Greetings all, am interested in hearing comment from officers as to the perceived value of their time served as a platoon commander. I served three years on continuous operations (Rhodesia) on a six week out followed by 10 days R&R.

I would appreciate hearing from all (but certainly field officers) as to how much they draw on their service with a platoon and especially on active service (if that is considered to make a difference).

No formal research being conducted... the question as a result of discussions with the old and bold from my war.

Much obliged.

You don't have to be an officer to command a platoon. I wasn't.

OK, my question was how much the platoon commanding experience was beneficial later in ones career, field rank and above.

I'd say that Pl Comd is where you start to put the theory into practice. From there you keep learning and building on the expereince and that, insh'Allah, you continue to get better at it until you find your ceiling.

You can't command a Company, if you haven't commanded a Plt... same goes fora Bn/Regt.

Admittedly staff jobs may not neccesarily benefit from this experience.

Originally Posted by px4llp

You don't have to be an officer to command a platoon. I wasn't.

Me neither, admittedly when I did the lads followed me because they had to rather than because they wanted to!
ARF LO a great job

Originally Posted by ugly

Me neither, admittedly when I did the lads followed me because they had to rather than because they wanted to!
ARF LO a great job

I heard it was out of curiosity.

So did I but I couldn't spell it!

Originally Posted by ugly

So did I but I couldn't spell it!

Just do what I do... busk it and hope it works out.

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

You can't command a Company, if you haven't commanded a Plt... same goes fora Bn/Regt.

Admittedly staff jobs may not neccesarily benefit from this experience.

The German Army that gave my Grandad's generation such a tough time in 39-45, agree with px4llp: they did not regard Platoon Command as an Officer's job - so they organised on the basis of 1 x Offr Pl Comd per Coy.

The point of that, was that - as a.n. other poster has already said - if you don't know about commanding a Platoon, you're not well placed to command anything bigger. So, the Herman's view was (prob'ly still is) that Pl Comd is work experience as prep for 'proper' officer command appointments - which start at Coy Comd (in the rank of Capt, in many Armies).

Personally (based on 30 yrs Regular service, badged infantry, topping out as staff college graduate-passed-over-Major-never-commanded-more-than-a Rifle-Coy (after 15 yrs in), I'd say the 2 yrs I spent in command of a rifle Platoon were the most fun and the most educational of my life. I'd also say that I consciously drew on that experience as I moved on - and indeed, successively, on the experience of commanding recruits in training, and a Support Weapons platoon and so on. These days, (nearly a decade into civvy street) I continue to consciously excavate my military experiences for insights into matters of leadership, organisation, communication, planning . . .

I wouldn't like to guess how many of my upwardly-mobile peers in the British Army of the 70s to 90s, had any interest in that way of thinking, however.