Do you feel having an officer and enlisted rank is needed or just having one rank structure be better?

I have oftened wondered about this one myself, and have though that what we really need is a hybrid sort of promotion system. I know my views are biassed, as a prior enlisted guy, but I always though it would work well if it went something like this: Everyone comes in enlisted, and works there way up to SPC. As a SPC, people are evaluated for their potention to serve as NCOs, WOs, or Commissioned Officers. From here, Soldiers would be selected for either WLC, WOC or OCS. I am sure it has many downfalls, but that always seemed like a potential way of doing things that may have some beneftis. Of course, this in no way addresses the service academy guys, maybe graduates would automatically get a spot in OCS? Who knows, just something to ponder!

Hmm. After being in the civilian world a while, I wish we had the senior enlisted structure. Out here it's hybrids, but in many ways, the troops morale is not being addressed. We use employee surveys, but having "senior enlisted advisors" from the top to the bottom would help.

"Back in the day" this structure grew out of the societal hierarchy. Not just the education levels. Those lines have blurred somewhat. I think where the rubber meets the road in this conversation is in the mid-level management space.

So maybe the separation ought to occur during the "NCO phase" as someone mentioned. The officer requirements remain the same -- degree, etc. But, we're talking about folks roughly within the same age group 25 - 30, so it shouldn't be a major issue. Skim cream for the officers. And they'll have credibility with the enlisted.

You must first understand where the rank structure came from to understand why we currently have the system we do.

While the Middle Ages were in a spin down, the officer and enlisted structure started to solidify its place in military culture.

The need for a 2 tiered rank structure came from the different classes of people that existed during these times; Those with royal commissions and everyone else.

The entire system came about due to classism and the un-equality of man, with the need for higher ranks (Non commissioned officers) among enlisted soldiers coming a little further down the road.


There is absolutely no need for a 2 tiered system in today's technological world. A single tiered rank structure (similiar to how the Romans structured their early armies) could and would work without any command and control issues.