Point/Counterpoint: Are the Service Academies in Trouble?

[Red Rat]

Even if that were true, all that tells you is that AOSB can identity those who can be successful within that system. It fails to tell you if the men selected were actually good officers, compared to other methods.

I quite agree, but the point I was making is that in the same way that the kaba methodology appears to show a correlation between high score and high performance in the IDF, so does the AOSB scoring and performance in the UK Army. What works for the IDF will not work for the UK Army as both organisations are reflective of different societies, but there will be crossover based on expected professional competencies.

IMO the UK could do a better job of selecting and training officers, if the need became more apparent and pressing.

Undoubtedly, but the system works sufficiently as it is. AOSB takes in a very large number of candidates and passes a declining percentage of them, a reflection perhaps on the changes in society when viewed against the perceived requirements of the army. Those that pass selection and then training are (in the army's opinion) performing well on ops.

I think there is more of an issue with the through training and education of the officer corps then there is with initial selection, training and performance on operations. Our challenge is how to encourage robust, professionally competent and flexible thinking officers within an organisation that is inherently conservative and hierarchical. Perhaps we do not want to encourage flexibility and (mental) agility across the officer corps but nurture not penalise what we have, recognising that it is a necessary talent pool?