Why 21 to be an officer?

[davedove]

In another thread Flight Officers were brought up.  The only reason we even have those grades is because of senior members who are not yet 21.

Is there a reason for this requirement, or is it just a historical anomoly from when the voting age was 21?

[Pylon]

In another thread Flight Officers were brought up.  The only reason we even have those grades is because of senior members who are not yet 21.

Is there a reason for this requirement, or is it just a historical anomoly from when the voting age was 21?

I think the requirement has more to do with the fact that most commissioned officers are 21 or older at the time of commissioning.  Apparently it's rare, though it does happen, for people to be commissioned at 20.

[Hawk200]

In another thread Flight Officers were brought up.  The only reason we even have those grades is because of senior members who are not yet 21.

Is there a reason for this requirement, or is it just a historical anomoly from when the voting age was 21?

I don't have a reference, but I believe that the military requires it for commisions. Besides, would you really want an 18 year old running around with lt's bars? 

[bosshawk]

Actually, it is mostly a tradition in the military(I think) that officers be 21. I happened to have been commissioned in the Army 8 days short of my 21st birthday and nobody ever said anything about that.  When I was commissioned(in the dark ages), regulations were interpreted very strictly, so doubt that there was a law about 21.  You might have read that in WWII and Korea, there were tons of guys commissioned at 18 and 19.  I had a friend who was a 19 year old B-17 aircraft commander, who had been shot down four times by that time.

CAP may have a reg that says you have to be 21 to become an officer: I simply don't know.

[O-Rex]

In another thread Flight Officers were brought up.  The only reason we even have those grades is because of senior members who are not yet 21.

Is there a reason for this requirement, or is it just a historical anomoly from when the voting age was 21?

I don't have a reference, but I believe that the military requires it for commisions. Besides, would you really want an 18 year old running around with lt's bars? 

Let's rephrase: it has to be 21: would you really want an 18 year old running around in bars?

[Pylon]

CAP may have a reg that says you have to be 21 to become an officer: I simply don't know.

Uh, CAP does.  Hence, the Flight Officer grades.  You have to be 21 in Civil Air Patrol to hold grade of 2d Lt or above.  If you are 18 or older, but under 21 you can earn Flight Officer grades (FO, TFO, SFO).

[pixelwonk]

and that would be CAPR 35-5

SECTION G - FLIGHT OFFICER GRADES
30. General. Only senior members under 21 years of age will be appointed to or promoted to the flight officer grades. This category is designed as a transition for cadets transferring to senior member status and for those senior members who are otherwise eligible for CAP officer grade except that they have not yet reached the minimum age of 21. Upon reaching age 21, the member will be appointed to an appropriate officer grade or will be classified as a senior member without grade until he or she is eligible for promotion to officer grade. yadda yadda yadda...

[davedove]

and that would be CAPR 35-5

SECTION G - FLIGHT OFFICER GRADES
30. General. Only senior members under 21 years of age will be appointed to or promoted to the flight officer grades. This category is designed as a transition for cadets transferring to senior member status and for those senior members who are otherwise eligible for CAP officer grade except that they have not yet reached the minimum age of 21. Upon reaching age 21, the member will be appointed to an appropriate officer grade or will be classified as a senior member without grade until he or she is eligible for promotion to officer grade. yadda yadda yadda...

I know what the reg says, but WHY is it in there?  The age for military commissions makes the most sense so far, but with a quick search what I generally find is requirements for college to get a commission, not age.  Granted, most people reach a certain age before they get the required college, but not always.  And since we don't require college for our members, maybe the age requirement was put in.

It just seems strange to me to create this whole rank structure for only a small portion of our members.  Especially since when a member hits 21, he is automatically rolled into the other grade structure.

[IceNine]

Anybody know what the requirements where for Air Force FO's when they had them?

That may have something to do with it.

[O-Rex]

Anybody know what the requirements where for Air Force FO's when they had them?

That may have something to do with it.

Not really: FO's were pilots who didn't have a degree (Chuck Yeager started out as one, and was converted to 2nd Lt when the rank was eliminated, before he shipped out to Europe)

Army "high school to flight school" warrants must be 18.5 yrs old upon completion of training to become a WO1.

Speculation: If you are running a Cadet Program for 12 to 21 year-olds, wouldn't the opportunity of making them "officers" prior detract from the program?  What's the incentive for a 20 year-old to get his or her Spaatz (then SR Capt shortly thereafter) when they could achieve the same results joining as a senior at age 18?

[JohnKachenmeister]

I was told that there was a law at one time requiring commissioned officers to be age 21 or older.  When I was commissioned (1978) our graduation date was moved up a week for some reason or another, which put one of our classmates at graduation just shy of her 21st birthday.  They had to get Dept. of the Army authority to "Frock" her with the 2LT bar until her actual date of rank, which was her birthday.  That way she could go through graduation with us.

My dad was a World War II bombardier, and he told me that he was 19 and long when he finished bombardier training, and was appointed a Flight Officer.  He was commissioned a 2LT when he turned 21, on Saipan.  It was a non-event, nothing changed except his rank insignia.  No ceremony, his aircraft commander gave him the paperwork and told him to stop by the PX and buy a set of gold bars.

I tried to find that law once before, and I couldn't.  Also, a lot of folks have told me that recently they have been commissioned 2LT before turning 21. 

[IceNine]

So the situation with your father answers the question.

We do it cause that air force used to, and we just haven't changed.  Our only option would be to require that everyone under 21 be a cadet, if we were to get rid of the FO grades.

On second thought we could just make them SMWOG for 3 years which would probably go over like a lead balloon

[Cecil DP]

CAP may have a reg that says you have to be 21 to become an officer: I simply don't know.

Uh, CAP does.  Hence, the Flight Officer grades.  You have to be 21 in Civil Air Patrol to hold grade of 2d Lt or above.  If you are 18 or older, but under 21 you can earn Flight Officer grades (FO, TFO, SFO).

If a cadet transferred to senior membership at 18, he/she could become a Captain upon reaching 21 by completing Level II and having the TIG as a TFO or SFO.
FO: 18 y/o, and Level I and 3 mos as SM
TFO: Technician rating and 6 mos as FO
SFO: Level II and 12 mos as TFO
CPT: upon turning 21

[IceNine]

Also applies to those walking in off the street that are over 18 but not 21, not just former cadets

[topsecret]

Air Force commissioned officers must be at least 18 years of age, AFI 36-2005.  As a practical matter, however, most of them are going to be 21-22 due to the college degree requirement.

The general public isn't really attuned to the difference between an Air Force and a CAP officer.  The Air Force probably wants people of a certain age (and hopefully, maturity) to wear a uniform which resembles that of its officer corps.  I can't say that I blame them.  A teenage lieutenant doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Yes, yes, I know Cadet Example-to-All is more mature than most seniors...but you asked and I gave my best answer.

Other Background:  The Air Force flight officer program was an attempted fix for the inequities encountered by flying sergeants.  These flyers were instead appointed as "flight officers" and given a blue bar as grade insignia.  This enhanced unit cohesion among flyers, since they were all "officers and gentlemen" instead of "us vs. them."  General Yeager was a flight officer, incidentally...when he signed up for flight school, they were still offering sergeant's stripes and he knew those got you out of KP.

[MIKE]

On second thought we could just make them SMWOG for 3 years which would probably go over like a lead balloon

In the eyes of NHQ they technically are... and flight officer grades are not an entitlement either.  You are supposed to be in a leadership or supervisory position to hold these grades.

[smj58501]

Lets cut through the regulatory reasons and get to the practical one.

21 makes sense. That way a newly minted commissioned officer has no excuse why they can't (legally) buy the other officers a drink after the commissioning ceremony (in keeping with time honored military tradition).

Bottoms up, L-T

[gallagheria]

I have no problem with 21. In fact, as we have posted on other topics, I feel we should mirror the Air Force in nearly all requirements for a commission. If a person is a pilot with no college degree, then make them a warrant officer like the Army does. If they have a college degree, commission them. Plain and simple. I see no reason why we have no NCO grades. This whole mess we have where everyone gets a commission as an adult further complicates things.

[jeders]

This whole mess we have where everyone gets a commission as an adult further complicates things.

Uhh, technically none of us are commissioned, not even General Pineda.

[davedove]

Lets cut through the regulatory reasons and get to the practical one.

21 makes sense. That way a newly minted commissioned officer has no excuse why they can't (legally) buy the other officers a drink after the commissioning ceremony (in keeping with time honored military tradition).

Bottoms up, L-T

Now we know the real truth behind the regulation.