OTD 2 December: When Everything Started Going Wrong...

[csadn]

http://www.navy.mil/search/display_history.asp :

1775 - Congress orders the first officers' commissions printed.

And it's been all downhill from there. ;)

[7eat51]

http://www.navy.mil/search/display_history.asp :

1775 - Congress orders the first officers' commissions printed.

And it's been all downhill from there. ;)

As a former member of the enlisted ranks, I met officers who were outstanding, and officers who should have been out standing in a field somewhere far away.

[DeRuyter]

As a former member of the enlisted ranks, I met officers who were outstanding, and officers who should have been out standing in a field somewhere far away.

As a former member of the officer corps I would agree with you! Unfortunately many of those in left field came through West Point which guaranteed they would be around for awhile.

[7eat51]

I was fortunate enough to serve under officers of whom I not only respected their rank, but respected them as leaders. The officers that made me roll my eyes were not in my chain of command. I think this is, in part, why I enjoyed my time in so thoroughly. When you work for people you are more than willing to follow, good things tend to happen. I can say the same for all of the senior NCOs I worked for and with - truly outstanding individuals.

[Diamondback]

I've been pretty lucky that I've mostly known the good kind of officers in my time around the military, largely in retirement. (Between an AF LTC who was a prof in college that I think of as 'Surrogate Dad", an old Navy Captain sub-driver who was one of Mom's bosses, and a fortuitously-timed active-duty major I was working with on a project for a school on JBLM around the time my last bid to try to get into ROTC fell through with some helpful perspective and advice... yeah, I've been pretty lucky.)

BTW, one of our members here is an Active Duty officer IIRC, or was last I knew, and had cleared the first hurdle of moving up to LTC.

[Avi]

In the Israeli armed forces most officers start as troops and then are sent to officers course.
Sea-going-Navy officers are an exception, but we compensate, by spending long parts of the course
as able bodies on the ships. the crew, knowing where we are going to tend to make sure we understand
their point of view...

So having seen both sides I can tell you there are all sorts on both sides of the fence...

[Diamondback]

Excellent point, Avi--it really does take all kinds to make the world go around. Everybody has some purpose in the greater scheme of things, even if just showing others how not to be... or being livestock to feed the worms.

[David Manley]

[Diamondback]

ROFLMAO! Dave, did you get my last PM, BTW?

[David Manley]

I did, and I'll pop you an answer in a few minutes

[Diamondback]

Thanks, amigo--I had a few disappear into the Void recently, so thought maybe I better check. :)

[David Manley]

No, my bad. Too many "real life" intrusions just now, gaming things slipping through cracks........

[Diamondback]

Now we're gonna argue, amigo: not a "Bad", a totally understandable situation especially this time of year with pre-holiday rushes on both Office and Home fronts. :)

[csadn]

In the Israeli armed forces most officers start as troops and then are sent to officers course.
Sea-going-Navy officers are an exception, but we compensate, by spending long parts of the course
as able bodies on the ships. the crew, knowing where we are going to tend to make sure we understand
their point of view...

Indeed, the "tarpaulin" approach seems to work better, as "experience is the best teacher".

[Cmmdre]

So having seen both sides I can tell you there are all sorts on both sides of the fence...

I agree with both of you.