U.S. Army faces shortage of junior officers-memo

[Barrett808]

Source: Reuters

U.S. Army faces shortage of junior officers-memo
By Kristin Roberts

WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army, stretched thin by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has only half of the senior captains it needs and will offer money and other incentives to keep those officers, according to a memo obtained by Reuters on Monday.

The number of senior captains, or captains closest to promotion, stands at just 51 percent of the Army's requirements, according to a memo from Col. George Lockwood, director of officer personnel management at the Army's Human Resources Command.

Lockwood said the strains of the U.S.-declared "Global War on Terror" had contributed to the shortage of officers at the rank of captain.

Previous decisions to promote officers more quickly to meet targets for Army majors -- the rank above captain -- also had hurt the number of junior officers available, he said.

"The Army is growing and implementing a number of programs to increase accessions, but new lieutenants will not substitute for senior captains," Lockwood wrote. "We must retain the talented officers we have developed and are seeking an aggressive overall company grade retention rate of 95 percent in all branches."

Read more: http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14325579.htm

[tabasco]

1. Wait a minute! What about the college republicans???

Why aren't they all in ROTC?

They support this war in Iraq so they should be anxious to get to the "central front", as the neocons call it.

[jody]

2. I propose giving every Repug under 45 with a college degree a direct commission as Captain. Put Up

or Shut Up!

[cloudbase]

4. Don't do that!

You'd lose the respect of the lieutenants and enlisted men.

[jody]

5. On the other hand it could provoke a mutiny. n/t

[RL3AO]

8. Good way to get soldiers executed.

[tanyev]

3. There's 5 strapping Romney boys available.

[kineneb]

6. why do I keep thinking of the later Roman Empire...?

military overstretched, economy about to hit the skids, corruption at every level of government...

and why does this lack of officers not surprise me?

[BlueIris]

7. Yeah, the officer class is bailing.

And can you blame them?

Thanks, W.