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Interesting piece in today's WaPo which ought to generate a few thoughtful comments. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...802-11e3-afce-3e7c922ef31e_story.html?hpid=z3
Interesting piece in today's WaPo which ought to generate a few thoughtful comments. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...802-11e3-afce-3e7c922ef31e_story.html?hpid=z3
I think the article has some points, but it does seem to discount the ability of intelligent humans (specifically the Generals and Colonels) to learn and adapt, perhaps even better than jr officers.
Perhaps we've worked with different general/flag officers, but there are very few I would describe as flexible. Having staff support certainly helps to appear that way.
I also generally reject that the "best and brightest" are the individuals who rise to the flag/general ranks. Yes, there ARE some very impressive, intelligent, stars out there, but there are some very underwhelming individuals from 1 to 4 stars, who have to scratching your head, wondering how THEY made flag. This is true of every servicep; Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
I just read the article and planned to post it here as well.
Personally I agree with a lot of the points the article makes. Those in the ranks of Senior Captains, Major's and Junior Lt Col's have the most recent combat experience. They are more open minded and willing to adapt to a fast changing culture that is today's military.
I also base part of my opinion on my own experience. Early on I was assigned to higher echelon commands at the Division and MEF level. However my greatest experience that I came to rely on occurred when I was asked to command a company. While it was a brief command, it gave me so much insight into our current fight. It gave me a very fresh perspective. I cam to rely on that heavily.
The current junior officers might be more "open minded and willing to adapt to a fast changing culture that is today's military." But can they learn to work within the system? Sometimes I get a sense from junior officers that it's never their fault, it's the system's fault. The simple question I ask what have you done to fix the system.
It's much bigger than "Hey JO making $56,000 a year with 10 people above you in the chain of command, how are YOU fixing the system" and much more about is the system really that ready for for change? Can the hearts and minds and intestines of the senior leaders take it? I don't think so. I don't think flag officers or generals are willing, or able. And THAT is a problem.... which I don't believe will be fixed.
From what I've seen, often times ideas for change never make it to the person who actually has the authority to implement a change. The screening by the several layers of "middle management" usually kills ideas that rock the boat. Sometimes rightfully so, but sometimes because one of the middle managers doesn't think their boss will like the idea.
I was going to say "maybe it's time for the system to change" but then you mentioned that. It might be fair to follow that up with, the old fogies guarding the systems aren't exactly prime on "fixing the system" when they see junior officers as having to "work within the system." To take that a step further, how many junior officers have been "corrected" for trying to "fix the system"... and I think we all know, these days a "correction" can end a career.
A junior officer that just started working in the admissions office might think that's what we need to do, tell his or her boss that's what we need to do, and the boss says we can't (Perhaps, the admissions office already made the recommendation and it made it to the DoD legislative liaison office. or the DoD legislative liaison office told the SA, they can have five things only). So the junior officer complaints about it and thinks the boss is just guarding the system.