4 ms·

In the US military as an officer you have a specified amount of time to make the next grade. If you are passed over for promotion too many times career over. Un

In the US military as an officer you have a specified amount of time to make the next grade. If you are passed over for promotion too many times career over. Unsurprisingly this gets more challenging the higher you get with only a 2% chance of moving from O6 to O7. There are also educational requirements, both military and civilian, for each grade as well. So it’s not completely welfare. The benefits offered exist for retention. The military can offer nice benefits because it is the largest employer in the world. It’s like the healthcare and other benefits you get from a corporate employer but much better. The larger the employer the better the benefits tend to get.

dodobirdlord 5y ago
The upper ranks of officers constitute a very small part of all people in the military, and I doubt they are the subject here.
csa 5y ago
> Unsurprisingly this gets more challenging the higher you get with only a 2% chance of moving from O6 to O7. This sounds very stark, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. 1. O6 to O7 is colonel to general (or captain to admiral in the navy). Yes, 2% is a heavy cull. Then again, I think everyone involved sort of wants that cull for the top of the military. O7+ are essentially the equivalent of corporate executives. (Edit: just checked the numbers… I believe 2% is the number of generals expected out of a given class of 2lt. Promotion from colonel to general is a much higher percentage). 2. It’s fairly easy, if motivated and not socially, physically, or intellectually limited, to make it 20 years as an officer. Folks typically end up as majors (career-path bound or lower competence) or lieutenant colonels. Colonels tend to be solid all around, even if some of them have a tragic flaw. Folks capped at major usually retire at 20. Folks capped at lt col usually retire at 24-26 years. 3. Promotion from 2lt to 1lt is pretty much automatic around 2-3 years. Ditto 1lt to captain at around 4-6 years total. The first cull is from captain to major, but a big part of that cull is simply folks who don’t want to re-enlist. Most people who stay in plan on staying for 20 to get retirement. Some folks who want to stay in can’t, but this is relativity rare and is typically due to (lack of) need of the military of their skill, general lack of competence, medical issues, or legal issues (dui, etc.). I wouldn’t feel sorry for most of these people except the medical ones. To get back to the original point, officers don’t quite look like the “welfare” that was being referred to. That said, some of the jobs that veterans are able to get are absolutely middle class welfare. Most vets in federal jobs are awesome and are good at what they do. That said, there is a small percentage of vets in federal jobs who are hellbent on being deadweight.
- austincheney 5y ago
  In the reserves it actually is a 2% chance to make O7. A factor less present in the active duty is old age. Vacant slots are harder to find and fill for a variety of factors.

dodobirdlord 5y ago

The upper ranks of officers constitute a very small part of all people in the military, and I doubt they are the subject here.

csa 5y ago

> Unsurprisingly this gets more challenging the higher you get with only a 2% chance of moving from O6 to O7. This sounds very stark, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. 1. O6 to O7 is colonel to general (or captain to admiral in the navy). Yes, 2% is a heavy cull. Then again, I think everyone involved sort of wants that cull for the top of the military. O7+ are essentially the equivalent of corporate executives. (Edit: just checked the numbers… I believe 2% is the number of generals expected out of a given class of 2lt. Promotion from colonel to general is a much higher percentage). 2. It’s fairly easy, if motivated and not socially, physically, or intellectually limited, to make it 20 years as an officer. Folks typically end up as majors (career-path bound or lower competence) or lieutenant colonels. Colonels tend to be solid all around, even if some of them have a tragic flaw. Folks capped at major usually retire at 20. Folks capped at lt col usually retire at 24-26 years. 3. Promotion from 2lt to 1lt is pretty much automatic around 2-3 years. Ditto 1lt to captain at around 4-6 years total. The first cull is from captain to major, but a big part of that cull is simply folks who don’t want to re-enlist. Most people who stay in plan on staying for 20 to get retirement. Some folks who want to stay in can’t, but this is relativity rare and is typically due to (lack of) need of the military of their skill, general lack of competence, medical issues, or legal issues (dui, etc.). I wouldn’t feel sorry for most of these people except the medical ones. To get back to the original point, officers don’t quite look like the “welfare” that was being referred to. That said, some of the jobs that veterans are able to get are absolutely middle class welfare. Most vets in federal jobs are awesome and are good at what they do. That said, there is a small percentage of vets in federal jobs who are hellbent on being deadweight.

austincheney 5y ago
In the reserves it actually is a 2% chance to make O7. A factor less present in the active duty is old age. Vacant slots are harder to find and fill for a variety of factors.