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But he did reach retirement, according to the Original Poster.
Yes, he hit about 26 yrs. but wanted to stay in, not so much to get a full bird Col. but just to keep flying. How that man loved flying; probably would have been happy with a demotion. Not surprising that his ardent hobby was birdwatching
Actually, yes, there is for LTC (O-5) and COL (O-6). They may stay in until 28 years of officer service for a LTC, 30 for a COL. Enlisted service doesn't count against those years, so someone who made the jump at 8 years and made LTC would be able to stay in until 36 total years of service.
However, with the downsizing the Army, at least, has convened 'selective early retirement boards' to mandate retirement for some LTCs and COLs earlier than those times...LTCs who were passed over twice, and COLs who have been in grade for several years.
Georgia,
I agree with you on flag ranks and if the lieutenant colonel was reserve component (no allusion to them because their rules are so different). LTC (or O-5 in other active services) is per the twice non-select I mentioned (at the age where I have friends and former bosses that hit this after O-6 boards). For reference for us (Army): AR 600-8-24, section 5-9. Other Services would be the same as all our regs reflect USC. Agree with all else, though.
Yes, he hit about 26 yrs. but wanted to stay in, not so much to get a full bird Col. but just to keep flying. How that man loved flying; probably would have been happy with a demotion. Not surprising that his ardent hobby was birdwatching
Calvert,
Then that career wasn't really rotten was it. He made retirement (easily) which is more than a good number can say. Bird watching. Dang
I agree with you on flag ranks and if the lieutenant colonel was reserve component (no allusion to them because their rules are so different). LTC (or O-5 in other active services) is per the twice non-select I mentioned (at the age where I have friends and former bosses that hit this after O-6 boards). For reference for us (Army): AR 600-8-24, section 5-9. Other Services would be the same as all our regs reflect USC. Agree with all else, though.
I should have been more clear I was only referring to the Army. It's definitely 28 and 30 in the Army unless SERBed. I have no basis for saying any of the other services allow you to go past 2x nonselect, but if they don't: well, I learned something today.
To the OP: my sympathy level for someone who is blaming politics or spouse not kissing a superior officer's rear for not making it past 26 is 0. The officer actually didn't make it because, in the judgement of a duly convened and impartial board, his performance and potential was simply not as good as those who were selected. Any other explanation is simply a pity party, and any other result would have kept him filling a slot some other officer who was still hungry and still contributing and still had a shot at contributing at higher levels deserved more.
'But I want to keep flying!' Get a civilian pilot's license and pay for it.
No military experience here, but I never did understand their "up-or-out" policy. Why would you want to fire somebody with umpteen years experience, and is probably as comfortable and assured (in a good way) as it is possible to be in military life, and that just because they didn't get promoted from lieutenant commander to commander? If you're the LCDR who gets discharged, what happens if it turns out that your replacement can't hack it?
Does this rule apply to all officers, i.e. including professional specialists like JAG officers and medics, or only to those who command fighting soldiers?
I don't know about the Navy, but many Army officers are in a young man's job. You can't have men with failing physical capabilities commanding combat units. There just isn't room for all those line officers in the upper echelons. Once you reach field grade ( major and above ) and wear the scrambled eggs on your hat brim, you are more secure because you are expected to lead from behind. When I was in, admittedly many years ago, the big jump was captain to major. I saw captains promoted to major and Lt. Colonel even though they were overweight and out of shape, because they had skills the Army needed. I don't think they were secure to retirement until they got their full bird, but the atmosphere there was too thin for me.
The officer actually didn't make it because, in the judgement of a duly convened and impartial board, his performance and potential was simply not as good as those who were selected. Any other explanation is simply a pity party, and any other result would have kept him filling a slot some other officer who was still hungry and still contributing and still had a shot at contributing at higher levels deserved more.
There seems to be an underlying premise that an officer who stays too long at a particular rank will become less and less capable and effective, despite having proved his or her ability to handle the job. How did this come to be? Is it a holdover from ancient times when, perhaps, junior captains knifed their way to the top? Sort of like that ST:TOS episode with the Bizarro Enterprise? I'm not denying that if you're an ensign or 2nd Lieutenant at 45 years of age there's something wrong, but for higher field ranks you'd think experienced officers would be treated as reliable assets, promoted or not.
There seems to be an underlying premise that an officer who stays too long at a particular rank will become less and less capable and effective, despite having proved his or her ability to handle the job. How did this come to be? Is it a holdover from ancient times when, perhaps, junior captains knifed their way to the top? Sort of like that ST:TOS episode with the Bizarro Enterprise? I'm not denying that if you're an ensign or 2nd Lieutenant at 45 years of age there's something wrong, but for higher field ranks you'd think experienced officers would be treated as reliable assets, promoted or not.
I suggest you look up the 'Peter Principle'. Promotions are supposedly based on performance and potential to the next higher grade. In reality, people get promoted to a certain rank and find themselves at the limit of their ability: if they didn't hit that limit and suddenly begin demonstrating mediocrity, they would have been promoted to the next rank.
Additionally, by keeping them in, you are being real nice-but not providing promotion opportunity to those coming up. If people are hanging on for dear life, we are not growing our future leadership.
Eventually you reach promotion stagnation. How is that doing a service for the guy who WANTS to be promoted past LT, but all the higher ranks are occupied by officers who simply won't leave?
I suggest you look up the 'Peter Principle'. Promotions are supposedly based on performance and potential to the next higher grade. In reality, people get promoted to a certain rank and find themselves at the limit of their ability: if they didn't hit that limit and suddenly begin demonstrating mediocrity, they would have been promoted to the next rank.
In all honesty, I have no military experience and know next to nothing about practical leadership, but I'd assumed that in any hierarchical organization it takes different skill sets for different levels of management, and that ideally everyone more or less reaches their best fit in terms of how high up on the totem pole they rise. Obviously the type of leadership expected of a project leader is different from that needed from a CIO, which again differs from what the CEO does.
Perhaps I'm looking at this wrong; is it more like school, where promotion to the next grade or year is expected, and failure to obtain that tells the world that you really can't handle the grade you're in, let alone progress to more advanced material?
I was going to bring up the Peter Principle, actually.
1. your wife did not kiss a superior officer's wife's a$$ by attending her parties or schmoozing with her, etc.
My mother spoke of that in WW II, and I saw it in the Cold War.
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Not surprising that his ardent hobby was birdwatching
