Boston Globe: Army Rushes To Promote Its Officers (lowering quality standards?)

[Hissyspit]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/20070314/DOJdocsPt4070313.pdf

Army rushes to promote its officers
War pressures cited; quality is a concern
By Bryan Bender and Renee Dudley, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent | March 13, 2007

WASHINGTON -- To fill a growing number of vacancies in the officer corps, the Army is promoting captains, majors, and lieutenant colonels more quickly and at a higher percentage than before the Iraq war, a trend that some military specialists worry is lowering the overall quality of the officer corps.



The Army, already stretched thin from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, attributes the accelerated promotion rates to the pressures of war and the urgent need for field commanders. Another reason for the vacancies, military analysts say: unit leaders are quitting the Army faster than anticipated -- after multiple tours of duty in Iraq. The shortage of captains, majors, and lieutenant colonels is especially pronounced among experienced officers who have between five and 15 years in uniform, according to Army officials.

In 2006, the Army had to promote more officers ahead of its own timetables, according to the most recent statistics. For example, the Army had a goal of promoting about 70 percent of eligible majors to the next rank of lieutenant colonel; instead, it promoted 90 percent of them to fill the vacuum. The same year, the Army advanced nearly all of its captains to majors, roughly 20 percent more than its guidelines call for.

Along with fast-tracked promotions, the Army is keeping underachieving officers instead of forcing them to retire, according to the latest data.

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[Newsjock]

1. Learning from their al-Qaida masters

"Must have more Number 2's!"

[Mojorabbit]

2. your link takes

me to a pdf?