Marine Infantry Veteran Says Enlisted Shouldn’t Become Officers — Mayhem Ensues

However, there are advantages to allowing enlisted service members to become officers, said Katherine Kuzminski, director of the military, veterans, and society program at the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington, D.C.

“There is the ability to take someone who’s proven themselves on the enlisted side and capitalize on their experience, add to their education, and add to what they can bring to the force,” Kuzminski told Task & Purpose on Monday.

The commissioning process also shows enlisted service members that they have a pathway to advance within the military, Kuzminski said.

Kuzminski said that Snook’s argument represents “perhaps a very old-world view” about which troops can serve officers, and which can’t.

“We do things differently in the United States of America,” she said.

In fact, some of the U.S. military’s best leaders have been mustangs, including Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy; Marine legend Chesty Puller, who was awarded five Navy Crosses; and Chuck Yeager, the man who broke the sound barrier.

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