Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success

[sapperfitz82]

Since the JO's are sounding off on an old post and still occurring problem, I will too.

I did the active duty green to gold after 6 years of service. Just finished the Infantry commissioning program and have to say that it was terrible conceptually. The men involved tried their best, but the dissolution of the BOLC II atrocity and the complete re-work of IBOLC's POI should say something.

Long way round, I believe that officer retention is a direct reflection of their IET. Consider that ROTC and USMA tracks both spend 5 yrs to get a new cadet trained to the point that he feels comfortable being a squad leader at most. (Anecdotal I know but suffer the point with me)

These LTs are sorely aware that they are under-prepared. They are told that the PSG will square them away when they get to their unit. Where else in the wide world of sports does the leader of 32-50 men get told that you'll get qualified for the job when you get it? The rest of an officer's company grade time is spent trying to catch up.

I believe the answer is to invest a great deal more in the commission source training. Not when they commission, but when the first volunteer as a cadet. They must be challenged and we must get away from the idea that if we hurt them or challenge them they will quit and we'll lose a potential officer. Contact sports take more risks with their athletes in college that the Army will with their "warrior leaders." A shaky foundation at best and one that is bearing its fruit.

As a mysoginistic aside. We used to look for gentlemen as officers and used the four year degree somewhat to screen for that. Ever since "gentlemen" have fallen out of favor (with no suitable replacement) and four year degrees devolved to certifications, we have suffered as an officer corp. Hmmm.

[Ken White]

...Long way round, I believe that officer retention is a direct reflection of their IET. Consider that ROTC and USMA tracks both spend 5 yrs to get a new cadet trained to the point that he feels comfortable being a squad leader at most...They are told that the PSG will square them away when they get to their unit...I believe the answer is to invest a great deal more in the commission source training.

Well said, only thing I'll add is that over 45 plus years, I discovered early and annually reaffirmed that most 'bad' officers (yes, Virginia, they exist...) suffered from having no or a bad PSG.

Early service as a Marine showed me that the then Basic School graduates with 11 months of training and education on top of their pre-commission training were the best prepared LTs I ever met. Culminating service as a DAC rating four LTCs on an oversized and underworked Staff showed me that poor LTs did not make good LTCs...

[sapperfitz82]

But the point of having a PMI is to get that expertise early on (Like Plebe/MS I year in my estimation) in the commissioning process, I thought.

Really, most of the mechanics for producing better officers is already in place. I feel that we just need to do the hard training that most feel is too dangerous or "beyond" the comprehension of young cadets. Honestly, if we can send PFC's to Ranger school and they succeed, why can't we expect a sophomore in college to lead a platoon in a tactical environment?

We have very low expectations of our pre-commissioned officers and unfortunately, they are met. Much of this bleeds over to the post-commissioned schools feeling they must start at square one to bring everyone up to speed, basically stating that the previous four years was a total waste.

Strangely, I just got an AKO invitation to a virtual conference on how to fix up the officer basic training program. I wonder if anything left of the blast is being seriously considered?

[MikeF]

Well said, only thing I'll add is that over 45 plus years, I discovered early and annually reaffirmed that most 'bad' officers (yes, Virginia, they exist...) suffered from having no or a bad PSG.

Ken,

As a PL, I fired my PSG for being incompetent and pissing himself when we actually got into combat. My BN CSM worried over the same thing that you observed.

"LT Few, I'm worried about you. In my experience, every LT with a bad PSG became a bad officer."

I replied, "Sergeant Major, don't worry. He's just a man. I talked to the other PSG's and my own SL's to get to know the NCO corps."

As a commander, I had 4 1SGTs for various reasons mostly due to promotion to SGM. Three were stellar, and I had to fire one for worse abuses.

It is what it is. I judged each man on his own merit.

Unless you're thinking that I'm a bad officer .

[Ken White]

Unless you're thinking that I'm a bad officer .

However, they will continue to watch...

As a PL, I fired my PSG for being incompetent and pissing himself when we actually got into combat. My BN CSM worried over the same thing that you observed.

Actually, only a Commander can relieve (one reason the Marines call them Platoon Commanders...) but most follow the PLs recommendations. Regardless, if he was that incompetent -- and they exist; even worse examples exist -- he shoulda been gone and good riddance. The pissing is forgivable, anybody can have that happen at inopportune times with the right provocation.

It is what it is. I judged each man on his own merit.

As you should. As we all should...

[MikeF]

However, they will continue to watch...

Great, now I'm paronoid.

Your spies would be better off judging the success of my subordinates O's and NCO's. The boys are doing well as CO's, 1SGTs, and PSGs. I'm proud of them. Far better than I've done. Of everything that I've done, I feel that their success is my greatest accomplishment.

I realize my experience is not the norm. I only mentioned it b/c I thought it should be said.