Generals and other types of officers

During your time at Officer Candidate School (the place you go where they determine if you have what it takes to lead Marines), your platoon is run by several Staff NCOs but commanded by a Captain. While you are at OCS, Captains are God. To be disrespectful to them, to say the wrong thing to them, or to do the wrong thing in front of them is the same as being disrespectful to God himself. I loved my Platoon Commander, but yes--she, too, was God.

And then, one crisp day in November, our platoon was visited by a General Officer. Understand: Captains are company-grade officers, the lowest type of commissioned officers that exist. Above them are field-grade officers, and above them are general officers. Our Platoon Commander was giving us a class in the back of our squad bay when the General came to visit us. Our Platoon Commander called us to attention: "Platoon, a-TEN-...HUH!" Eighteen female officer candidates snapped to attention as the General walked to the back of the squad bay and our Platoon Commander greeted him.

I watched her answer the General's questions about how were doing, thought about the way she'd called us to attention, and realized that she was slightly flustered. Who'd a thunk it? Captains were not God after all!

Once you graduate from OCS you go to TBS (The Basic School, where all basic officer training is done), and Captains are God once again. However, once you reach the Marine Corps operating forces, Lieutenants and Captains are company-grade officers together, and godhood is reserved for field-grade and general officers.

I've had questions about military rank structure. The quick explanation is this:

Junior Marines: Privates, Privates First Class (PFCs), and Lance Corporals - about 50% of the Marine Corps

Non-Commissioned Officers: Corporals and Sergeants - your first line of leadership for the junior Marines

Staff Non-Commissioned Officers: Staff Sergeants, Gunnery Sergeants - enlisted Marines at the platoon and company level

Company-grade Officers: Second Lieutenants, First Lieutenants, Captains - commissioned officers at the platoon and company level

Obviously, there's a lot more to it than this, but this should be enough to help you understand the dynamics of the platoon I hope to write about.