primitive writing book about military aviation career

[JohnnyReb]

Offered to currently enlisted personnel without a college degree, right?

And then while in OCS, they get that four year degree?

By the way, as a side note, in memoirs I've read of veterans, they never seemed to care much for second lieutenants, which always confused me.  I've known four second lieutenants (before they got promoted), and they seemed like some of the nicest guys one could hope to meet.

Shit flows downhill to the dispenser and that's usually the 2nd lt  or Ensign JG in the Navy.

[franksolich]

Shit flows downhill to the dispenser and that's usually the 2nd lt  or Ensign JG in the Navy.

Okay, I found it.

In the U.S. military, officers without a university degree may under certain circumstances be commissioned, but are required to earn one within a time limit. Roughly half of all active-duty U.S. military officers are commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps, which is composed of small training programs at several hundred American universities. Graduates from the service academies are commissioned immediately upon graduation. Officers may also be commissioned at federal or state based Officer Candidate Schools. The various Officer Candidate Schools commission approximately 700 second lieutenants and ensigns each year during peacetime.

Another route to becoming a commissioned officer is through direct commission. Credentialed civilian professionals such as scientists, pharmacists, nurses, doctors, physician assistants, occupational therapists, pastors, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists and lawyers are directly commissioned upon entry into the military or another federal uniformed service. However, these direct commission officers normally do not have command authority outside their specific branches (e.g., Medical Corps (United States Army) or Judge Advocate General's Corps).

But this still doesn't answer one of my questions.

Even if one goes through OCS, one still has to get that four year college degree, right?

[Chris_]

Do we have anyone that will admit being a 2LT to answer frank's question?

[franksolich]

A Mustang is United States Military slang for a commissioned officer who began his or her career as an enlisted service member. Mustangs are older and more experienced than their peers-in-grade who earned their commissions from one of the service academies (such as the United States Military Academy, United States Air Force Academy, or United States Naval Academy), Officer Candidate School, or the Reserve Officer Training Corps. During the Vietnam War, however, when some Army warrant officer pilots were offered a direct commission to 2nd or 1st Lieutenant, they were usually younger than 25 at the time of commission.

A United States Navy mustang can be a Chief Warrant Officer, a Limited Duty Officer, a Staff Officer, a Restricted Line Officer or an Unrestricted Line Officer, depending on their particular situation.

The original definition of a mustang was a military officer who had earned a battlefield commission; they were especially prevalent during World War II and the Korean War. Such notables include Audie Murphy (World War II) and David Hackworth (Korean War).

A mustang is currently defined by a continuity in military service from enlisted to officer (i.e., no break in military service). Being a slang term, there is no precise definition or set of criteria to determine which officers can properly be called a "mustang"; however, generally accepted as mustangs are those who earned a Good Conduct Medal, or have completed 4 years of enlisted service prior to earning their commission.

The term "Mustang" is a relatively modern term, originating either just prior to, or during World War II. It is believed to be a naval term, although other service's officers are beginning to be described as mustangs.

It literally refers to the mustang horse, which is a wild animal and therefore not a thoroughbred. A mustang, after being captured, can be tamed and saddle broken but it always has a bit of wild streak, and can periodically revert to its old ways unexpectedly and therefore the owner needs to keep an eye on it at all times.

By the same token, however, since a mustang was formerly a wild and free animal, it may very well be smarter, more capable and have a better survival instinct than thoroughbreds.

Have there been any "battlefield commissions" given out lately, like say, the past 20 years, or is that a thing of the past?

[Skul]

Okay, I found it.

But this still doesn't answer one of my questions.

Even if one goes through OCS, one still has to get that four year college degree, right?

Nope.  Just your chances for advancement are somewhat "limited", shall we say.

Have there been any "battlefield commissions" given out lately, like say, the past 20 years, or is that a thing of the past?

I haven't heard of it happening in decades.
Had an uncle recieve one in Korea.
They took it away when they found out he was underage.
He got it back after OCS, and old enough.

[docstew]

Okay, I found it.

But this still doesn't answer one of my questions.

Even if one goes through OCS, one still has to get that four year college degree, right?

The Army, at the least, did away with that program a couple years ago.  Now, a bachelor's degree is a requirement before entering OCS.

[Freeper]

Okay, I found it.

But this still doesn't answer one of my questions.

Even if one goes through OCS, one still has to get that four year college degree, right?

I seem to recall you needed some kind of degree to apply for OCS.

Warrant Officer it used to be that you could take the high school to flight school route. I think they changed that so now you need college to be a warrant though.

Here's an interesting tidbit, you can not go into flight school without perfect vision unless you are a commissioned officer, then you may get a waiver.

[Chris_]

Here's an interesting tidbit, you can not go into flight school without perfect vision unless you are a commissioned officer, then you may get a waiver.

Kept my father out of flight school which is why he joined the Marines.  He wanted to join the Air Force like his sister.

[dandi]

That reminds me of the first time I ever trapped on a carrier in my Tomcat. Damned tailhook wouldn't lower so I recycled it and tried again but it still wouldn't budge, so I had to have my RIO hang out of the cockpit by his toes and grab the arresting wire. He caught the #3 wire and dislocated his shoulder but we got stopped okay. That was right before I splashed my first MiG over the Gulf Of Sidra, but that's a story for another day.

[GOBUCKS]

Whenever you read Civil War history, you always hear of "brevet" ranks. I always assumed that was a battlefield promotion to fill officer ranks thinned by combat. I've never heard that term in modern usage.

At one time, poor, stupid Beth advertised herself as a freelance editor. As stupid as she is, she could improve DUmmy trof's manuscript, which is among the worst collections of words ever assembled in the English language. I'd call it TomInTibbish tripe, but TomInTib would be humiliated to be associated with anything as bad as DUmmy trof's crap. It's sort of like CalPig in prose.

DUmmy trof wrote forever, and wasn't as interesting as dandi's single paragraph. It's really cool that the RIO grabbed the #3. He didn't mention if it was at night, in heavy seas, but I'm sure it was.

[Skul]

That reminds me of the first time I ever trapped on a carrier in my Tomcat. Damned tailhook wouldn't lower so I recycled it and tried again but it still wouldn't budge, so I had to have my RIO hang out of the cockpit by his toes and grab the arresting wire. He caught the #3 wire and dislocated his shoulder but we got stopped okay. That was right before I splashed my first MiG over the Gulf Of Sidra, but that's a story for another day.

Which hand did he use?
 

[dandi]

Which hand did he use?
 

Left hand, of course. He was saluting with the right while requesting permission to come aboard.

 

[Skul]

Correct answer, Sir.
H5