Quote Originally Posted by Fuchs View Post
Two more cents;

I like the idea of having specialised NCOs (junior NCOs still learning on the job, senior NCOs expected to be the mainstay of training, motivation and supervision) which are practically bound to their branch and accumulate lots of specialised expertise*.

*: Believe it or not, the Bundeswehr is nowadays crazy enough that a navy NCO can serve as tank driver instructor.
In peacetime the incentive to properly prepare for war is soon lost.

Can we please differentiate between individuals on training courses and where units are being exercised.

Here lies the fundamental I believe and that is unless skills (command or otherwise) are exercised in the unit context of the now course qualified individual (be it weapons or tactics) the training is incomplete.

I also like the idea of having the officer corps divided into staff (planning, management) and combat (leadership, combined arms tactics proficiency, independent of branch) careers.
There is a natural shake out process that takes place in the first seven years or so where those with command potential separate from those with staff prospects. This is why I maintain (from my own experience) that the first three years after commissioning must concentrate on active (if there is a war on) platoon commanding. It is a mutual learning experience where the individual learns much about himself and the army and the army learns much about that individual.