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Army Battles Officer Shortage
Early promotions are used to fill gaps, in violation of regulations
By Caroline Miller
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Posted Mar 14, 07 9:15 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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The War in Iraq has left the Army so short of good officer material that the Pentagon is doling out promotions to unqualified soldiers, according to the Boston Globe. In 2006, the Army promoted thousands of soldiers ahead of schedule and against regulations to fill the void left by exhausted Iraq veterans.
"It doesn't mean that they are all dunderheads," says Andrew Bacevich, a retired Colonel. "But our method of promotion as a means to prepare officers for positions of senior leadership is being broken." The Army is also retaining underachieving or incompetent officers who would normally be discharged or retired.