Can someone explain to me why Intelligence Officers are Second Lieutenants (O-1 commissioned officers) when their actual job is to run around hostile territory solo collecting tech points and intel documents like some kind of suicidal scout?
Squad Leaders are enlisted and they command entire squads. IOs are officers and they command nobody, deploy alone into unsecured areas, and do grunt work that should be assigned to an enlisted specialist. The rank does not match the role whatsoever.
Funny story. Plans are in the works. I agree with you. Make IO’s enlisted and change ASO to IO. Problem solved.
Intelligence Officers need the clearance to even do the work though. Maybe I don’t understand 
AFAIK clearance and rank aren’t strictly linked like that, especially with Lieutenant basically being the officer equivalent of PVT and PFC.
Just add clearance restricted Intel then boom Intel needs to be lieutenant. Then ranking through play time unlocks new things for us to do. What would enlisted io start at? I’m just interested in this a bit cause I love being the most useless officer in the Crew Manifest.
just make an ASS Squad an intel duty dedicated squad like alpha/delta is to assault
IOs can already expand their own intel squad though?
Locking role functionality behind playtime is not something we’re keen on
Grinding hours to be able to process more intel would discourage people getting into the role of IO, because without playtimes, they be seen as a detriment to the crew compared to a Lieutenant
In regards to the initial question, IOs used to be officers of the TIS under United Americas Allied Command. They were technically a separate unit joined to the Falling Falcons as I recall, hence why they weren’t enlisted.
Im not sure where they’re at lore-wise these days, but my sense is that IOs need to be seperate to the groundside chain of command, so the marines will never get in the way of their duties in the case that an SL might outrank them.
I personally think its best leaving them as LTs for the time being
Pilots are Commissioned Officers and do not command anyone beyond their DCC servants. 99% of their job is flying, not commanding. Officership represents more than just “I’m in the command structure so I must command.” In the IRL Air Force, there are plenty of officers who are just highly educated specialists that do critical work not entirely dissimilar to IO work.
remember that what’s seen in game doesnt always exactly reflect realistic lore.
ive always envisioned IOs like terrain specialists in afghanistan, remember that the uscm doesnt always just deploy to one little colony filled with xenos like in game. imagine the hybrisa protest event, thats the kind of job that IOs would be doing, liaising with locals and gathering intel
officers are lame as fuck i want enlisted ranks
SCATTER HE FOUND OUT!
