Just returned from a short visit at Leavenworth and saw a lot of senior field grades (O5-O6) with no combat patch. Not really sure how long an assignment there is, but I doubt it is for more than 4 years. Hope those guys that are teaching, or managing those that teach, get their 'opportunity'. Maybe then the gentleman who conducted our introduction briefing would have a greater pet peeve than 'hands in the pockets'...

Yes I understand HRC is a huge part of the problem. I had a great NCO at Fort Irwin who was on his 3d TRADOC assignment, none of them requested. He was DA-select as a drill sergeant, then asked to be an OCS instructor with the possibility to select assignment of choice. He requested Fort Lewis, Hawaii, or Alaska, in that order. Pretty good locations for an 11B E-7. They sent him to Irwin to be an O/C, without a combat tour. Pretty dumb. Still, being the outstanding NCO he was, he worked harder than everybody, always learned the latest TTPs, and was effective. But he always had to work with a platoon for a while to gain some basic credibility.

I have another friend who commanded in Korea and then went to West Point for 4 years. Hasn't deployed. Yet HRC wants to send him to ILE ahead of his peers (by about 18 months for his yeargroup, according to his branch's ILE slate), with no combat patch. Seems like a MITT tour would have made a lot more sense - get him 'greened' again, and get him some credibility.

Oh well, I used to think if I ran the Army for a week, the changes I would make. Now I wonder what my entire generation will be able to do.

Tankersteve