[blue02hd]

Squid,

I hate to point this out, but your 3 to 4 years in the Navy has done very little to prepare you for a combat arms unit in the Army. Your post has you sitting on the fence between an SF NCO and a "Platoon Commander", which I am here to tell you friend, are no where close on the map. It has been pointed out, that your odds are better at pinning on 2nd Lt bars than that long tab.

That being said, as a young Army Officer, the current state of affairs will have you leading seasoned NCO's ( or even worse, newly issued inexperienced troops) in combat shortly after Benning turns the fire hose off from which you will be drinking from. You will need to have stronger motivation than a simple fuzzy moment of reflection at the age of 65, as you put it: "I did that". Drop the "I" from your vocabulary, because it is not about you, it's about the men you are responsible for.

I am afraid you may have a hard time keeping your head above water, so you may want to concentrate on becoming the best combat soldier you possibly can before you worry about the honor and priviledge of leading anyone anywhere, and yes, that includes to the chow hall.

It has been, and always will be about your platoon.

And as it was said earlier, this was the easier path of the two for you to follow.