Reinventing the Army Leadership System

The United States Army faces many challenges, both on the field of combat and in its ranks, and the environment in which the military operates is changing more rapidly than the institution itself. The first step in facing these challenges is to revamp how the Army chooses its leadership - for the leaders of an institution determines its success and failure.

While tradition is honored and sustained in the military, the current method of choosing leaders is an increasing source of weakness. Not only has the nature of conflict changed, but also the nature of our society. Change is difficult for any organization, but if the quality of military leadership is increased, then the quality of performance will increase, as well. I perceived two major problems with the United States Army's rank system: the enlisted promotion system and the officer corps.

The division between office and enlisted has traditionally been one of class and education. Officers were the educated upper class, bred and taught to be aware of the situation, both historically and current. They were taught to lead and think strategically. The enlisted were the middle and lower classes, who were expected to take the ideas and plans of the officers and put them into action. As society and warfare have developed, so have the roles and responsibilities of the officers and the enlisted. The skills and knowledge base required to preform many of the jobs in today's Army eradicates the traditional distinction between officer and enlisted. With the removal of this distinction the traditional method of promotion for both of these groups needs to be reevaluated.