Posted on Aug 5, 2014
PO1 Master-at-Arms
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If you're active duty enlisted thinking about stepping up, which route would you pick and why? As for prior service commissioned and warrant, why did you choose the path that you did, other than it was the only available option at a time.

As for me, just submitted commission package for Intel. Hopefully hear something back next month when the board convenes. The reason I chose that path is why not? About to finish MBA with concentration in Information Security, let my voice be heard further and wider, and far better retirement benefits.
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MSG Wade Huffman
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If I had the choice, I would have loved to go Warrant (unfortunately my field wasn't a 'feeder'). Not to take anything from the Os, I respect them and have known many to be true professionals and experts in their field, but I have always admired and respected the technical expertise of the Warrant Officer community. The fact that they are all expert technicians in their field and still work closely with the soldiers and the mission is what would make it more attractive to me.
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SSG Training Sergeant
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For me it would be a question of where I was at in my career. If realistically I wasn't to go higher than Captain with prior enlisted service I would go the Warrant path. With a good five to six years left in the Guard I am content to be the wise and sage Staff Sergeant - mentoring Enlisted and Officer alike.
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CPO Command Chief
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Personally, I would go the Warrant route if I left the enlisted ranks, but that would just be my preference.

Every experience and every command is different, so I'd be remiss if I spouted off about not wanting to start at the bottom of the Wardroom as an Ensign when I could be part of it (but not really part of it) as a Warrant. I don't know anything about the frustrations of an LDO coming into a new community with mad experience but being considered a "junior officer." Nor have I ever felt ostracized by the Wardroom for not technically not having a commission and I've never been exiled from the Chief's Mess for having chosen the proverbial "dark side." These are just my unqualified, unfounded, almost-completely baseless suspicions.

But truth be told, I love promoting, recognizing, counseling, rewarding, punishing, and training junior Sailors in my command too much to give that up for a life of policy writing. Not to say officers don't do any or all of the above or that ALL officers do is write policy, but their leadership interactions are on a different, less personal level by necessity.

I couldn't leave that....despite a bigger paycheck. I'd rather be paid less to do something I love than be paid more to do a job I didn't like as much. But that's just me. Some people are just better suited to one corps or the other and I just love being a Chief too much to give it up. And hey, to each his own, I say!

Best of luck on your officer package, brother!
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PO1 Master-at-Arms
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Good pointers there, Chief! Yeah, I'm sure it'll suck for a bit as a junior officer. I look at it as you're in a leadership role once you hit 1st class and above. So why not kick it up a notch or 2, get commissioned, and make more? I think it doesn't matter at certain point where you stand on a leadership ladder. You made it that far, stakes are higher than junior enlisted, and you're looked at closer being there. I hope that I get selected so I can still be in a leadership position, but be heard a lot more and respected just as much as a mustang
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CPO Command Chief
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Good on ya, brother. Keep in mind though that regardless of what your paygrade is as long as you wear the uniform you're a leader to SOMEone. You don't have to be a First Class.....leadership starts the minute you put on the uniform. Don't forget that. Especially if/when you join the Wardroom.

We all have our talents. I know MANY Sailors who are better in certain leadership capacities than I am. I know you probably didn't mean that "only" First Classes and above are leaders, but it's good for all of us if we remind ourselves from time to time that paygrade doesn't dictate influence. And that's all leadership is: Influence.

Keep charging, brother!
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Capt Daniel Goodman
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http://www.mors.org

If you're inclined toward STEM, ops research for a Phd could be a good possibility for you, it's rarely considered, the journal this group publishes, PHALANX, is really quite good....
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