Army Reserve Promotion Without Training

Abstract

The Army Reserve promotion system is significantly different from the Army Active component promotion system. Soldiers wishing to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the United States Army Reserve (USAR) are not required to stand before a promotion board, they are not required to attend the Army's Warrior Leaders Course, and they do not have to prove their ability to lead. This is an ethical problem that the Army and the Army Reserve leadership must look into. We are a nation at war, and we deserve to have the very best leading the very best. We cannot promote Soldiers to Sergeant the same way we did during the Cold War. We need a new promotion system that works to identify, train, and promote the very best. The Army faces an ethical issue in promoting Soldiers to the noncommissioned Officer (NCO) ranks without the training necessary to be ready for that kind of commitment and responsibility. As senior NCOs, we have the responsibility of ensuring that Soldiers are ready for the responsibility inherent in those positions. In this time of war, preparing Soldiers to lead others into combat is the most important thing we do. We do not want leaders who are in it for the money or the prestige. We want leaders who have leadership ability. Time in service is another aspect of the promotion system that should be looked into.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 07, 2007
Accession Number
ADA596597

Entities

People

  • Jon M. Jensen
  • Richard B. Adams Jr

Organizations

  • United States Army Sergeants Major Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Cold War
  • Education
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Information Operations
  • International Organizations
  • Iraqi-War
  • Leadership
  • Leadership Training
  • Noncommissioned Officers
  • Physical Fitness
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States
  • Vietnam War
  • War

Readers

  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Strategic Security Studies