Military looking to expand lateral entry

wes allen

Interesting read.

"Defense Secretary Ash Carter wants to open the door for more “lateral entry” into the military's upper ranks, clearing the way for lifelong civilians with vital skills and strong résumés to enter the officer corps as high as the O-6 paygrade."


The Pentagon's controversial plan to hire military leaders off the street

SaSkiller

So much heat and hate on this. I'll tell you, it won't have much effect. It could ring more talented people into the force, but there are still 2 big issues. 1 For the officers, they will have limited authority, you have to ask whether the CO is going to listen to the guy who has been an O3 for 2 days. For the enlisted, They need to insure that these guys can be SNCO's without having to deal with the bullshit. They don't need to be doing PME, or counselings or whatever education system the military forces onto it's troops.

Honestly I think they should have simplified it, the people are technical experts right? We have a system for technical experts, it's called Warrant Officers. No command concerns, technical adviser to Officers, can still get in the trenches.

wes allen

I can see the difficulty of someone starting out at captain or higher, but that seems the only way the military can even come close to competing with the private sector on salary. They have to find a way to bring in infosec people specifically, along with other highly skilled people.

A much shorter article, but has some links to the various ranks and the pay scales for each.

Ash Carter, military brass consider high-ranking commissions for civilians.

Pmorgan2

SaSkiller wrote: »

Honestly I think they should have simplified it, the people are technical experts right? We have a system for technical experts, it's called Warrant Officers. No command concerns, technical adviser to Officers, can still get in the trenches.

This is exactly where they should be putting these direct commissions. The Warrant Officer Corps are the high level technicians. Sure, Warrant Officers have a culture and tradition that would be negatively affected by direct hires, but not at the same level as the NCO and Officer Corps.

Warrant Officer pay + Special Pay would attract people in.

mistabrumley89

Meh, I would rejoin for a decent bump in pay from the E4 pay I was getting.

TranceSoulBrother

Officers are aware of the special branches that allow direct commission and limited command scope.
If one can work with a JAG, a Chaplain, a Veterinarian...with no issues about officer responsibilities, they should be able to do so with the "special people" hired for their technical skills. the strategic communication needs to go out in the field about their specific qualification, left and right limits as officers or NCOs as well as career trajectory.
One should also make provision for their fitness level and health. Let's face it. Many an IT manager is overweight. How would it look to have a Colonel "cyber" specialist (with maybe 15-20 years of experience and a crap ton of certifications), wearing the eagle on his chest with a 54" waist waddling across the quad from the parking lot. God knows half the soldiers gnash their teeth at the DA civilians in Iraq or Afghanistan that don't know how to wear a uniform properly and look like walking soup sandwiches.

dmoore44

If this program moves forward, I'd have to give it serious consideration. That being said, they're also going to need to take in to account health issues - I was medically disqualified from from joining the reservers because of a pre-existing condition (psoriasis, for the curious) - even though I was already a Vet. It struck me as odd that my active duty service wasn't even considered as making me waiver eligible.

SoCalGuy858

dmoore44 wrote: »

If this program moves forward, I'd have to give it serious consideration. That being said, they're also going to need to take in to account health issues - I was medically disqualified from from joining the reservers because of a pre-existing condition (psoriasis, for the curious) - even though I was already a Vet. It struck me as odd that my active duty service wasn't even considered as making me waiver eligible.

This is what I'm keeping my eyes on. I've heard discussions that with the build up of cyber forces, there is a possibility of this coming into play with permanently CONUS-based units that don't deploy.

A military career was something that I had wanted since I was a toddler, but later on in my teens, I discovered that I was PDQ due to a medical condition. I was a military cadet for 10 years, can complete any services' PFT, and am not hindered physically in any way.... but it all boiled down to "risk" on their end.