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Government

The Army Is Overhauling its Battalion Commander Selection Process

2019-11-12

[MIL.com] Army officers bucking for a battalion command will soon have to go through a five-day assessment course aimed at evaluating their mental and physical potential for the sought-after assignment.
Nicely done. Yet another quota gate.
Beginning in January, officers selected from the lieutenant colonel centralized selection list will attend the Battalion Commander Assessment Program (BCAP) at Fort Knox, Kentucky, according to a recent Army news release.

Until now, battalion commanders have been selected by a board review of personnel files.
Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) knows best. Please get with the program.
"We spend more time and more money on selecting a private to be in [75th] Ranger Regiment than we do selecting what I would argue is one of the most consequential leadership positions in the Army, our battalion commanders," Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said in October at the Association of the United States Army's annual meeting, according to the release.

Posted by:Besoeker

#8 Yeah, I want to know the criteria for these evals.

"Oh, you take your oath to the Constitution as sacred? Clearly you are a crazy person. Next!"

Posted by: charger 2019-11-12 19:33

#7 I don't know enough to tell if this is a good idea or a thinly disguised test of political reliability and/or "old boys" vetting.

Posted by: Mercutio 2019-11-12 16:39

#6 I remember back in the late 70s a new commander (also carried the title of Deputy Commander TRADOC) arrived at Ft Leavenworth. One of the first things he did was have the AG screen all the officer personnel files for those who had been there for more than 5 years. It was time for a new duty assignment for homesteaders.

I believed Congress should have allowed above the limitation on the number of officers on active duty a Pensioners Battalion of retired and purple heart holders to fill the instructor positions in most schools. You are already paying at least half pay anyway. That way you get experience leaders at half the price of existing instructors and freeing up the healthy and younger to fill billets (which seldom are at 100% manning).

Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-11-12 15:33

#5 So now it will be a PT test and an ass kissing competition at Ft Leavenworth??? This will really turn into academics running battalions. Some LTC that has spent all of his gate years at Leavenworth, West Point, or Benning teaching doctrine will now be the above the center and take command. Right now they have issue with PERSCOM boards picking favorites, just you wait. The coveted Major position will be boot licking at Leavenworth to the COL on the board... Dumb fucking idea brainiacs!

Posted by: 49 Pan 2019-11-12 14:08

#4 Does this degraded situation pre-date Zero's admin, or are he and his identity-politics obsessed crew to blame for f---ing up this too?

Posted by: Lex 2019-11-12 12:16

#3 ..to look over each of the individual personnel files...

Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-11-12 11:51

#2 Promotion boards have been mucked up for so long.

Assemble a board team TDY. Then each board member gets less than a minute to look over the personnel files. With that little time, they're just looking for excuses to pass over anyone and fill quotas.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-11-12 11:50

#1 LTC command selection is the great winnowing for officers in the Army. There are usually 4-6 officers competing per open slot. If you manage to get a LTC promotion, but never get a command you are retired.

Generally, most of the incompetent commanders are weeded out at this point. Some get through of course, but generally they are pretty good at this level for the combat arms units.

For REMF units.... entirely different story.

Posted by: DarthVader 2019-11-12 10:36

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