Battlefield Promotions

[Webstral]

Speaking structly for the US Army, I see team leaders and squad leaders being made second lieutenants. As has been mentioned, platoon sergeants are simply too valuable to be turned into officers. By the same token, a senior NCO is more-or-less set in his ways. He can learn new tricks, but he is unlikely to adapt to the officer's way of viewing the world. A promising team leader or squad leader understands the way the Army works and has a good grasp of his personal soldering skills. He also is not so senor that he can't make the leap from the NCO mentality to the officer mentality. This matters.

USAEUR will push the authority to bestow battlefield commissions down to whatever level SACEUR feels is necessary. I'd guess battalion commanders would receive the authority. Perhaps company commanders would have the authhority to grant a warrant, although this authority might be retained at the battalion level, too.

Webstral