From: baldwin@csservera.scs.usna.navy.mil (J.D. Baldwin)
Newsgroups: alt.military.cadet
Subject: Re: Cadets
Date: 14 Dec 92 13:46:28 GMT
Organization: Comp. Sci. Dep't., U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
In-reply-to: nusbache@epas.utoronto.ca's message of 13 Dec 92 18:16:43 -0400

In article <1992Dec13.221643.25390@epas.toronto.edu>
nusbache@epas.utoronto.ca (Aryk Nusbacher) writes:
>Are ROTC cadets treated like officers or like other ranks?  Do they
>mess with officers, or on their own?  

I can give a definitive answer to this from a Navy (though Academy)
point of view.

The "definitive" answer is: it depends.  When midshipmen (Academy or
ROTC) make their first summer training cruise, they fulfill the role
of junior enlisted men.  (Things are changing in this respect, but I
don't think anyone knows what the training program will really look
like in just a few years.)  This is a little strange to those who know
that midshipmen, by navy regulation, are *officers*.  (Yes, you read
that correctly.)  The effective "rank," as a technical matter, is
between W-1 and W-2 in the warrant grades, but officers they are, and
line officers at that.  (Strictly speaking, midshipmen rate a salute
from enlisted men.  As a practical matter, it's pretty rare, though I
remember being saluted universally (even by CPO's!) when I spent a
week in New London, CT.)  No such provision exists for cadets, who are
simply "cadets" and have no real officer status, in the technical
sense (but see below).

In later fleet training, midshipmen fulfill the role of (very) junior
officers, standing officer watches, messing in the wardroom, etc.  My
first-class cruise was spent in HMS Aurora (foreign exchange with the
Royal Navy), and I was treated in every respect like a sub-lieutenant
(which is what they call their ensigns).  I was walking once with the
Captain (who was in civilian clothes), and he took a moment to
"correct" (rather forcefully, I recall) one of his crewmen who passed
us without saluting me.  So, I guess the attitude is similar in the
RN.

Interestingly, when the ranks of the services were unified at the turn
of the century, no provision was made for distinctions between cadets
and midshipmen.  But, previously, "midshipman" had been a position of
some authority aboard ships, so I suppose the Navy regulation was
drafted to provide a little historical continuity.  Nowadays, the
regulation stands, but there is little practical effect.  Midshipmen
don't go around giving orders with the authority and air of
commissioned officers, and are treated much more informally than, say,
a lieutenant or even an ensign by the enlisted men.

Also interestingly, a cadet, though not an "officer" within the
meaning of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), may still be
tried and convicted of "conduct unbecoming an officer" if need be.
The reason for this is that cadets (and midshipmen) are specifically
provided for in the relevant UCMJ article.  Congress was covering all
the bases.

>Do they have ongoing contact with neighbouring reserve units, or even
>with neighbouring regular units? 

Good question.  I'd be interested to know this, too.  I'd be
surprised, of course, if there were *no* contact (that would waste a
valuable training resource), but I wonder if the contact is
established and, as you put it, "regular."
--
 From the catapult of:              |+| "If anyone disagrees with anything I
   _,_  J. D. Baldwin, Comp Sci Dept|+| say, I am quite prepared not only to
 _|70|___:::)=}-  U.S. Naval Academy|+| retract it, but also to deny under
 \      /   baldwin@usna.navy.mil   |+| oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEAVING THE NETWORK AT XMAS.  Write me after 1 Mar 93 at: LT JD Baldwin, USN
                                                          AIR OPS DEPT
                                                          USS Nimitz (CVN-68)
                                                          FPO AP 96697-2820
Newsgroups: alt.military.cadet