It all comes down to personal preference. You will make a lot more money as an officer, but you will be in a completely different society than enlisted.
If you envision yourself as a person of the people, that enjoys hanging out with the team as you work, and more of a relaxed individual, enlisted may be the way to go. You will be more of a mentor, life coach, and therapist as you go through the ranks. You will definitely be dealing more with the individuals under your charge. However, officers will have the final disposition of how most situations are handled.
Officers usually deal with officers above them. They also are major players in the planning processes. They usually have a senior enlisted advisor who is their main connection to the troops under their charge. They usually attend social functions with the Commanding Generals and Officers in their chain of command. It is a different culture and society than the enlisted world. You have to figure out which way you want to go.
The good part is that if you go enlisted you can still become an officer. There are multiple programs under each branch of service that offer paths to being an officer. Be warned, the competition is extremely stiff. You will be competing with the best of the best in these officer programs.
My recommendation is to research as much as possible online before talking to a recruiter. In today’s internet age, there is no reason to be uninformed.
Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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