# Civvies gifted with real (not honorary) military ranks? WTF?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civvies-gifted-with-real-not-honorary-military-ranks-wtf/1020119>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [June 25, 2025, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civvies-gifted-with-real-not-honorary-military-ranks-wtf/1020119 "2025-06-25T13:48:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 5

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civvies-gifted-with-real-not-honorary-military-ranks-wtf/1020119/81 "2025-08-18T00:49:49Z")

</div>

That was a lot of the calculus.

In the current world, US airlines are co-opted / contracted to transport troops and materiel to / from war zones via the CRAF program.

Airline crews are issued sorta-ranked Geneva Convention ID to, if all goes well, afford them officer level treatment if captured / interned by hostile powers while on a CRAF mission.

> **[Civil Reserve Air Fleet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Reserve_Air_Fleet)**
>
> The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is part of the United States's mobility resources. Selected aircraft from U.S. airlines, contractually committed to Civil Reserve Air Fleet, support United States Department of Defense airlift requirements in emergencies when the need for airlift exceeds the capability of available military aircraft.
> In 1952, after aircraft were commandeered for the Berlin Airlift, the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) was created as a more orderly way of serving emergency milit...

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civvies-gifted-with-real-not-honorary-military-ranks-wtf/1020119/82 "2025-08-20T16:05:43Z")

</div>

You know, I was thinking about this, and it’s actually much more sharp on the military’s part than we’re giving it credit for.

At first I was thinking that these guys were commissioned with the intent of giving them a fancy uniform and a rank as a sort of reward.

Then I realized that these guys are now subject to the UCMJ and being called up, etc. It’s as much a way to keep these guys under their thumb as it is to reward them. Now these guys can’t disregard orders or being called to active duty if need be.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2025, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civvies-gifted-with-real-not-honorary-military-ranks-wtf/1020119/83 "2025-08-26T02:59:26Z")

</div>

I knew tech feudalism might be coming, I didn’t realize they were being so literal about it ☹

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sooner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sooner/32/7875_2.png) [@Sooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sooner)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civvies-gifted-with-real-not-honorary-military-ranks-wtf/1020119/84 "2025-08-27T00:49:50Z")

</div>

William Knudsen was an auto executive that was tasked with overseeing war production during WW2.

He was made a 3 star general.

So he could cut though nearly all red tape, civilian or military.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civvies-gifted-with-real-not-honorary-military-ranks-wtf/1020119.md?page=4)