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From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Warrant Officers
Message-ID: <1991Feb21.031227.12390@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 21 Feb 91 03:12:27 GMT
References: <1991Feb20.053749.1568@cbnews.att.com>
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From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)

> From: Welsh James CPT <qj0309@westpoint-emh2.army.mil>

>      The concept of an official chain of command and a real one is absurd, at
> least on the ground side of the Corps.  Lieutenant platoon leaders are
> tactically and technically competent, or else they are quickly removed.  There
> have never been 90 day wonders or shake and bake lieutenants in the Marine
> Corps, even at the height of the Vietnam War.
 
  Well said, James, all around.  A little background:  During the build-up
  for Vietnam each service expanded its officer/warrant ranks in different
  ways.  The Army increased the number of Officer Candidate Schools (OCS).
  Before Vietnam there were two - Infantry and Artillery (upon graduation 
  you could select another branch).  First they increased the number of
  companies.  When I arrived at my class (October 1965) there was one 
  battalion with 5 companies (150 students per).  When I graduated (April 1966)
  there were two battalions and 10 companies of candidates.  Plus there were
  OCS schools for Engineers, Quartermaster and Armor (I think).  There were
  never any "90 day wonders" - it was 6 months.  Then the brand new 2LT had
  to go to a basic branch qualification course - then was sent to a Stateside
  unit that was preparing to ship to Vietnam.  [BTW:  My class started with
  150, graduated 95, and by December '66 - 100% of my class plus our tac
  officers and cadre were in Vietnam - most went to the 9th Div or 4th Div]

  Now, at the same time - the Army had a desparate need for photo interpreters
  and other intelligence-types in their warrant ranks.  So the Army went to
  the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps and asked any E6 or above if they
  wanted to transfer to the Army in the rank of Warrant Officer 1 - as
  PI technicians.  Many, many took the offer - the majority were Air Force
  E6s, some were Navy E6s, only a few marines took the offer, some were E7s
  but there were not many E8s.  Most remained in the Army for fine careers
  as warrants.

  Now, the Marines did it differently.  They took some of their senior NCOs
  and Warrants and asked if they'd like to be "officers" for awhile.  Again,
  I'm most familiar with the intelligence skills.  They became "Limited 
  Duty" officers.  They began as 2LT's.  They could be promoted through the
  grades but never higher than Lieutenant Colonel (terminal grade).  They
  would maintain their former warrant/enlisted rank - and in fact be promoted
  in these grades along with their contemporaries.  But - at any time -
  convenient to the Marines - they could be "adminstratively" reverted to
  their previous ranks.  (I served with the "oldest second lieutenant in 
  the Marine Corps" - a CWO3 with 28 years service - took their offer to
  be a 2LT - he got paid the highest of the two base pays - was promoted to
  1LT and 5 days later promoted to CWO4).  After Vietnam - most of these
  "LD" officers reverted to their previous status. 

  -------------

  One wonders what 'wierd' personnel policies will occur as a result of
  the gulf war.   Right now, everyone is "frozen in place".   


  mike schmitt