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How Are Mustangs Viewed In the Officers Ranks?

J

Jackrat

New Member
How do other officers view mustangs given their enlisted background? Do they look down on them or are they seen as a more weathered officer?

I know there are a lot of people in the officer ranks that everything has to be about status and what your background is.

Also what's the typical personality of most mustangs? The majority I have ran into seemed like they had a stick shoved up their ass.
 
Well, if you're implying that prior-enlisted folks are looked down upon by those who aren't, I'd say that is absolutely untrue. Nobody outside of a few serious tools really cares. A "typical mustang personality"? That's like asking what's the typical personality of a Dodge owner or racquetball player. You're talking cliches or stereotypes.

Around aviation, most of those who would describe themselves as "mustangs" are guys who were at least chiefs before picking up their comissions.
 
Jackrat said:
How do other officers view mustangs given their enlisted background? Do they look down on them or are they seen as a more weathered officer?
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Depends on your definition of a Mustang. At one time it had a very specific meaning, now is means anything you wish it to mean.
 
Jackrat said:
How do other officers view mustangs given their enlisted background? Do they look down on them or are they seen as a more weathered officer?

I know there are a lot of people in the officer ranks that everything has to be about status and what your background is.

Also what's the typical personality of most mustangs? The majority I have ran into seemed like they had a stick shoved up their ass.
Click to expand...

Most of the Mustangs I work with are 'easy going' and offer valuable expertise in their respective field. However, when I was at OCS.... I had a much different point of view. There were several "priors" who demanded to be labeled as Mustangs (with only 2 or 3 years of service) and would recite their resume' at any chance they got. But, .... I forced myself not to label a group of people based on a few individuals with personality flaws. You'll find that there are these type of people in every community.
 
Jackrat said:
How do other officers view mustangs given their enlisted background? Do they look down on them or are they seen as a more weathered officer?

I know there are a lot of people in the officer ranks that everything has to be about status and what your background is.

Also what's the typical personality of most mustangs? The majority I have ran into seemed like they had a stick shoved up their ass.
Click to expand...

If you changed "mustangs" to "Naval Academy Grads" or "ROTC grads" or "OCS grads" they answer for all three would be the same: it depends.

Like any other officer, someone who is a Mustang, whatever the name implies, should be judged on actions and abilities rather then by where they came from. If you are a dirtbag, doesn't matter where you got your comission, you will be a dirtbag. If you are a hard charger, it doesn't matter either, you will shine.

It ain't about pedigree, because for every great officer from whatever commissioning source you choose, I can show you a bumfrom the same place who probably ought to be scooping ice cream.

Here is the one thing that a "mustang" brings to the table that other junior officers don't: experience. But again, whether they use that experience for "good" (taking care of troops, providing valuable insight, knowing when to shut up, etc) or "evil" (disappearing when they know that real work is coming, being a loud-mouth know-it-all, etc.) makes a huge difference.
 
Jackrat said:
I know there are a lot of people in the officer ranks that everything has to be about status and what your background is.
Click to expand...

Not so at all particularly after the first deployment when it is all about proven performance regardless of where you came from. If you think everything has to be about status, then you're watching too many movies or getting your info from bogus sources. Naval service is all about equal opportunity and performance buys you a ticket to ride.
 
Jackrat said:
How do other officers view mustangs given their enlisted background? Do they look down on them or are they seen as a more weathered officer?

I know there are a lot of people in the officer ranks that everything has to be about status and what your background is.

Also what's the typical personality of most mustangs? The majority I have ran into seemed like they had a stick shoved up their ass.
Click to expand...

Nose pretty much has got the truth of it, it really depends on the individual, not the background they come from. Newbie officers who are not prior e/mustang, during the first couple of years, have little knowledge and experience about the navy and about being an officer. Mustangs also have little experience and knowledge about being an officer, but they do have experience about the Navy and their prior area of expertise. Whether they use this additional experience for "good or evil" as Nose put it really depends on the individual. Newbie officers can be frustrated with those that use their powers for evil and possibly despise them, but...
You have to remember that the newbie officer and the mustang officer have the same experience wearing those bars, none. After a few years it won't matter who the mustang is and who isn't. Mustangs won't appear any more weathered than any other officer, but they will look older. It will be about who the individual is and how well they perform.
 
The only priors that I ever had a problem with were the one that were of the "I already paid my dues, bugger off" mentality. They thought O-2E was their ticket to never having to stand SDO on the weekends, deal with uniform inspections, etc.

But then you have the "Prep School" types that have that upper crust attitude that look down upon those of us with GEDs or went to some "non-prestigious" high school.

Then you have the new OCS grads that think they know EVERYTHING.

Asshats come in all varieties.

I judge a mustang on his merits in his current job. Or how many good bars he knows in a port he has been to before.
 
Jackrat said:
.... majority I have ran into seemed like they had a stick shoved up their ass. ....
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Well, there are some that would say that affliction applies to all officers. I personally am offended when ANYONE says that about ANY officer.

My point was the term Mustang, several years ago, meant LDO/WO/CWO. They were considered "Technicians", which of course they were/are. Yes I know that many gained Line Officer status, remember one O-6. Did the rest of the O's look down upon them? Do not think so, but do think of them as "different". That sort of cooled any desire on my part to apply for LDO/WO.

Present day, anyone with any amount of enlisted service considers themselves a "Mustang". Perverted IMHO, but I do not have a horse in the race so it matters little. Last year met a Plebe at USNA, prior E-3 with less than one year service. While he was still a Plebe he declared himself a "Mustang". I did check and indeed he was still wet behind the ears.

Hmm maybe he was saying that he was just the hind end of the Mustang?
 
The Chief said:
Well, there are some that would say that affliction applies to all officers. I personally am offended when ANYONE says that about ANY officer.

My point was the term Mustang, several years ago, meant LDO/WO/CWO. They were considered "Technicians", which of course they were/are. Yes I know that many gained Line Officer status, remember one O-6. Did the rest of the O's look down upon them? Do not think so, but do think of them as "different". That sort of cooled any desire on my part to apply for LDO/WO.

Present day, anyone with any amount of enlisted service considers themselves a "Mustang". Perverted IMHO, but I do not have a horse in the race so it matters little. Last year met a Plebe at USNA, prior E-3 with less than one year service. While he was still a Plebe he declared himself a "Mustang". I did check and indeed he was still wet behind the ears.

Hmm maybe he was saying that he was just the hind end of the Mustang?
Click to expand...

Concur. While I suppose that "technically," Mustang refers to any prior enlisted person, in normal usage, it really only applies to LDOs and CWOs. It may be a bit of a cliché, but the priors tend to be one of two general types. The first is competent and laid back, the other is the "sweat-pump" asshole who constantly runs around like he's got something to prove to the world. I've seen the latter look down on and behave in an inappropriate and condescending manner with the troops. That kind of behavior will earn that person a counseling session with this "seasoned" officer. ;)

Bottom line - don't sweat the small stuff and everything will work out OK.

Brett
 
In my 5 years enlisted, I knew two prior enlisted guys. One was my Det MO, he was a JG, and the other was my Det OIC (O-4). Both of those guys were awesome. Definitely what I want to model myself after when I make it back into the fleet. My OIC let me sit in the right seat for a trap aboard the Kitty Hawk and let me fly regularly. Pretty cool huh?

When I went and took the PRT a few weeks ago, I asked my recruiter this same question, regarding priors and non-priors, how they get treated. His response: I'm a prior enlisted, it was kinda funny. I had no idea. And he seems real cool.
 
Technically, it's anyone with four or more years of enlisted service (LDO/CWO's automatically fall into this category). Mustangs are NOT those officers who completed less than four years.
 
robav8r said:
Technically, it's anyone with four or more years of enlisted service (LDO/CWO's automatically fall into this category). Mustangs are NOT those officers who completed less than four years.
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I have 5 years of enlisted service under my belt, I'll be a Mustang! :icon_tong
 
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