As we have recently celebrated the 80th anniversary of one of the greatest military events in American history, this article should cause us all to pause and reevaluate the military leaders that we promote. Do we currently have a George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, or Teddy Roosevelt Jr. in the general officer ranks of the U.S. military?
The question above shouldn't be watered down to the simplistic, do we have good generals today, question. Of course, there are good generals today. Good people who work insanely dedicated and devoted hours and who sacrifice of themselves and their families to get a lot of things done.
That isn't what we should be thinking about when pondering the question in the first paragraph. Do the United States of America and the Department of Defense create the kinds of officers that it used to create in terms of competence, creativity, and grit? That is my question. I have had the opportunity to work closely with more than a dozen general officers and to observe many dozens more and I can only think of one, maybe two or three, who truly 'got it' when it came to embracing the operational environment.
Therefore, my answer to my above question is a resounding and emphatic, NO!
I do not think that each general or flag officer is to blame for this problem. They are a product of a system that encourages mediocrity and rewards staying the safe course. While most generals encourage officers to read, I have heard only one general encourage students to study hard. I have not seen a single current Fox Conner who in the 1920s and 1930s encouraged, mentored, and instilled drive and pursuit of excellence in the hearts and souls of many of the WWII generals.
Performance in Iraq and Afghanistan in combination with the commentary and advice to the Ukrainians and the Israelis since 2022 and 2023, respectively, have shown that many senior U.S. military leaders lacked the requisite understanding of war, the operational environment, strategy, and logic associated with warfighting.
In so far that a god is that which creates a thing then the generals and admirals of today are children of a lesser god in that the system that created them is lesser than the system that created the generation of leaders who led across the beaches of Normandy some 80 years ago. Yes, the technology in the classroom is much better in 2024 as are all of the accoutrements of education, but the heart of a system that encouraged leaders to immerse themselves in their profession and the associated knowledge, skills, and abilities is gone.
In 2024, there are many things that are more important to the officer and to the professional military education system than warfighting.
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