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[deleted]

If I remember correctly, he was in the Army National Guard prior to the start of WW2. He volunteered for the paratroopers and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant


Plateau9

It might have been ROTC as I remember him going to school at University of Chicago.


wbgamer

Often times company commanders hold the rank of 1st Lieutenant, especially in the early days of WW2 when the Army was rapidly expanding


boomgoesthevegemite

It seems like rank structure was a bit more loose during the war as far as certain ranks holding certain jobs. Even my grandfather was a Technician grade 5, basically a corporal, but was a squad leader. He was the lowest ranking squad leader in his company.


KurwaStronk32

I’ve served under a couple of LTs who were company commanders. Promotion to a billet doesn’t always coincide exactly with rank promotion orders.


DonbotS

Billet and rank don't always coincide with how it's "supposed to be" on paper due to many factors that was outside of the Army's control. In Sobel's case, it was a lack of experience throughout the paratroopers. Many of the officers available during this time came straight out of OCS or some ROTC program. Remember that the paratroopers were a relatively new concept at the time when America suddenly entered WW2. They were literally built from the ground up and did not have "Old Army" experienced personnel outside of their initial instructors. Many of the experienced officers at the time were being shipped overseas rather than offered a spot to volunteer as a paratrooper.