Language Issues

[120mm]

I'm not sure I agree with 120mm about "Your goal for being an officer should be to lead soldiers, not do a job or speak a language." The Army is a big place and needs a lot of MI officers who aren't in traditional troop-leading positions. If you're dead set on being an MI officer, go forth an conquer, but know that it might be a challenge to get to where you wish to go. I can completely understand someone whose Army career aspiration is to be a '2' or 'asst. 2' for 20 years. It's hard to do, but I understand the desire, and if competent, that officer is no less valuable than one that commands a battalion as the apex of his or her career.

@120mm - this will circle back to the old dispute about "all officers are leaders first, last, and always" vs. "balance of staff and leadership officers" if we're not careful. A whole seperate rant...

My point is two-fold: First, when you are assessed for branch, the drunken poo-flinging monkeys will put you where they want, not where you want. Therefore, "planning on going MI" is not a solid battle plan if your choice is to become an officer. So when you go to QM school, your plans to be Chinese linguist will be largely foiled.

Secondly, commissioned officers on active duty get to do their actual core competency job for very few years of a 20+ year career. The rest of the time, they get to do some completely unrelated staff job. I have not met a single "Do-er" who is really happy with their career as a commissioned officer because of that fact.

That is the origin of my "commissioned vs. Warrant Officer" argument.

[John T. Fishel]

120mm, after the assignment gods have selected you for QM (for reasons known only to them) and you've spent the required time in grade and made it through selection to CPT, you now have the opportunity to ask the army to put you into SF, CA, MISO (formerly PSYOP), and FAO where you have a good chance of (1)getting the kind of job you want and (2) using the language - or another foreign tongue

Cheers

JohnT

[120mm]

120mm, after the assignment gods have selected you for QM (for reasons known only to them) and you've spent the required time in grade and made it through selection to CPT, you now have the opportunity to ask the army to put you into SF, CA, MISO (formerly PSYOP), and FAO where you have a good chance of (1)getting the kind of job you want and (2) using the language - or another foreign tongue

Cheers

JohnT

I know, but why put up with that butt-pain, if you really just want to do the job?

I know the whole professional officer credo and all that stuff, but I must lack the character necessary and spent my 28 year career either a) fighting to get to a position to collect intel, b) collecting intel c) wishing I was collecting intel while avoiding doing completely worthless to anyone staff-work in a visibly half-*ssed manner, all the while poking fun at more professional staff officers.

Looking back, I should've gone W.O. or enlisted when I had the chance.

[Stan]

Looking back, I should've gone W.O. or enlisted when I had the chance.

Drew,
If it's any consolation coming from me, you'd have made an excellent (sneaky and conniving) NCO

[Tom Odom]

an excellent (sneaky and conniving) NCO

Now that's redundant...

[Ken White]

Can't be the first adjective without being highly proficient at the last two...

[Tom Odom]

Can't be the first adjective without being highly proficient at the last two...

Actually you can't be Stan without the following four as in excellent, conniving, sneaky, NCO..

He is a package deal