I suspect that cutting off lower-ranking officers from fraternizing with enlisted men prevents
what would otherwise be one of the more common problematic cases.
That’s plausible, though we should be cautious of reverse reasoning: Did the Lieutenant/Sergeant border arise to prevent fraternizing across those levels, or is fraternizing across those levels considered extra-bad becauses it crosses the officer/NCO border?
I am not convinced that this is a good explanation for why the dichotomy exists in the first place.
Good points. But they don’t explain this arbitrary dichotomy.
Indeed it does -- 23 or so groups, which are the ranks.
That’s plausible, though we should be cautious of reverse reasoning: Did the Lieutenant/Sergeant border arise to prevent fraternizing across those levels, or is fraternizing across those levels considered extra-bad becauses it crosses the officer/NCO border?
I am not convinced that this is a good explanation for why the dichotomy exists in the first place.
You should read up on the notion of Schelling point.