Ph.D infantry soldiers

[lahskule]

does anyone know one? my recruiter used this example to convince me that ncm was a perfectly acceptable choice for me.

 

[George Wallace]

There are hundreds of NCM's who hold Degrees.  I have one, but not a Ph.D.  I know many more who hold Degrees or College Certificates.  Many College Graduates are in the Technical Trades as NCM's.  I am sure that you will find an PhD or Masters holder amongst the NCM's on this site, both Regular and Reserve.

 

[medicineman]

I knew a MCpl at RMC that was doing his Master's there - taught as any Grad student would as well.

MM

 

[pronto]

I am no longer in. When in, as NCO, I studied theoretical physics, and quite a few of my confreres had Bachelor's as well, and a couple of Masters, and at least one LLB/Sergeant - he actually passed the bar and argued a case in combat boots and a pin-stripe suit - quite a character. NCMs with degrees and advanced degrees are becoming commonplace. No biggie, pick a career and a position to shoot for and go ahead. 

Granted, this was in the late 70s and very early 80s, and everything was better and rosier then.




HAH! fat chance of anyone believing that tripe, it sounds much rosier now. >

Pronto

 

[fourninerzero]

PhD....dosent that stand for Piled Higher and Deeper?  ;D

 

[Trinity]

We have a Tor Scot doing a Phd in Scotland.

 

[Centurian1985]

does anyone know one? my recruiter used this example to convince me that ncm was a perfectly acceptable choice for me.

Youve got to be kidding - I need to hear more about the circumstances.

Now, if you WANT to be a private infantryman, despite being better educated than 99% of the people around you, thats fine and good luck to you. 

But if you've got the education why arent you applying for an officer position? I mean, you dont just have some soft degree, its a PhD! 

 

[pronto]

But if you've got the education why aren't you applying for an officer position? I mean, you dont just have some soft degree, its a PhD! 

Sorry, Centurian, but something about this leaves me a little uneasy, but I don't know what it is... Is it the implication that "education equals officer"? Is it that some people have "soft degrees"?

I know a couple of officers that had "leisure studies" (Literally - they studied football, and bowling) bachelor's from fairly obscure institutions in the midwestern USA. I have to admit though, they were literate, and upstanding people. What is a "soft" degree? I have one daughter taking Engineering Physics, and the other taking English Literature and Classical Civ.  Does one have a hard degree and the other a soft one? Workload seems about the same so far (believe it or not!)

Anyway, the real point is NCOs with degrees may not WANT to be officers. If I were to go back in, I'd still choose NCO. I have Masters and am in the middle of a PhD (yes - Piled Higher and Deeper - it really is!!)

Wouldn't want to be an officer. My brother is, but not me!

I say there is nothing wrong with a PhD NCO. It depends on the person's needs and goals - go for it.

 

[FredDaHead]

I say there is nothing wrong with a PhD NCO. It depends on the person's needs and goals - go for it.

But think of the poor Lt who just got out of RMC and who realizes his Plt WO (or whoever) has a PhD from a real university with real women and real parties... he'll be devastated! Won't somebody think of the Lt!

Seriously though, I think it's a good thing that NCMs have degrees. They can understand the complexity of the mission better (not that without a degree they're dumb and can't figure it out--but having a "background" usually helps understand the world a bit better) and if their degree is in something too complicated for normal people (say, theoretical mathematics) and something comes up, maybe they can help in finding a solution to whatever problem is encountered.

I don't know any NCMs with PhDs, though.... probably because I don't exactly know many NCMs in the first place.

 

[George Wallace]

But think of the poor Lt who just got out of RMC and who realizes his Plt WO (or whoever) has a PhD from a real university with real women and real parties... he'll be devastated! Won't somebody think of the Lt!

I have been in positions where everyone in the crew and half in the Troop have had Degrees, while the Troop Officer did not.  This is where a real test is put on the "Pass/Fail" of young Subalterns in the "EGO" block comes into play.

 

[medicineman]

But think of the poor Lt who just got out of RMC and who realizes his Plt WO (or whoever) has a PhD from a real university with real women and real parties... he'll be devastated! Won't somebody think of the Lt!

We are thinking of the poor Lt - your WO is there to keep you in line and on track.  All joking aside, it's quite amusing to see the looks on some of these young guys'/gals' faces when they find out some of their subordinates are alot more or better educated than they are (a common misconception that used to be taught from day one was that those below the rank of 2Lt were ignorant - I sometimes wonder myself if it still is some days).  Another thread topic alltogether though I'd have to say...

MM

 

[Tolstoyevsky]

does anyone know one? my recruiter used this example to convince me that ncm was a perfectly acceptable choice for me.

Hey, I know a guy in the military having a Ph.D. from Katmandu University (Nepal). He couldn't become an officer because although he was speaking English, he couldn't write it...so, maybe we should ask the guy where he got his Ph.D...

 

[Sig_Des]

My personal favourite was a young, new officer, teaching a class on antennae propulgation.

At one point he stated something, and one of our Cpls, let's call him B, said, "Sir, isn't the ----technical jargon".

I guess the young officer decides to assert himself..."You think you know more Cpl B? You think you can teach this class?"

Now, B is a quiet guy, just sits there with goofy grin.

At which point someone else in the class says "Sir, Cpl B has is Masters in Antenna theory. He's just about done his PhD"

And there's B, still sitting with a sh*t-eating grin, and a flabbergasted officer.

 

[FredDaHead]

Hey, I know a guy in the military having a Ph.D. from Katmandu University (Nepal). He couldn't become an officer because although he was speaking English, he couldn't write it...so, maybe we should ask the guy where he got his Ph.D...

So, in your opinion, someone who did a PhD in French (say, in Quebec), can't be an officer either and his PhD is invalid?

 

[jmackenzie_15]

My personal favourite was a young, new officer, teaching a class on antennae propulgation.

At one point he stated something, and one of our Cpls, let's call him B, said, "Sir, isn't the ----technical jargon".

I guess the young officer decides to assert himself..."You think you know more Cpl B? You think you can teach this class?"

Now, B is a quiet guy, just sits there with goofy grin.

At which point someone else in the class says "Sir, Cpl B has is Masters in Antenna theory. He's just about done his PhD"

And there's B, still sitting with a ****-eating grin, and a flabbergasted officer.

LOL, i love stories like these.

I like to beleive part of what makes our ground troops so effective and what puts us over alot of other nations sometimes is because our fighting men are well educated as well as trained.

 

[Tolstoyevsky]

So, in your opinion, someone who did a PhD in French (say, in Quebec), can't be an officer either and his PhD is invalid?

As far as I know Quebec is still part of Canada; plus, education in Nepal is kinda different from Quebec's...I've been there...Having said that, let me re-phrase my statement: the guy couldn't write in either official languages. Happy now?  

 

[geo]

I have been in positions where everyone in the crew and half in the Troop have had Degrees, while the Troop Officer did not.  This is where a real test is put on the "Pass/Fail" of young Subalterns in the "EGO" block comes into play.

Ouch......

 

[Redeye]

does anyone know one? my recruiter used this example to convince me that ncm was a perfectly acceptable choice for me.

During my Phase II I met a Sgt who was working on a Ph. D in his spare time.  There was also, more interestingly, a "career corporal" who was part of the demo staff who seemed to be quite dull to most of us.  Then one day we saw him in the shacks reading Voltaire, and learned he had a Masters degree.  I seem to recall he was moonlighting as an instructor at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, too.

 

[camochick]

LOL, i love stories like these.

I like to beleive part of what makes our ground troops so effective and what puts us over alot of other nations sometimes is because our fighting men are well educated as well as trained.

Wow, I guess the fighting women are just dumb then eh!!  :

 

[geo]

Diplomas from non european union / non nord americano are tough to evaluate.....

Let's leave it at that..............