How about an emphasis on competence?
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Exactly right.
Knowledge, skills, abilities. And accountability.
Obama and his administration promoted a black woman to full admiral (Michelle Howard) who had zero command experience on warships (a support ship only, and one stint, IIRC) and did this over the advancement of dozens of other naval officers who had sterling and relevant naval service records.
Here is her flag advancement:
Rank Date
Admiral-July 1, 2014
Vice admiral-August 24, 2012
Rear admiral-August 1, 2010
Rear admiral (lower half)-September 1, 2007
Gee. Fast track. Wonder why? But this is one, single example. I suspect this has been going on at all ranks, all specialties for at least the last eight years, perhaps more.
Anyone who thinks promoting people based on something other than ability (such as gender, sexual orientation, skin color, religion, or political affiliation) won’t have a destructive effect on capability is part of the problem.
And we have a problem.