Posted on May 14, 2018
A Call for Senior Officer Reform in the Air Force: An Insider’s Perspective - War on the Rocks
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This is part of the issue that many junior grade folks see. It is brought up, but is it listened to in the hallowed halls? It appears that CMSAF is really trying his best, and is doing great things for morale, but he can't do anything for the commissioned folks. That's a war that CSAF is having to fight.
A Call for Senior Officer Reform in the Air Force: An Insider’s Perspective - War on the Rocks
Posted from warontherocks.com
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Officers
Posted >1 y ago
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I mostly agree with the author. I have seen the risk-avoidance behavior limit our ability to innovate in many ways. My own division has leadership with a policy to never submit a "critical" comment to ANY document, regardless of reasoning, for fear of making waves. I have also seen "high potential" officers receive less-than-typical punishment for infractions unless/until the infraction is so serious it energizes the HQ USAF IG and potentially the media. IMO, the system of early identification and rapid promotion is a necessary evil to building O-10s with a useful "lifespan". But the heir system, nepotism, and tribalism (not unique to the AF BTW) needs to be replaced by true boarded promotions and assignments with no outside influence. And every O-6-and-above crime or failure of integrity needs to be referred to HQ IG.
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Col Joseph Lenertz Well said, sir! Just sitting on the outside, looking in, it seems that the services, as a whole, have steered farther away from promoting on merit, and more towards who will carry the current torch longer &/or who has made bestest of friends with those in positions higher than they currently sit.
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This is what you get with years of consultants and advance degrees from civilian universities viewed too favorably as well as using civilian approaches to managing the armed forces.
The concept in many large civilian companies is the "early identified" process. Younger college graduates/professionals from prime schools are placed for fast advancement because of potential not actual results. It is a farce in the civilian world just as it is in the armed forces. No one wants to flame one out because you could look bad.
I have had a couple of these folks work for me over the years. Both were good employees but neither demonstrated an iota of leadership potential and the drive to excel as the knew their ticket was punched. Having said that, after they were not running the company in a couple of years, they quit. Investment lost. The armed forces, like any company should be merit based hiring and promoting, period. Anything else is putting less qualified people in jobs and does not lead to greatness. It leads to mediocrity.
When people watch less deserving people get promoted they stop trying. You end up with a marginal organization with feckless, entitled leadership.
The concept in many large civilian companies is the "early identified" process. Younger college graduates/professionals from prime schools are placed for fast advancement because of potential not actual results. It is a farce in the civilian world just as it is in the armed forces. No one wants to flame one out because you could look bad.
I have had a couple of these folks work for me over the years. Both were good employees but neither demonstrated an iota of leadership potential and the drive to excel as the knew their ticket was punched. Having said that, after they were not running the company in a couple of years, they quit. Investment lost. The armed forces, like any company should be merit based hiring and promoting, period. Anything else is putting less qualified people in jobs and does not lead to greatness. It leads to mediocrity.
When people watch less deserving people get promoted they stop trying. You end up with a marginal organization with feckless, entitled leadership.
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