What was the rationale for the Army calling places "Centers of Excellence"?

2016-08-15T22:14:34-04:00

I served 20 1/2 years (10 USMC/10 1/2 Army), and even though my latter years were Army, there was much about big Army things I didn't know. I did notice, though, that a few years ago, the Army began naming all of their major training commands and some support commands as "------ Center of Excellence". My question is what was the rationale used to begin naming things like that? For example, Ft. Rucker used to be USAAVNC (US Army AViatioN Command). It's now called US Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker. Did big Army leadership believe that this new name would somehow improve the skill of students coming out of there? With the Army's new "expeditionary" posture, did that play a part in the renaming? Just always wondered that.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 16 at 2016 12:17 AM

2016-08-16T00:17:04-04:00

Can you spell liberal and progressive? Center for Excellence is a not-so-subtle attempt by the PC crowd to give the military a softer, gentler, and touchy-feely kind of curb appeal. It all fits with the dumbing down, lowering of standards, and squishy good shoes take on the new militaries the civvies and some top brass are trying to rapidly implement. It sucks. I'm so glad that I am retired and drawing the Big Bucks!!!

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 16 at 2016 12:33 AM

2016-08-16T00:33:06-04:00

I wondered that when I was at Fort Benning, the Maneuver Center of Excellence and later at Fort Lee the Sustainment Center of Excellence. My brother was at Fort Sill, the Fires Center of Excellence.

I guess the naming makes sense, Benning is Maneuver because of Infantry and Armor. Even the new crest for it is a combination of an Infantry and an Armor crest. Fort Lee is home of the Quartrmaster School so Sustainment makes sense. Then Fort Sill is Artillery so Fires works I guess.

Other than that, I know nothing about it.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Aug 16 at 2016 10:35 AM

2016-08-16T10:35:23-04:00

I think you will find it was both an attempt to rename them for a modernized buisness like term and many of those sites, if not all, had some sort of reorganization that combined multi disciplines, schools, or like.. so a rename was in order as the mission of the installation changed.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 17 at 2016 2:21 PM

2016-08-17T14:21:18-04:00

Corporate terms being applied to military institutions. Apparently someone said that words mean something and just by a name change we would have efficacy applied. Frankly, I bet it had something to do with a funding line.