How do you become a general?

Patience, persistence & a bit of "luck." Patience - it is not about "deserving" the promotion but fitting the need when a vacancy arises, & being fully qualified, eligible & available. Since these promotions also require Congressional approval, you may find splinters from earlier in your career. Persistence - Flag Rank Officers either get selected earlier than usual because of urgent needs, and this is a hard spot to find yourself in, or later in your career than you may have wanted or expected. A lot of contenders are willing to gain a march or "lap" you on the track, so press on. It is not about "you." A bit of luck - being @ the right time @ the right place earlier in your career may make you exactly the right person later. Hooah!

Eigentlich ganz einfach 🙃. Zunächst einmal sollte man Berufssoldat sein und seine Offizierslaufbahn vollständig durchlaufen. Auch sollte man es sich zur Gewohnheit machen, zu den Besten zu gehören. Mit einer guten Portion Glück 🍀 wird man irgendwann in das Spitzengremium des militärischen Managements befördert.

1. Identify the location and hours of your branch for effective planning. 2. Build relationships with staff to receive attentive service and personalized advice. 3. Monitor special offers and exclusive promotions to save money and explore new opportunities.

1. Networking is essential in the military for career advancement, facilitating connections with peers, superiors, subordinates, and civilians who can offer support, feedback, and guidance. 2. It provides valuable insights into diverse roles and opportunities within one's branch and the armed forces, aiding in career development and exploration. 3. Opportunities for networking abound through formal programs like mentorship and professional associations, as well as informal channels such as social media and events, enabling individuals to expand their networks effectively.

1. Ascending to the rank of general hinges on showcasing adept leadership skills, effective communication, and commitment to organizational values and objectives. 2. This entails managing complex situations, inspiring others, and embodying integrity and professionalism while actively seeking diverse responsibilities and opportunities for growth. 3. Demonstrating potential involves a proactive approach to embracing challenges, seeking feedback, and consistently refining one's abilities to excel in leadership roles.

One thing I have seen over & over again is that to become a general officer you have got to be a ‘status quo defender.’ Usually, the ability to defend the status quo is a big part of being selected for colonel/captain. The Services may talk a lot about encouraging innovation & creative thinking, but they ultimately reward those who protect the system from transformative change. The last few years especially have seen many great bold ideas come forward to regain the force design initiative in the great-power competition against our pacing threats, but the scale and pace of change have remained small and slow, respectively, which means we remain in our reactive status quo - reacting to the initiative of our peer and near-peer pacing threats.

You are correct Gary. It’s the war of two cultures. The first camp is the ones who have been bloodied by experience and have done everything to build up to win yesterday’s fight. The other camp is looking to the future realizing todays capabilities will not be enough or the right type for Tomorrows fight. They know they must start to modernize and change before it’s too late. Both camps fight each other internally which slows progress and change. Ultimately the pace of Change must come from the top. I credit General Berger with what he accomplished but there is still much more to do in FD2030.