[Buddy B]

"James Rafferty, who has known Lieutenant Pantano for 11 years, said he believed that the terror attack prompted Lieutenant Pantano's decision to re-enlist in the Marines."

I did not know officers enlisted / re-enlisted. Question, was he at one time an enlised person and then promoted to Lt. ?

[TADSLOS]

I did not know officers enlisted / re-enlisted.

They don't. Sounds like another case of a reporter who is too lazy to understand the military and the difference between an enlistment and accepting a commission.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

"I did not know officers enlisted / re-enlisted. Question, was he at one time an enlised person and then promoted to Lt. ?"

my guess is that he was enlisted for his first term of service, used his VA benefits to get a degree, and was eligible to re-enter the service as an Officer. Check the other article Chick linked above.

[OldPossum]

Re your post 14, no, of course officers don't enlist (see "enlisted men"). But the "New York Times" people wouldn't know that, not knowing anything about military matters.

I'll give them the possibility that he may have enlisted and then gone to Officers Candidate School and gotten commissioneed thereafter, but he certainly didn't enlist as a second lieutenant.

Ignorance, thy name is newspaper reporter.