Quote Originally Posted by Ulenspiegel View Post
@JMA
Do you propose a merger of NCO and officer corps?
No, not at all.

I believe that under the almost universal system officers and NCOs complement each other in making up the whole. There are specific skills required amongst the Officer corps as there are amongst the NCO corps. I don't believe you can mix and match the two without something getting compromised. There are a percentage of NCOs who display the skills required of an officer and who should be considered for officer training on application. But as I said in an earlier post IMHO care should be taken not to denude the NCO corps of its brightest and best (with the resultant massive downstream knock-on effect) in order to address a (normally short term) platoon commander shortage.

There is an old US Cavalry saying (I believe) which goes: "Officers come and officers go but the don't hurt the troop". This can only be true if the NCO structure is strong and intact.

In the doc Research and Study Group 31 - Officer Selection in the year under review only a small percentage of German officer candidates appear to have come through from the ranks.

I suggest that the officer function at company level be carefully kept in focus when discussing such matters. He is serving his apprenticeship for higher command. He needs the experience for this and he needs the support of quality NCOs to achieve this.

A thought that I kept in mind all the time and later never let any of the officer cadets under my control forget is that when you command a platoon you have 100-150 years of military service in your hands (when the total service of the platoon is added up)... and that is one massive responsibility which the army can not allow you to squander. (A believe you me any platoon sergeant worth his salt won't let you do so either).

I don't know the state of the NCO corps in various armies but I hear that in the Brit army the NCOs may not be what they once were. But the problem (one problem) is that the officer corps has its challenges. One of which seems to be the initial selection process which allows too many people through who are not up to the required standard.

Deal with this problem but do not tamper with the NCO structure in order to achieve a quick fix. That is what I am saying.