History Main / UpThroughTheRanks

** Jean Bernadotte went from French private all the way up to having his own Army as Charles XIV John, King of Sweden. Bernadotte also allegedly got an anti-monacharist tattoo during the Revolutionary days ("death to kings" or some similar motto). This became hilariously ironic when the tempestuous politics of the 19th century put him on a throne himself.

** Spikes was originally was a clone trooper serving as a low-level foot soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Battle of Jabiim, which takes place around three years prior to the start of the series. When Spikes is introduced in Episode 4 during the Battle of System K749, he is shown to be a naval captain in the Republic Navy, indicating that he not only rose up the ranks from an enlisted grunt to a commissioned officer, but somehow did it while switching between two completely different branches of the Republic military.

** Spikes was originally was a clone trooper serving as a low-level foot soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Battle of Jabiim, which takes place around three years prior to the start of the series. When Spikes is introduced in Episode 4 during the Battle of System K749, he is shown to be a naval captain in the Republic Navy, indicating that he not only rose up the ranks from an enlisted grunt to a commissioned officer, but somehow did while switching between two completely different branches of the Republic military.

** At the start of the Second Battle of Axum, Sergeant Lazarus is hastily given an unofficial FieldPromotion to Major in his first appearance by a Sister of Battle after the actual colonel and major commanding his Imperial Guard regiment were assassinated offscreen by Shaak Ti.

** Around three years prior to the start of the series, Spikes was originally was a clone trooper serving as a low-level foot soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic. When Spikes is introduced in Episode 4, he is shown to be a naval captain in the Republic Navy, indicating that he somehow rose up the ranks in a completely different branch of the military than the one he started out in.

* In ''Fanfic/AlongCameASpider'' Kai's NCO mentor Dave Jewell is recommended for a commission and sent to command school to become a Leutenant.

* In ''LightNovel/TheDevilIsAPartTimer'', [[AllThereInTheManual supplemental material]] states that Satan started his career as a common foot soldier. By the start of the series, he's the supreme commander of the LegionsOfHell.

** {{Implied|Trope}} with Shepard. An [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXtnN-c8Mjg optional interaction]] on the Citadel in ''3'' has Shepard buy a round of drinks for a group of Marine grunts at James Vega's request. They give a call-and-response toast, and a [[QuickTimeEvent Renegade interrupt]] allows Shepard to supply the response. Vega comments he didn't think an officer would know that one, suggesting Shepard may have spent time in the ranks.

** The truly experienced SergeantRock types can become Limited Duty Officers or Warrant Officers, where they have technical expertise and an officer's authority. Warrants have a greater focus on their technical expertise of the two groups.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Rukia was a lieutenant-class shinigami who spent decades as a [[{{Mook}} seatless]] soldier because her brother had quietly made sure she could never be promoted in an [[KnightTemplarBigBrother attempt]] to keep her safe from harm. This changes during the seventeen-month time-skip where she is finally promoted to lieutenant. [[spoiler:In the ending, after she achieves Bankai and the captain of her division dies in a HeroicSacrifice, she becomes a captain]].

[[WeAllLiveInAmerica Outside America]], it's reasonably common for this to be the ''only'' way to become an officer.

** ''Franchise/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In the series, Janice Rand was a yeoman aboard the ''Enterprise''. In ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', she's chief petty officer and transporter chief. In ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'', she's a communications officer assigned to Starfleet Command on Earth. Finally, in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', she's communications officer on the ''Excelsior'', going from lieutenant junior grade to commander.

* FeudalFuture example with General Martok from ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. Fifteen generations of his family had been warriors in the Klingon Defense Force, but since they were commoners none became officers. Martok managed it with a field commission (despite having been blacklisted from officer training because of his low birth). Over his career he earned enough personal honor and glory to marry a prestigious noblewoman (becoming leader of a noble House), makes it to the rank of fleet admiral and then, during the war, is promoted to supreme commander of the entire Klingon armed forces. [[spoiler: By the end of the series he's been made the Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, leader of the High Council, and the first warrior/soldier to hold the position in generations (rather than a politician)]].
* In ''Series/DoctorSynTheScarecrow'' General Pugh started as a soldier in the ranks rather than buying a commission in the officer corps (which was the usual way to become an Army officer, silly as it sounds) and he makes his disdain for the aristocratic Lieutenant Brackenbury clear. It actually makes Pugh more villainous because he has no time for "gentlemanly" conduct like not terrorizing civilians or torturing prisoners, and considers the ends to justify any means.
* Captain Flint in ''Series/BlackSails'' starts his naval career this way. From a working class fishing village, he works his way up through the ranks from childhood to Lieutenant by determination and skill rather than connections.
* ''Franchise/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In the series, Janice Rand was a yeoman aboard the ''Enterprise''. In ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', she's chief petty officer and transporter chief. In ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'', she's a communications officer assigned to Starfleet Command on Earth. Finally, in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', she's communications officer on the ''Excelsior'', going from lieutenant junior grade to commander.

** Jean Bernadotte went from French private all the way up to having his own Army as Charles XIV John, King of Sweden.

* Alexandre Bewcock of ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' is a rare example of a flag officer that started his military career as an enlisted soldier. However, it is implied in the series that his enlisted background slowed down his rank promotion considerably, as compared to his Academy-trained counterparts, such that he was the oldest Alliance fleet commander at the age of 70 in the beginning of the series but holds only the rank of Vice Admiral. Meanwhile Yang Wen-li becomes a full Admiral before his 30th birthday.

** {{Implied}} with [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]]. An [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXtnN-c8Mjg optional interaction]] on the Citadel in ''3'' has Shepard buy a round of drinks for a group of Marine grunts at James Vega's request. They give a call-and-response toast, and a [[QuickTimeEvent Renegade interrupt]] allows Shepard to supply the response. Vega comments he didn't think an officer would know that one, suggesting Shepard may have spent time in the ranks.

** {{Discussed|Trope}} in the narration in ''Honor Among Enemies'', which mentions that, for a polity with an [[FeudalFuture entrenched formal aristocracy]], a surprisingly large amount of the Royal Manticoran Navy's officer corps came up from the ranks.
*** All the officers of Grayson Armsmen are these. They all start as ordinary enlisted and work their way up.

* Alexandre Bewcock of ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' is a rare example of a flag officer that started his military career as an enlisted soldier. However, it is implied in the series that his enlisted background slowed down his rank promotion considerably, as compared to his Academy-trained counterparts, such that he was the oldest Alliance fleet commander at the age of 70 in the beginning of the series but holds only the rank of Vice Admiral. Meanwhile Yang Wen-li becomes a full Admiral before he's 30.

* Alexandre Bewcock of ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' is a rare example of a flag officer that started his military career as an enlisted soldier. However, it is implied in the series that his enlisted background slowed down his rank promotion considerably, as compared to his Academy-trained counterparts, such that he was the oldest Alliance fleet commander at the age of 70 in the beginning of the series but holds only the rank of Vice Admiral. Meanwhile Yang Wen-li becomes a full Admiral at 29.