (But it will mean less SE4..... )

(And the wife isn't all that thrilled that I'll be away that much from home, leaving her alone with the kids.... )

[ February 12, 2004, 18:47: Message edited by: Ruatha ]