Jarnhamar said:
I would take what your grandfather, parents and vice principal say with a grain of salt. Leadership qualified ncms (an nco) gives officers their initial training.
CC.
I would take what Jarnhammer says with a grain of salt as well.
He's quite right when he says that NCMs give officers their initial training. When I was an officer cadet, we had a warrant officer and two sergeants who were our instructors for basic military training and for basic artillery training. They taught me all the technical skills that I needed to know before joining my regiment.
Once I was commissioned as a junior officer and appointed a gun position officer I had a warrant officer troop sergeant major, a tech sergeant and three gun sergeants in my troop. They taught me how to put what I learned into practice and how to lead and take care of the young gunners that I'd been granted the privilege of having in my troop. At every step along the way within a regiment or battalion, an officer who is in a position of leadership has a senior NCM who is his right hand man. The learning never stops but the relationship changes with time. Over time, officers become more reliant on their own decision making processes and the various battery, squadron, company and regimental sergeant majors become less teachers and more trusted sounding boards and advisors. Almost all of the courses officers take after becoming captains are taught by more senior officers and not by NCMs.
I definitely disagree with your parents, etc that someone is "“too smart” or [has] “too many leadership qualities” to be an NCM and . . . would be better suited as an officer". Many of the NCMs that I knew were every bit as smart as me and had equal or better leadership skills. Some of my peer officers were morons who couldn't lead a one man assault on a urinal. (and in fairness not every NCM is a bright spark either.) The point is there is no monopoly on brains in the officer corps.
IMHO what distinguishes the NCM and the officer cadre is more a matter of a career choice and temperament. As an NCM you are much more likely to stay close to your regiment or battalion and do the things that you joined the army for in the first place. As an officer your time with the regiment or battalion is generally limited and you will rotate in and out to other staff jobs which may be less interesting or less "fun". In fact as an officer you'll have to spend four years in university first before you even get to be near a regiment or battalion.
As an officer you will have more opportunity for higher rank (and therefore higher pay) but in exchange you will also spend much more time away from the field and in classrooms and offices. It's a trade off which depends much more on what you want out of your life then how smart you are.
If you are truly as smart as your parents and vice principal says, then you'll do well as either an NCM or officer.
Best of luck
:remembrance:
