Why is there such a pronounced difference in how the military treats officers vs enlisted people? This even extends to how they are treated when a POW, as seen in Bridge Over River Kwai.

Question

I *completely* understand that there needs to be a hierarchy, but there seems to be a big discontinuity between these different classifications. When I was in the Navy, I noticed this extended to eating accommodations, and even how ships were built (different hallways for enlisted and officers to walk down). This may have made sense “back in the day”, but why does this separation continue to exist today?

In: 222

Answer 1

Officers used to be people of influence. People who were perceived to actually mattered in society

Lower enlist were basically slaves. Common people with no land titles. Often conscripts.

There’s no reason to even have officers in a modern world, but we still do because it’s just how it’s always been done, and the treatment difference is just another holdover.

All you need is to have span of control. You don’t need this haves and have not rank structure BS of the old world.