Quote:
Originally Posted by strelnik
I hope it is not a surprise to anyone, but the military personnel system weeds people out at certain leve;ls.
On the enlisted side: E-5, E-7, E-8 for various levels of skill and thinking capability.
Ditto with the officer and warrant officer corps:
Many captains never make major, many majors never make lieutenant colonel, many LTCs NEVER make O-6 bird colonel.
It's for a reason: they are not up to the task.
Many warrants never make CW3 for that reason.
CW5 is a different story: some senior CW4s don't participate for CW5, because it means leaving the technical specialty you have done all your life to become a full-time paper-stamper for very little money and less respect.
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This is all absolutely true, but could be misleading to some.
Yes, if a perrson in the military is passed over for promotion too many times, ESPECIALLY if commissioned, they will be out. That said, this does NOT mean that in all cases that someone is passed over, does it mean that they are incompetent.
In the military, there are different jobs, just like in civilian life. People have to have the correct skill set for the job they are filling. Some job specialties are more competitive than others.
Example, a pilot! There are a limited number of slots for pilots and there is no shortage of people who want to filll those slots. A fellow I worked with, flew several different fighters in Vietnam with success. He was a mild mannered guy, at least for a fighter jock. He was not really the competitive type. He was bounced out after being passed over for Major a few times.
As far as military people being successful on the outside, there are lots of things learned and experience gained in the military that transfer very well to the outside.
There aren't very many places to work as a very young person, where you can gain such a high level of responsibilty at a young age. Having experience while at the same time having LOTS of responsibility, will temper a persons work performance and work ethic pretty quickly.
Maybe it's coincidental, but my very best bosses, who also were the ones I connected with have ALL been ex military. Maybe part of the reason for this is that I am also ex Military and this helped me to connect with them.