Enlisted vs. Officer: A Military Mindset in Executive Protection
In the military, service members are generally divided into two main groups: enlisted personnel and officers. Enlisted members handle the hands-on, operational work, the specialists, the technicians, the boots on the ground. Officers, by contrast, are responsible for leadership, mission planning, and guiding the team. Officers give orders, and enlisted members execute them to ensure the mission's success.
Entry-level officers don’t always have more field experience, but they typically bring academic credentials and formal leadership training. This divide has long created a certain level of tension, sometimes frustrating, but often grounded in mutual respect. Each role is essential, and each carries its own weight.
This structure closely mirrors what we see in the executive protection industry. Security vendors, contractors, and embedded teams often operate in support of internal corporate security departments or full-time managers within family offices—our industry’s equivalent of officers. The internal team sets the tone, defines the mission, and provides strategic direction. The operators on the ground make it happen.
This article is for those ground-level professionals, the "enlisted" of our field, who serve with pride, professionalism, and purpose in pursuit of mission success.
Some, though not all, of the most respected military officers began their careers as enlisted service members. These rare and highly regarded leaders are known as "Mustangs." While their reasons for making the transition vary, the truly admirable ones did it with a clear purpose: to lead and support the enlisted side with greater access, influence, and the ability to drive meaningful change.
They didn’t cross over for prestige or authority. They joined the other side to use a deeper level of the system for good. These leaders earned their stripes through real-world experience, developed a working knowledge of the job from the ground up, and proved themselves in the field long before assuming formal leadership. They brought with them credibility, empathy, and firsthand insight.
The same principle applies in executive protection. The most effective senior-level security professionals—Directors, Program Managers, or Chiefs of Staff tasked with overseeing complex EP programs—are often those who began their careers as Residential Agents, Security Drivers, or Detail Leaders.
They rose through the ranks by learning every facet of the job. They invested in themselves through continued education, training, and exposure to different teams and leadership styles. They don’t just understand the work, they’ve lived it. They’ve served under it. And in doing so, they’ve earned a deeper, more practical understanding of what it truly takes to lead in this field.
Like a military platoon with one Officer for every 30–40 soldiers, corporate security teams often have only a few internal leaders managing much larger vendor teams. A Team Lead or Detail Lead may help delegate tasks, but the structure—and even the pay scale—is similar in both worlds. Military Officers typically receive higher pay and opportunities, while in the corporate world, internal security personnel enjoy better salaries, bonuses, and even stock options. Meanwhile, enlisted personnel/vendor agents often find themselves observing the higher standard of living—nicer homes, better vehicles, and remote work flexibility enjoyed by internal staff, and quietly wrestle with how to reach that level themselves, as quickly as possible.
At Rescor, we aim to challenge that mindset. We take pride in being the “Enlisted” of the security industry. Just like in the military, there’s no shame in being a vendor—in fact, in many cases, it’s a role marked by honor and unique rewards. Some of our Agents may eventually slow down, grow into different seasons of life, and consider internal roles. But for now, our mission is clear: to build a strong, supportive culture where every team member takes pride in their position, their service, and most of all, in representing Rescor Group.
If you’ve been interviewing with big corporate clients and keep getting those polite rejection emails, don’t sweat it. We’ve all been there. The rush to land a cushy internal role isn’t always what it seems. At Rescor, we’ve seen it time and time again: sharp, capable leaders and agents grinding through round after round of interviews, only to be told they’re “not quite the right fit.” And meanwhile, the internal “Battalion Commander” they finally meet is taking the call from a messy apartment, wearing pajamas, halfway across the country, while you showed up pressed, prepped, and fully committed.
It would be similar to reporting to Battalion HQ to get your orders, where the Officer in charge is remote calling the shots via Zoom from home, sometimes hungover and often disengaged. Sure, it sounds like a dream job on paper. But is that what executive protection is becoming? Is that who you want to work for? These are companies with unlimited resources, and yet they’re plagued with disorganized onboarding, distant leadership, and zero presence on the ground. That model wouldn’t fly in the military, and it doesn’t work in the executive protection industry either.
That’s why it’s critical for internal “Officers” to hire vendor companies that actually know how to lead. If they’ve been running couch ops for 5–10 years, trust us—you want to be the vendor they bring on. They get their bonuses and promotions by staying out of the weeds, and you get to operate without micromanagement from someone who doesn’t have a similar work ethic.
Anyone who’s deployed under a brand-new Lieutenant knows the deal: you spend half the time doing your job, the other half covering theirs. Now ask yourself, if your platoon trained all year without its commanding Officer, would you follow them into deployment? It’s no different in executive protection. You might be the one driving the principal every day, running their kids to school, working overnight shifts, and then sidelined when an international trip comes up, just so the internal team can “show face,” wandering lost through the metaphorical land nav course.
As a vendor, your mission is to make the client and their internal team look good. But more importantly, it’s about taking care of the teammates beside you, constantly improving, and owning your role. Yes, going internal with a major corporation can be a smart career move, but we urge younger agents not to chase it too soon. There is incredible value in the time you spend in the command centers, behind the wheel, and on the front lines. The headaches remain the same whether working for a vendor or a big corporation. Early in your career, focus on finding a team that challenges you, supports you, and makes you better. The money will follow. Surround yourself with people who help you grow, not just in your career, but in life.
Embrace the grind. Enjoy the trips, but know you're there to work. Train like it matters, because it does. Push your leadership to rotate you through different programs. Learn new skills. Take risks. And if you've already landed that remote internal role, great—just don’t forget what it was like in the trenches. Be the leader you once wished you had. We remember the days when we became Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) in the military and started talking with Commissioned Officers more. You always hear them say, “I miss the days of being a platoon leader, once you make Captain, all the fun goes away.”
The best days of your personal and professional development are the ones you choose to show up for… And at Rescor, we promise to keep showing up—together. We're hiring, come join our family!
