The Army has never been known for being highly flexible in it’s institutional thinking with regards to rank/grade, leadership roles, schooling etc... Some of that has to do with locked in perceptions by senior grade officers and NCOs with their own agendas and some of it is budget/operational driven. Wartime has a way of cutting through the bs and fitting roles and ranks to what it takes to complete the wartime mission, but it’s usually a transient application that gets pushed aside in peacetime.
Agreed. Our Army has historically succeeded in spite of itself, and some of its biggest obstacles have been of its own making. It really is a tribute to the American attitude and spirit and our unique approach to warfighting. I don't think any other army in the world could function in the manner ours has based simply on culture. We have normaly taken a few bloody noses like Kasserine Pass or TF Smith, and bounced back smartly.
The problem I foresee is that the American culture is changing much more rapidly than the Army will be able to adapt, and it's going to have a horrible impact on our ability fight. I hope I'm wrong.