OCCUPATION THESAURUS

MILITARY OFFICER



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HELPFUL TIP:

There’s probably a good reason why your character chose their career. Think about how certain talents and skills, a dominant positive or negative trait, or even an emotional wound might have influenced this decision. And once they're on the job, don't forget about the many work-related conflict scenarios you can throw at them to create tension and add complications.
OVERVIEW:
A military officer is a member of a country's military forces who holds a position of authority. Their duties require them to oversee personnel units and may include planning missions, leading troops on those missions, managing subordinates, attending meetings, preparing training exercises, conducting safety drills, maintaining equipment, and filing significant paperwork. Military forces vary depending on the nation, but may include Air Force, Army/Land Forces, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy. Official positions include non-commissioned officers, commissioned officers, and warrant officers.

NECESSARY TRAINING:
Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) attend basic training to prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally for military life. Afterward, they receive education in leadership and their military trade specialty.

Commissioned officers outrank all enlisted personnel and NCOs. They generally enter the military with a four-year college degree (though not all countries require one) and are commissioned in various ways. These include but are not limited to service academies or senior military colleges, Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) programs through traditional colleges, Officer Candidate School, direct commissioning after college graduation, and programs that transition non-commissioned officers to commissioned ones.

Warrant officers are considered subject matter experts in specific technical areas. Their rank falls below the lowest commissioned officer but above the highest non-commissioned officer.

Additional training for the military officer is conducted over the entire span of their career though professional military education (PME). From Officer Basic to the War College, each grade of officer has a training course that must be attended to prepare them for leading at the next level.

USEFUL SKILLS, TALENTS, OR ABILITIES:

HELPFUL POSITIVE TRAITS:
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HELPFUL NEGATIVE TRAITS:
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EMOTIONAL WOUNDS THAT MAY HAVE FACTORED INTO THIS OCCUPATION CHOICE:
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SOURCES OF FRICTION:
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PEOPLE THEY MIGHT INTERACT WITH:
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HOW THIS OCCUPATION MIGHT IMPACT ONE'S BASIC NEEDS:
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TWISTING THE STEREOTYPE:
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REASONS THE CHARACTER MAY HAVE BEEN DRAWN TO THIS PROFESSION:
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