Welcome to
The Mustang Forge
A mentorship blog for Enlisted Service Members on the path to becoming Mustang Officers
So you want to be a Mustang?
This blog is for those Enlisted Service Members that aspire to become Mustang Officers. In it I will share the lessons I’ve learned and the mentorship and guidance I’ve received on my journey to earn a commission in the United States Navy. Contained herein is a culmination of decades of experience; a little of it is mine, but the majority of it is credited to the men and women who came before me, and on whose shoulders I and every other Mustang stand.
What this is not is a hand out, a hack, or the “fast track” to a commission. You must earn your commission. Becoming a Mustang is no easy task. It will take years of dedicated effort, hard work, late nights, and no small amount of humility. But for those with the drive and commitment to see it through, the rewards are plentiful and the opportunities limitless.
The Mustang ~author unknown
A Mustang is an Officer who has promoted up from the ranks of Enlisted personnel through an in-service procurement program, with no interruption of his or her active duty status. It is also understood that the Mustang Officer is a career Service Member, and normally wears one or more Good Conduct Medals.
The term “Mustang” is a relatively modern term, originating either just prior to, or during World War II. It is believed to be a Sea Service term, although other service Officers have adopted it as well. It literally refers to the Mustang horse, which is a wild animal and therefore not a thoroughbred. A Mustang, after being captured, can be tamed and saddle broken but it always has a bit of a wild streak, and can periodically revert to its old ways unexpectedly and therefore the owner needs to keep an eye on it at all times.
By the same token, however, since a Mustang was formerly a wild and free animal, it may very well be smarter, more capable, and have better survival instincts than thoroughbreds. The Mustang can take care of itself when things get tough, thriving on rough treatment, while the thoroughbred, having been pampered its whole life, cannot.
You can easily see the parallel between horses and Officers. The term “Mustang” is used in the complimentary sense, most of the time. A prior-Enlisted Officer is an Officer in appearance and in the minds of the “Top Brass,” and an Enlisted technician at heart. The creed of the Mustang Officer, upon receiving their commission is: “I did it the hard way. I earned it!”
SURSUM AB ORDINE – UP FROM THE RANKS
forge
[ fawrj, fohrj ]
verb (used with object), forged, forg·ing.
1. to form by heating and hammering; beat into shape.
2. to form or make, especially by concentrated effort