I certainly agree that not everyone can stay in for 20, but there are plenty of militaries that successfully maintain 'non-command' tracks for officers (the French Navy comes to mind), which allows them to keep a cadre of experienced guys around even if they're not climbing a ladder. Insomuch as we do that at all, the guys disappear into OP-T or FTS and don't keep their experience in their home community.
The Navy is way too focused on selecting dudes to be admirals. That's what our fitrep and promotion system is optimized for, to the detriment of everything else. Not everyone can or should get a flag, no, but our current system of "if you're not going to be an admiral, hit the bricks" is obviously not so great. There's a million reasons a good guy can wind up FOSing. Likewise we all know tactically sound guys and good sticks who may be great instructors or tactical thinkers but probably shouldn't be in command.
My point is that the Navy kind of makes its own problems by insisting on a rigid career progression "right billets" and career gates....there's no reason to do it that way, other than that's how we do it. It's losing experience and expertise in the name of having a "who colors inside the lines the best" contest. I'll give you a for-instance: I know several guys who did the OPEVAL for the E-2D...why not send them to the FIT or the RAG and help do the fleet transitions? Cuz that'd be back-to-back shore duty and that's just not done, old boy.
The Navy is way too focused on selecting dudes to be admirals. That's what our fitrep and promotion system is optimized for, to the detriment of everything else. Not everyone can or should get a flag, no, but our current system of "if you're not going to be an admiral, hit the bricks" is obviously not so great. There's a million reasons a good guy can wind up FOSing. Likewise we all know tactically sound guys and good sticks who may be great instructors or tactical thinkers but probably shouldn't be in command.
My point is that the Navy kind of makes its own problems by insisting on a rigid career progression "right billets" and career gates....there's no reason to do it that way, other than that's how we do it. It's losing experience and expertise in the name of having a "who colors inside the lines the best" contest. I'll give you a for-instance: I know several guys who did the OPEVAL for the E-2D...why not send them to the FIT or the RAG and help do the fleet transitions? Cuz that'd be back-to-back shore duty and that's just not done, old boy.