America's Best Leaders

U.S. Army 1st Lt. John Nimmons (right), of 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and Iraqi army 2nd Lt. Ammar Hassin speak to a store owner during a joint operation patrol in Al Muhandiseen, Iraq, on Oct. 30, 2008. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. JoAnn S. Makinano, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

America's Best Leaders: U.S. Junior Officers, Military
-- U.S. News And World Report

Rising in the military ranks with a wisdom forged by war

While he was gearing up for the long trek through the high desert plains of southern Afghanistan, Capt. Sean Dynan made the rounds among his marines to make sure their sacks were pared to the bare minimum. How much heavy ammunition his infantry company would bring along on its journey was his call as well. If the soldiers brought too little, they could easily run out in the middle of their mission to rout entrenched Taliban forces. Too much and his marines were risking the injury that comes with carrying 120-plus-pound packs in 120-plus-degree heat.

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My Comment: The killer line in this report is the following .... "lieutenants and captains often have more combat experience than the generals who command them".

Read this article .... it is worth the time.

Finally, The Army Is Promoting The Right Officers. (Opinion)

Officers of Tomorrow

From Slate:

Last November, when Gen. David Petraeus was named to chair the promotion board that picks the Army's new one-star generals, the move was seen as, potentially, the first rumble of a seismic shift in the core of the military establishment.

The selections were announced in July, and they have more than fulfilled the promise. They mark the beginnings, perhaps, of the cultural change that many Army reformers have been awaiting for years.

Promotion systems, in any large organization, are designed to perpetuate the dominant culture. The officers in charge tend to promote underlings whose styles and career paths resemble their own.

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My Comment: Better late than never.