How generals and admirals get promoted now and how that may change under Trump

[rangerrebew]

How generals and admirals get promoted now and how that may change under Trump

A 'plucking board' of retired generals thinned out senior officers prior to World War II. Trump officials have proposed a similar plan.
Patty Nieberg

Posted on Nov 25, 2024
 
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue's promotion to four-star general was held up in the Senate. 
Army photo by Cpl. Jonathon Downs

 
How the U.S. military chooses and promotes its generals and admirals — the highest-ranking officers in the military — rarely gets attention. That changed this month with reports that officials appointed under President-elect Donald Trump may take a far more direct role in shaping the military’s general officer corps.

Last week, the process that moves three- and four-star generals upwards came to the forefront when a promotion for Army Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue was blocked by a Republican senator — a potential early warning sign of the Trump Administration’s reported plan to target senior military leaders who were in command during the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Donahue was the ‘last man out of Afghanistan‘ as the commander of the 82nd Airborne in the final days of the military’s exit from Kabul and was up for his fourth star to command Army Europe and Africa.

Donahue’s hold-up came just after a Wall Street Journal report that Trump officials have drafted an executive order that could put three- and four-star officers on the chopping block for “lacking in requisite leadership qualities.” To do that, Trump officials may assemble a “warrior board,” according to some reports, of retired generals to review and recommend removals of three- and four-star officers they deem “unfit.” How such a board would define “unfit” remains unclear but Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, has previously talked about firing senior generals who have been “involved in, any of the DEI woke s—,” referring to diversity, equity and inclusion policies, on the Shawn Ryan Show podcast. “Either you’re in for warfighting, and that’s it. That’s the only litmus test we care about.”

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/generals-admirals-promotion-changes-trump/

[Free Vulcan]

A candidate that I helped with his campaign back in the day was a former Major who worked at the Pentagon. He basically said most brass there did nothing but attempt to create their own departments full of staff that basically did nothing but shuffle files back and forth with other similar departments all day.

And I suspect it's got nothing but worse the last 20 years. Should be plenty to cut there.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Seems logical to conduct individual reviews of all brass to first confirm their allegiance to the country, then to their military. Then look for instances wherenon-military practices are suspected.

The country needs competent military people but even more importantly, patriotic ones who prioritize the country and military over themselves.

[AL]

DOD is probably no different than any other DC government office.  Bloated, full of empty suits, paper pushers, and inflated ego's.  Hope Trump thins the DC herd.