Posted on Nov 26, 2016
How important is War College for promotion to Colonel?
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I understand it's is a positive discriminator, but does the board perceive it as "must have"? Hopefully, a Sr. Leader with O6 board experience can weigh in.
Promotion Board
COL
Army War College
BG
MG
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 27
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War College is not a discriminator for promotion to O-6, but that takes explanation. One can go to a 'War College' at the 0-4 Level (CGSC) and receive almost the same instruction as an O6 attending a War College (SSSC), but it counts as CGSC, not SSC. Selection to O-6 is a function of all your experience up to that point with a very heavy emphasis on Battalion Command. To be competitive, two ACOM reports are better than one. Selection to O-6 and selection to SSSC occur roughly the same time in your career (sometimes a year apart and sometimes overlapping); hence, there is no expectation that an O-5 should have already been selected to SSC. However, if an O-5 is selected to SSC first, it's a very good indication that selection to O-6 is forthcoming. SSC is a discriminator for selection to Bde Command and O-7.
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COL D Zimmer
BG (Join to see) - Actually, if it's 'required', then by definition, that makes it a 'discriminator', no? Perhaps my sentence would have been more clear had I written "SSC is a discriminator for selection to Bde Command, and because Bde Command is a discriminator for selection to O7, then SSC is also a discriminator for O7." But perhaps that's verbose.
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BG (Join to see)
COL D Zimmer - You're using way too much English for a poor engineer like me to understand. We need to give the Nike motto to every field grad and say "Just Do It".
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Col Neil Schuehle
If one attends "TLS" (Top Level School) as a Major, in the Marine Corps it still counts as TLS. It doesn't happen often, and I do not know personally of any who were not already selected for O-5, but they do not get less credit due to rank. Also, the Corps distinguishes a broader category of TLS to include Fellowships. As such SSC is not a discriminator for promotion but one of a variety of options.
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From the reserve side, it's very highly desirerable, but not required, at least in my case. Due to old regulations around resigning RA commission and picking up reserve commission, I could not complete the correspondence based war college course before my MRD. I applied for the resident course, but to no surprise, didn't get it. Got promoted to O-6 anyway, I assume based on my previous active duty RA tours, my OERs, my active duty tours as a reservists, and my voluntary and involuntary call up tours. I'm sure my specific assignments played a role too.
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Well there are a decent number of O6s who are students at the War College so I can't imagine boards have it as a "requirement", sir. My grandfather (a professor at Carlisle Barracks) has told me that battalion command or War College will get you promoted to O6.
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In the Chaplaincy it means you're being groomed for Colonel. A lot of us would have liked to try it via correspondence, but back in my day you needed approval for that.
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From what I understand it's important but you can attend as an 0-6. What's mandatory is Bn command and CGSOC (whatever they call it now).
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LTC (Join to see), it's an old story because I've been retired for a long time, but it was told to me by an AWC graduate, that the greatest reason for attrition at the AWC was officers being picked up for O-6!
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COL (Join to see)
I hear you on this one. Luckily I get my look this year for COL during my second year of AWCDEP. If I was promoted before the end of year 1, things might have been different. I'm glad I'm on the doward slope now. AWCDEP Class of '17.
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COL Vincent Stoneking
COL (Join to see) - One year ahead of you. Are you part of one of the pilot seminars (I think there are two) that are getting JPME from it?
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COL (Join to see)
COL Vincent Stoneking - not part of that. I already have AJPME complete so not necessary for me. The joint seminars are hurting the rest of the program in my opinion. We have a lack of diversity in the remaining groups with all the sister service personnel focused into just the few seminar groups to meet the joint mix requirements. My seminar group is all army (all 3 compos at least) with one interagency civilian.
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