IMHO based on my experience, there is no problem with the overall quality of combat commanders in US service. Of course I will limit myself to commenting on the USMC. The officers of Marines are brought in from many various programs, PLC,OCC,NROTC, Degree Completion Program/ MCEP/ECP(Mustangs from the ranks), and the Naval Academy. This wild mixture brings people into the Corps officer ranks from every aspect of American Society and the results have been solid. We have a Officer Candidate School (Naval Academy grds don't go to OCS BUT that is a seperate issue NOT worth the argument) and a 6 month long Officer Basic Course before they move on to their Primary Occupational Specialty school. As a grunt former company commander, I have had all kinds of officers to work for and have work for me, the 2ndLt with a PHD in Physics, the best 81mm Platoon Commander I've every met and one of the best officers, the former enlisted admin clerk and drill instructor who was an outstanding platoon commander and company XO; the Annapolis grad who was the personification of the 'follow me' officer. Our system works. There will be 'wonks and wankers' in every rank from Pvt to General, having all combat leaders come from the ranks is not a panacea for success in battle. Proper training and leadership goes a long way to developing the hard charging junior officers that we need in battle. Officers and senior enlisted who take charge and run to the sound of the guns shouting 'come on you bast*rds you want to live forever' ; that is what is needed and there is no set way to find these. The first step comes in the form of them desiring to serve and demonstrating aptitude through physical and mental ability. A 23 yearold college grad who competed to get a ROTC scholarship, who was mentored by active Marines while attending a 4 year school who then is tested at OCS and trained in the Basic School who then competes for a slot at the Infantry Officer Course is going to have a solid background to lead in combat. One of the reasons is because in his training he will be running alongside Academy Grads and Prior Enlisted sometimes one and the same. They will all have the same focus-to be Leaders of Marines.

As far as flying goes, I am not a pilot, so I cannot say BUT again in our system all pilots are Officers, but they come from the same pipelines so some are Mustangs and Some are Academy, some are the College grad who paid his own way and joined the Corps while still maintianing his college loan bills. Again, our pilots are great so the system is working.

I think this is a non-issue. No system is perfect but the one we have is good.

-T