Branch night C/O 23

jl123"s theorem: "A system that can be manipulated, will be manipulated."

The old merit based system was better - no room for manipulation. If someone didn't get what they wanted, they knew it was because someone else beat them in a fair competition. Very few branches, such as Aviation, need any input beyond the Order of Merit to meet the needs of the Army.

When they transitioned to the new system they created a complicated, opaque puzzle and opened the door to subjective bias and backroom deals, or at least that perception.
 
jl123"s theorem: "A system that can be manipulated, will be manipulated."

The old merit based system was better - no room for manipulation. If someone didn't get what they wanted, they knew it was because someone else beat them in a fair competition. Very few branches, such as Aviation, need any input beyond the Order of Merit to meet the needs of the Army.

When they transitioned to the new system they created a complicated, opaque puzzle and opened the door to subjective bias and backroom deals, or at least that perception.
All I can say, is when the Army transitioned to the "new" Branching Model where you pick, but the Branch has the final say as to "Most Preferred", "Preferred", and "Least Preferred", it was supposedly done for a seemingly good reason...RETENTION! The services have all had issues with a lot of people getting out (both officer and enlisted) at that point that they were trained and important cogs in the scheme of things. Generally at the O2-3 and E4-5 levels members trained and qualified were leaving because either they made the wrong choice in specialty, or didn't anticipate the actual job requirements and were unhappy in their choices. When you mention BRADSO (which I think is what you are calling manipulation), it tells the Branch or Specialty that you as a service member are really sure about your choice and are willing to commit to more service time. Both Officers and Enlisted have mechanisms for this, ADSO for schools, or promotions.

But to claim "manipulation" is a stretch. For years nepotism has existed, "Godfathers" looking out for their friends children and their careers. If that is not manipulation, then extending your ADSO for additional schooling, a promotion, or a particular field is not manipulation. JMHO, but EVERYONE at least at WP has the opportunity to BRADSO, and if not needed you are not charged, so everyone has the same opportunity. If you don't want to serve more time to get what you want, then that would be your choice, but don't say the "old" system was better until the new system has a few years to see if retention numbers are better.

Again JMHO, but no system is perfect, nor will any system make everyone happy. :)
 
All I can say, is when the Army transitioned to the "new" Branching Model where you pick, but the Branch has the final say as to "Most Preferred", "Preferred", and "Least Preferred", it was supposedly done for a seemingly good reason...RETENTION! The services have all had issues with a lot of people getting out (both officer and enlisted) at that point that they were trained and important cogs in the scheme of things. Generally at the O2-3 and E4-5 levels members trained and qualified were leaving because either they made the wrong choice in specialty, or didn't anticipate the actual job requirements and were unhappy in their choices. When you mention BRADSO (which I think is what you are calling manipulation), it tells the Branch or Specialty that you as a service member are really sure about your choice and are willing to commit to more service time. Both Officers and Enlisted have mechanisms for this, ADSO for schools, or promotions.

But to claim "manipulation" is a stretch. For years nepotism has existed, "Godfathers" looking out for their friends children and their careers. If that is not manipulation, then extending your ADSO for additional schooling, a promotion, or a particular field is not manipulation. JMHO, but EVERYONE at least at WP has the opportunity to BRADSO, and if not needed you are not charged, so everyone has the same opportunity. If you don't want to serve more time to get what you want, then that would be your choice, but don't say the "old" system was better until the new system has a few years to see if retention numbers are better.

Again JMHO, but no system is perfect, nor will any system make everyone happy. :)
One of the factors leading to the change was retention and I understand the reasoning put forth. However, I have never seen any data to support the hypothesis that branch assignment by Order of Merit was a cause of dissatisfaction and lower retention. Insufficient branch education may have been a driver, but that is more readily resolved through increased branch familiarization and additional opportunity for branch transfers rather than a change in how selections are made.

When I refer to manipulation it is not in reference to BRADSO, which I think is a bad idea for different reasons. By manipulation I mean the gamesmanship which occurs in the process by both Cadets and Branch reps, and influence exerted by outside actors. A couple of actual examples and by no means outliers:

1. Cadet A, top 20% of class and good physical/military grades, has consistently ranked Infantry in the top three and had always been ranked "Most Preferred" by the Infantry branch rep. Likewise ADA has been near the bottom preference and Cadet A had always been ranked in the middle, "Preferred." At some point later in the process Cadet A's preferences change. Infantry drops substantially and ADA moves into top five. Cadet A then receives a "Most Preferred" from ADA and an invite to lunch with the Branch Commandant, who flies in from D.C. to help recruit the branch's "top candidates". Simultaneously, Infantry drops Cadet A from "Most Preferred" to "Least Preferred".

Learning Point: A Cadet's preferences have a significant impact on the rating by the branch. You can "schmooze" your way to a higher rating, something that can not be done by Order of Merit. Branch reps have a vested interest in having as many "Most Preferred" and "Preferred" in the actual selections as possible and can adjust ratings as needed, irrespective of the quality/fit of the Cadet.

2. While doing an internship at the Pentagon, three Cadets meet the Chief of Staff of the Army. At the end of the conversation, the Cadets are told to give their names to his Aide de Camp so he can make sure they get their first choice branches. So much for the rigorous rating process to get the best "fit". Even if the CSA did not follow through or if the Cadets misunderstood/exaggerated the interaction, the perception is enough to doubt the system and call into question the myriad of other opportunities for interference in the process.

Learning Point: In an opaque and complex system, a chance occurrence having nothing to do with the process can affect the outcome. In the prior system, that fortuitous meeting would not have changed those Cadets' place on the Order of Merit.

Food for Thought:

1. If a Cadet's preference is so significant to the branch rating, why bother with such a Rube Goldberg process.

2. If a branch rating determines who is most and least fit for a branch, why are Cadets forced into branches for which they are not a fit.

When there is no ideal solution it is better to choose a simple, fair, and transparent system. Determining branch selection by lottery would optimize those three criteria, but could have the unintended consequence of reducing incentive to excel. Thus, we are left with merit - a dirty word in many places today, but once the hallmark of West Point.
 
Examples of BRADSO gamesmanship:

1. The high ranking Cadet who selects BRADSO to prevent being leapfrogged by a lower ranking Cadet, knowing there is no chance of actually being required to serve the extra years.

2. The high ranking Cadet in the same situation, but who miscalculates and is tagged with BRADSO.

3. The Cadet who selects BRADSO thinking they absolutely want a career in the Army, then two years later realizes it was a big mistake.

None of those situations is in the interest of the Cadets or the Army.
 
After reading your post, I took a look at the AOG website. It doesn't actually show Class of 2023 branching information (yet). It does show that the Class of 2022 branched 1,026.
Whoops, should've noticed that... saw 2022 and stopped reading 🤦‍♂️

Thanks for the correction, sorry to be inadvertently spreading misinformation!
 
Examples of BRADSO gamesmanship:

1. The high ranking Cadet who selects BRADSO to prevent being leapfrogged by a lower ranking Cadet, knowing there is no chance of actually being required to serve the extra years.

2. The high ranking Cadet in the same situation, but who miscalculates and is tagged with BRADSO.

3. The Cadet who selects BRADSO thinking they absolutely want a career in the Army, then two years later realizes it was a big mistake.

None of those situations is in the interest of the Cadets or the Army.
I will agree with you that "There is always gamesmanship and manipulation" going on. Happens in the Academies, in the Enlisted ranks, and even throughout their careers or the time they are active duty. I fully agree with your above statements about the Branch Chiefs, and Generals or even Colonels putting in a "good word" for certain people. Where I don't necessarily fully agree is that the "old" system was any better than the new. I believe last year was the first year the new system was in place, so maybe give it a couple of years to get refined and what the new results for retention are.

Having served under the "old" system, I found that a lot of "manipulation" occurred, and not necessarily for the right reasons or to get the best people in the right place. I personally believe, and this is just my "old" personal experience, is that no system is perfect nor does any system make EVERYONE happy! More senior people, both enlisted and officer will likely ALWAYS have the contacts and pull to manipulate transfers and assignments. I have no idea how to change that, because an E-9 who has been around for 30 years has many friends who are more than willing to help a friend with someone, and the same goes for the officer ranks, a Colonel or Flag Officer has likely been around for 25 or more years, and has many friends who have friends who can pull strings and get a favored candidate a position that they want. It is the nature of the government, not just the military.

Until you could remove the "friendship" and "favors" factors from selection, promotion, and assignments, some people maybe not as "connected" as someone else will probably lose out on an assignment or designation they may deserve. It is the nature of the beast! Even removing the selection process to a "Civilian Board" likely would not help, as the inflation of evaluations and letters of recommendation would still favor those with a "Godfather" helping them. And those who play fair and try to do their best, without the right connections will not be happy. I have seen it happen in the military, and civil service, it's not always "What you do well", but more "Who you know in the right place and the right time" that matters.

But for me, the bottom line is the "new" Army officer system is an opportunity to see if they can increase retention and job satisfaction and if it doesn't work, I would assume, they will try something else. JMHO, but I still think the new system is fairer and better than the old OML system, where just because you are smarter or stronger than someone else you get priority. IMHO, that is not a good way to create a "content and happy" force structure. But you are right, NO SYSTEM IS PERFECT! ;)
 
Messy? Try: unprofessional. Force branching cadets into their last choice branch regardless of OML invalidates the Army values. This is how you kill loyalty.
This is not my path to walk. Our DD's. What you described is exactly what happened to her. She did not burst into tears nor display much drama. She went to the Branch Reps and got the facts. After discussion and fact finding, what I view as a compromise was reached. The Army came up with a solution that got her her first Branch choice with no BRADSO which she had initially offered to do to get it. This happens AFTER she does as ordered temporarily. Initially this was NOT the case. Unlikely that it worked out so well for all the Force Branched Cadets but she got right on it and made it work out for the most part. She did not use the term, "Messy" either, but her four letter adjectives are not suitable here. :cool:
 
When the heat of reaction passes, you're going to know that it's going to be alright. Any one with her skills, strength and achievement is going to forge the path they need. This is part of her journey. It's going to shape her as she goes where she is meant to be. In the moment, it sucks! You love her and want to shield such a good kid from a disappointment that makes no sense. Been there! I am praying for you both right now. It gets better. Mine was shocked at having to take an unexpected path -- and is grateful now.

A quote of your own from 2019 that may serve you well now.

Stealth_81
 
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