The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 16 letter word NON-COMMISSIONED
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
N
O
N
-
C
O
M
M
I
S
S
I
O
N
E
D
More clues leading to the result NON-COMMISSIONED
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Like an officer initially" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case like an officer initially = non-commissioned.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NON-COMMISSIONED mean?
NON-COMMISSIONED adjective- Not holding a military commission.