Sergeant major is practically an officer - I hear they're allowed to slap Lieutenants around at will!
In all seriousness, I knew a guy who was a Staff Sergeant in an intel outfit at Fort Meade. He was variously referred to as an "Intelligence Officer" or else an "Agent". I guess the difference was when he was sitting on his ass in an OFFICE, he was an "Officer", and when he was pounding bricks with some degree of agency, he was an "Agent".
Now he's a civilian, which means he now outranks even generals. You put in your time, you collect your dime, and then move on to greater things!
It's kind of like a police officer is an "officer" just because he hold that office, even though he's only a corporal or patrolman... yet he's still an "officer" by virtue of holding the "office" of policeman.
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In all seriousness, I knew a guy who was a Staff Sergeant in an intel outfit at Fort Meade. He was variously referred to as an "Intelligence Officer" or else an "Agent". I guess the difference was when he was sitting on his ass in an OFFICE, he was an "Officer", and when he was pounding bricks with some degree of agency, he was an "Agent".
Now he's a civilian, which means he now outranks even generals. You put in your time, you collect your dime, and then move on to greater things!
It's kind of like a police officer is an "officer" just because he hold that office, even though he's only a corporal or patrolman... yet he's still an "officer" by virtue of holding the "office" of policeman.
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“Trouble rather the tiger in his lair than the sage among his books. For to you kingdoms and their armies are things mighty and enduring, but to him they are but toys of the moment, to be overturned with the flick of a finger.”
― Gordon R. Dickson, Tactics of Mistake
― Gordon R. Dickson, Tactics of Mistake