Cheerleaders: Sixty-nine, is divine. Sixty-nine, is divine.
Hawkeye Pierce: It's a good thing you have a nice body, nurse, otherwise they'd get rid of you quick.
P.A. Announcer: Attention. Due to a possible camp infection, Arlene Chu's Hollywood Grill is off limits. That is all.
Capt. 'Ugly John' Black: Anybody know if this is an officer or an enlisted man?
Hawkeye Pierce: He's an enlisted man.
Capt. 'Ugly John' Black: Make the stitches bigger.
Duke Forrest: Dammit, Henry, Frank Burns is a menace! Every time a patient croaks on him he says it's "God's will" or somebody else's fault.
Hawkeye Pierce: Yeah, and this time he blamed it on some kid who was stupid enough to belive him.
P.A. Announcer: Attention. Attention. All non-commission off - -Attention, all non-commissioned officers will report for short-arm inspection at 0400. That is all.
P.A. Announcer: Attention, all base members must report for a drug test for marij - marijua-... disregard last transmission.
Answer: An officer is a person who has had special training (in college ROTC, or in OTS, called 90 days wonders) for command, tactics, military law and the like, after which they are Commissioned. They are basically management. An enlisted person is someone who has gone through basic military training, but does not have command responsibilities or authority. Basically labor. This gets a little confusing when enlisted personnel can rise in rank to become a Non-Commissioned officer, often called the backbone of the Service. But the highest ranked enlisted person does not out-rank, and has to salute, the lowest ranked officer.
Richard Welty