Posted on May 28, 2015
SrA Johnathan Kropke
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I want to eventually go officer, but am curious what the transition is really like?
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Responses: 11
COL Charles Williams
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Yes! Initially, being enlisted will be all you know and will be your comfort zone. You need to actively work to leave that experience behind, and focus on your new role(s). Use your experience to help you be a better leader and officer, and to benefit your unit and your organization. But, don't dwell on the fact that you were enlisted first, and try to live/stay in that world. Being prior enlisted has benefits and drawbacks. Focus on your new role, and being the best leader and officer you can be; never stop learning and improving. Eventually, you will pass a point when you have been an officer longer than enlisted, and your enlisted time will be a fond but distant memory. Good officers come from all commissioning sources. Once commissioned, you success (or failure) largely depends on your effort, commitment, heart and whether you walk the walk, or just talk the talk.
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CPT Bob Moore
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I've made the transition. Here is my take:

As an NCO, I spent a lot more time with troops, training specifically on warrior tasks and job skills. While I did have staff time as an NCO, even my staff time was spent with the troops in my section and in training with them.

As an officer, I spent more time in meetings and planning, away from the day to day tasks with troops. I was definitely more of a generalist and spent all of my time as an officer outside of my branch (signal). I did get to spend time with the troops, but it was always in a supervisory role while the NCOs actually conducted the training.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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I transitioned to the Officer Corp after spending 9 years enlisted. I can say that 9 years enlisted service gave me a great appreciation for the NCO Corp and Enlisted personnel. I agree with a lot of the comments made on this subject and I disagree with some. We all have opinions and we are entitled to them, but I would recommend that you never forget where you came from and what you experienced (good and bad) when you are making decisions down the road that will affect your organization and the lowest ranking individual. I have always kept that perspective in mind when working with my senior enlisted advisors (Platoon Sergeant at the LT Level, 1SG at the Company Command level, CSM at the Battalion and Brigade level). If you know and understand where you came from you can use that experience to your advantage when it comes to your relationship with your senior enlisted advisors and making joint decision that will filter down throughout the ranks. One of the reasons that I became an officer is to make better management/leader decisions that would change the way we do business for the enlisted soldiers and our NCO Corp.
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