Policies, Procedures, and People: The Initial Selection of U.S. Military Officers

Abstract

Officer selection and commissioning in the U.S. is notable for the variety of programs, both within and between the Service branches. Although the initial selection process is central to the development of a volunteer, professional cadre of officers, the emphasis is more on "growing" military officers rather than on the initial selection process itself. Selection and training are continuous processes revolving around an "up or out" philosophy; in fact, the promotion system, beyond the scope of this paper, is an integral part of the system. As noted earlier, the U.S. approach to officer selection is to identify intelligent men and women of good character who can be trained to provide the leadership and management of the armed forces.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADP010347

Entities

People

  • Jane M. Arabian
  • Jennifer A. Shelby

Organizations

  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Air Force
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Health Care
  • Instructors
  • Marine Corps
  • Military Education
  • Personnel Management
  • Physical Fitness
  • Reserve Officer Training Corps
  • Schools
  • Service Academies
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States Air Force Academy
  • United States Naval Academy

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.