Most recent attempt at OPMS reform
Shinseki tried only a modest assault on the status quo with his pitch beginning in 1997 to introduce technical literacy into the operational culture of the Army via the creation of the simulations operations officer (functional area 57) which he took great pains to point out was supposed to have been within the operations career field and within the command track, thus keeping would-be technologist operationally current and potentially in the drivers seat to help change the culture.
This modest effort failed. I was one of the first seven officers to be selected for the program back in 95 and I was the only special forces officer in the history of the program to date. Instead of us staying within operations we moved into the new (and ironically now after only five years --- defunct --- information operations career field). By putting us there we no longer had any possibility of command or S3/XO tenure; and therefore were relegated to a tier 3 staff position where we had even less influence over ongoing Army material developments in simulations. The effort was effectively neutered by HRC because it broke their "model". At the time their model called for no dual track, only single track. Thus the technologically literate were separated from the operational class (the seat of authority) and relegated to a brokering and essentially rear area support role --- away from the decision making table and where the action was.
Ironically, HRC in its latest zig zag to maintain one if its tenants --- flexibility in being able to assign officers to structure where ever it needs to --- has reversed itself on its single track mandate and is now entertaining the notion of dual tracks --- yet it must be emphasized that HRC is not doing this because they realize that single tracking overly specializes or dumbs down the officer corps --- they are doing this so as to have the flexibility of pushing officers into marginalized assignments --- the branch immaterial assignment.
However, they still have the class (branch) system. In fact an aviation O6 I know was very upset that in spite of the new BDE's that the Army has created it is not considering aviation officers as eligible for command of those units --- that these same officers would have served in such a brigade as jrs appears not to have been enough to assault entrenched prejudices and parochialisms. So the branch parochialism of BDE CMD for the iron triad --- infantry, armor, and artillery; was only slightly breached --- by the engineers --- they are eligible but not aviators.
So back on subject. Shinseki fought HRC from 97 until 2002 when he gave up and signed a memo consigning his "baby", as FA57 was know then, to the oblivion of technical specialization at the margins of the Army with no seat at the decision making table.
Thus from this recent battle; I have no confidence that the system can reform itself unless Congress has the will to do so. And they have shown no inclination. I suspect that they "like" the system the way it is. It would be dangerous to have a system which regularly turned out Boyd's and other mavericks. As my colleague put it earlier --- the system has a strong preference for made men.
