Do officer promotions need to be fixed?

CPT Russell Pitre
I don't really have much to contribute, as I wasn't an Officer.

However, there was a female LT (Navy so she was an O3) at my last command before I retired. From what very little I saw she had no business being in that rank. I heard that she had taken a "leave of absence" for about a year/year and a half so maybe she was a little behind the curve with the rest of her peer group, I honestly don't know.

What I did know however was that she was supposed to be "shadowing" our Operations Officer, who was the same rank. One day he (OPS) came to me and ordered me to remove her from all email and Active Directory groups that she was in concerning Department Heads, that kind of thing. In other words the same groups he was in. He didn't get too much into it but I "read between the lines" and could also see that he was somewhat upset, so I took that to mean she wasn't able to keep up. I also know that she resigned her commission shortly after.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I agree with you that there are some members, Officer and Enlisted, who never should have been promoted.

Oh know doubt the promotion system is broke and getting worse promoting unqualified officers who have not done one thing in their careers! I know many 1LT and CPT that were promoted who didn't meet ht/wt, did not pass an APFT, had no leadership skills nor fire an M-16 or 9mm, an embarrassment in uniform and the brunt of jokes of the enlisted and other officers! They have never been deployed nor held a position of Command yet time and again they get promoted! I wrote to the board and ask for a reason I was not promoted to Major but they do not have to give a reason nor did the promotion board ever respond! Damn good qualified officers especially Mustangers are been weeded out, the brunt of Army Leadership with combat tested skills are being replaced with yes men/women PC puppets with no combat experience nor leadership skills!!!

It would seem so

i WAS A Flight Rated USAF OFFICER/, NAVIGATOR, I FOUND SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY POSITION WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY SQUADRON/ I BECAME A MIX OF ROUGHLY 100 OTHER OFFICERS, MANY AT THE MAJOR, LC RANK.AND I SPENT ALL MY TIME FLYING A C130 DAY AND NIGHT , NEW OFFICERS ALWAYS FLY THE MOST., . YES I WAS PROMOTED ON TIME UP TO CAPTAIN BUT THE PROBLEMS WERE AS FOLLOWS. IF YOU ARE GOOD , YOU FLY MORE OFTEN AS A NAV. PILOTS REQUEST YOU ARE PUT ON MISSIONS AND DEPLOYMENTS BECAUSE A LEVEL OF TRUST HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, THEY DONT TRUST JUST ANYONE IN COMBAT AND I CANT BLAME THEM , THEY WANT THE NAV TO BE GOOD ENOUGH TO BACK THEM UP AND . WHEN YOU ARE ON THE DECK AT 100 FEET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN AN UNARMED AIRCRAFT THE NAV BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT AS THE ONLY SET OF EYES MANY TIMES OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE. IE RADAR. OTHER OFFICERS IN MY POSITION WHO WERE SUB PAR FLEW ONLY ABOUT HALF THE TIME, IT WAS VERY TAXING. I WAS TWICE GROUNDED FOR FLYING TOO MANY HOURS/ THERE ACTUALLY IS A LIMIT, KINDA LIKE THE LIMITS SET ON RESIDENT DOCTORS TODAY.WHEN I MET THE 1LT BOARD I WAS CHANGED TO A REGULAR OFFICER POSITION FROM RESERVE AND TOLD THAT WAS UNUSUAL AND AN HONOR TO BE CHOSEN. DIDNT RAISE MY PAY ONE CENT AND THAT DID NOTHING TO IMPROVE MY MINDSET ON STAYING IN. i WAS AWARDED MEDALS 3 TIMES BEFORE MAKING CAPTAIN ALL WHILE PERFORMING DUTIES RELATED TO COMBAT FLYING. THERE WERE 12 QUALIFICATIONS IN MY SEAT, I HELD ELEVEN FULL TIME, ALL THE TIME. THAT GOT ME A CHECK RIDE IN ONE OR THE OTHER.EVERY MONTH. SO WHAT IS MY POINT IF YOU ARE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO, GET READY TO BE OVERUSED AND ABUSED. THE GUYS I STARTED WITH WHO STAYED TO TWENTY YEARS FOR THE MOST PART WERE MAJORS, SOME STUCK AT CAPTAIN, AND A COUPLE OF LT COLS. PROMOTIONS ARE TOO SLOW. YOU CANT REQUIRE AND MAINTAIN AN OFFICER LIKE MYSELF TO WORK 12 HOURS A DAY , 6 DAYS A WEEK, FLY, INSTRUCT, EVALUATE, AND MAINTAIN EFFICIENCY ALL WHILE SECURING SERVICE RELATED SCHOOLS AND A MASTERS DEGREE TO BE CONSIDERED AT THE MAJOR BOARD WHICH YOU WAIT 6 OR MORE YEARS TO MEET AFTER CAPTAIN. YOUR SKILLS AND LEADERSHIP SHOULD GO A LONG WAY IN UPWARD MOBILITY, BUT I FOUND THAT NOT TO BE THE CASE. WHILE FLYING MULTIPLE , LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF SPECIAL OPS TRAINING MISSIONS NIGHT AFTER NIGHT. , THE BIGGEST CONVERSATION OVER THE HEADSET FROM PILOTS AND NAVS WAS" WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE I AM GOING TO DIRECT MY PATH , NOT HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DO IT FOR ME." THE BEST PILOTS I FLEW WITH EXITED AFTER ONE TOUR, NOT TO KNOCK THE GUYS WHO STAYED, JUST SAYIG IF YOU ARE GOOD, YOUR GOOD, AND THAT SKILL WILL TAKE YOU VERY FAR WITH A CIVILIAN CAREER. MY NORMAL DAY STARTED AT 3 IN THE AFTERNOON, FLIGHT PLANNING FOR LOW LEVEL MISSIONS FOR 3 HOURS, BRIEFING THE MISSION, 1 HOUR, PREFLIGHT HALF AN HOUR. FLIGHT TIME 5 TO SIX HOURS, DEBRIEF HALF AND HOUR. NOW REPEAT 6 TO 7 TIMES A WEEK, ITS CALLED BURNOUT. OH AND DONT EVEN MENTIONSL DEPLOYMENTS FOR MONTHS ON END IN THE DESERT OF ANY OTHER PLACE ON THIS EARTH THEY WANT TO BED YOU DOWN AT. WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF GPS ON AIRCRAFT MY IMPORTANCE OVER TIME WOULD HAVE SEVERELY DIMINISHED HAD i NOT LEFT. WE SEE THAT TODAY WITH DRONES REPLACING THE PILOTS NOW.THE SERVICE HAS NEVER GOTTEN IT RIGHT ON OFFICER RETENTION ESPECIALLY IN MY CAREER FIELD. EVERYONE DESERVES TO KNOW YOU ARE VALUABLE AND YOUR POTENTIAL TO BE RECOGNIZED IS THERE. THE GOOD OL BOY SYSTEM DOESNT WORK VERY WELL UNLESS YOURE ONE OF THE BOYS, I NEVER WAS. I LEFT AFTER 6 YEARS .I HAVE NO REGRETS FOR SERVING BUT WISH THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER. CONCLUSION, I ENTERED CIVILIAN OCCUPATION , RETIRED AT AGE 42 , OWN MY HOME AND AM LIVING A FULLTIME LIFE WHICH I NEVER HAD ON ACTIVE DUTY.

I was both active duty and active reserve, and saw promotions treated as rewards/punishments in both. Best examples: 1. I was on a review board for enlisted men, and knowing two of the men as troublemakers I voted against their promotions. Both were promoted anyway--theory being if they did not get their "due" this would harm unit cohesion. So reward bad conduct--? This was in the 199th Lt. Inf. Bde. 2. A 1st Lt. pilot in the 1st Cav was up for captain, but had a problem--his battalion CO wanted a Silver Star, and literally ordered his clerk to write up the recommendation for his "heroism" in flying over a contact in Cambodia (the chopper was not hit, and said 1st lieutenant was the pilot). The medal was awarded and the colonel expected all his officers to show up at a ceremony for its presentation. Said pilot refused to attend, and said colonel refused to allow his promotion. So punishment for honorable behavior.

My point: promotion based on seniority alone can prevent arbitrary treatment, but does not allow reward for exceptional performance. Yet if it is the only criteria, there must be ways to prevent an undeserving person to be promoted just because he/she has been there long enough. And there needs to be a way to appeal punitive treatment.

Heh, I may open myself up to some pointed remarks here, but I think you're missing the point. We've been an all volunteer service for a long time...and promotions are Congressionally mandated. It's part of the checks and balances. We support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and Domestic. Where in that requirement is that you be the best paper filer, driller, regulation following/enforcing person? We are held to the requirement of being accountable for our decisions to the American Public, subject to the Constitution and Congressionally Ratified Treaties, and the proper execution of lawful orders and the prohibition of the execution of non-lawful orders. If the requirement was to be a better Leader, we wouldn't have the vast history of colorful characters in our past. I'd put forward that some of the best Officer leaders were horrible peacetime officers (Just look at the career of Ulyses S. Grant, I add the Wiki here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant but there's more to the story, horrible peacetime officer. However, Lincoln reportedly said "I like him. He fights"). There are many differences of opinion of what makes a good leader. Is it someone that meets and inspires the best out of his personnel? Is it merely someone that leads a group of highly motivated and successful volunteers? Is it the one that picks up all the despondent and creates a cohesive fighting force? Is it one that just shows up and manages to hit the right points in the right times of the right people and happens on the selection board granting the right qualities and known by the right people?

I apologize for the length of this response, but I feel the need to address a couple of items of concern in your evaluation of the officer promotion system. No system is perfect, but the one we have in place is good enough to suffice the purpose of having an all volunteer service standing ready to execute the mission given. I've seen many a worthy individual removed from the military when I thought they had more to offer than someone else and I've seen many more retained that I believed would serve the military better out of it. But the Military is more than just the sum of its individuals. It is an entity that will continue on despite or perhaps because of the processes in place. We have the requirement that personnel fill a certain amount of billets, in the execution of Congressionally Mandated Funds, using allocated and non-allocated resources to execute the mission and responsibilites as engendered by our service requirements. It matters not whether folks are 'more deserving', 'more capable', 'more whatever' when you're looking at the military as a whole. The service will continue, and people will volunteer and do their best to carry on the mission despite their forthcomings, weaknesses, misgivings, or misfortunes. It will create opportunities for people to execute heroic actions, some of which have been told and they've been awarded appropriately. How many more medal of honor awardees would there be if their story had been captured and told, but there were none left to document or report their actions in the face of overwhelming odds. I think the view that you're saying other people that are unqualified for the position are being selected because of their time and the system is incomplete. Show me the officer capable of executing all their requirements without the support and capabilities of their subordinates. The best officers/leaders bring out the best in their subordinates, because they are focused on the development, care, and issues that prevent their subordinates from executing their duties and the mission. The least qualified officer is still qualified to carry on that responsibility to the best of their ability. Sure, there will be others that are better, more capable, more effective, but no less responsible for the duties of their position/rank/job/title. Rarely have I served in a billet that I was perfectly trained for, to perfectly execute, and rest upon the laurels of being the best promotion opportunity ever to sit the board for selection to the next rank.

So, if you think you're better qualified to be higher rank sooner, more power to you. I'm humbled by the opportunity to serve, and grateful for all those that take on the call to service to provide what small effort they can, to perpetuate and make better the finest all volunteer fighting force this world has yet seen, the United States Military. How many other countries can say that their military service is entirely volunteer, emminently adaptable, and capable of executing the mission to the last person still able to muster some small level of gumption to resist the enemy and achieve the mission, even at the risk of the ultimate sacrifice? The military will outlast us all, and it is my hope it is still populated by those willing to take on the mission and do their best to continue to protect this incredible experiment we call the United States of America.

A couple of issues emerge that leads to unqualified officers, and some NCOs too, in the US Army:

1. The up-or-out concept drives a promotion at time mentality rather than allowing someone to remain at a role/level they are highly competent in.
2. OERs are driven to look "great" rather than really shape an individual for growth. Of course this is related to item #1 - there are not perfect people and real evaluation and assessment leading to mentoring and growth should be the approach - not using the right words with maximum scores just because you wreck someone's career if you do not. I've seen people who pass the PT test, are in weight and look like a total mess get max fitness scores, eh?
3. Restoring the "real" regimental system where people get to know everyone and their strengths/weaknesses and must live with their judgments may force accountability back into the promotion system.

Yes. I will say the promotion board review process is very biased and subjective. Every year, Branch managers will push information on promotion trends from each board review that led to an officer be promoted and you can see almost 180 reversals year to year on guidance for wording in an OER Senior Rater block, or types of assignments (more combat vs less combat, more diversity vs more focused, more educational background vs not important, more quantification vs key words, etc). Bottomline, opportunities for promotions are only as good as the individuals reviewing your records. Plenty of conversations with Senior Raters who've sat on different boards definitely confirmed how subjective they are.

I've been retired for 22 years, so my perspective may be somewhat dated. One issue I saw was promoting reservist and active duty officers of the same designator. If promotion to LCDR required two at sea department head tours for active duty officers, how can you promote reservists to the same grade? Same goes for completing an at sea XO tour to make CDR.

Not to sound like someone's mother, but I think it would be more prudent to just do your job to best of your ability and wait patiently for promotion. Maybe I have that sentiment as chaplain candidate where my rank and commission comes second to the vocation I've been called by God to live as an aspiring priest, but even as a cadet my mentality toward promotion was not to worry about rank everyone around me was getting promoted to regardless if I thought they deserved it or not. I simply focused on the job I had in front of me and that was certainly the most freeing way for me to be a part of the team that was our cadet corps.