One of the things I have noticed throughout my time as an Officer - and now that I'm "officially" part of the problem - is that very few Officers below O4 take the time to understand their place in the pecking order when it comes to year/screen groups, promotion zones, and who their competition is within the same squadron/ship/command. Part of "fixing" the FITREP/promotion system in the military is understanding your place in it. And for many, that doesn't occur until it is too late. My .02c