%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 17 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 19 0 R /GS4 20 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250717184629+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250717184629+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1521 >> stream xWrDWrzk8N2l(FCw@-ʹy,(ʶd=ι&Ώz5fNq.<q:yM "/zkIJR|ӄ38LDU73/oe;͐;ϯI(ҳ"g'YSpw4{C[\^gwW4i>Ew>gf¨4"<*F;3;_mi՛UIL$y b.GکŁܳ;5hR]'zL'\6flh!WMO%mG"U ՚n-JUwt??IU3iJ |4R|ݘt/emrV80AW$"I ڸ˶ZQ`8-xuzc>$K4ZC01ش Z|>RP6jɀYᅺ qv9C /^DdS/LvV4u[8Df6m Nqb VlN@$;jـ͢iHGCpsDȦpyN",/0HRzw[_\Ec5X [Ysv^^ %ݍzd(9KU ;"׳Vxe!Ɯ7ølږ 0R>u5 ֘Ak̸G.h1X~"4詩'GM7V^M$1}؀c zCmi vL P9O:od++ e}3H]IBtx 2>JY4gg!lEYl8Cjَ5VC4"  ;uh- 5FtvҖ5+K $O:Ԫr@u5@=cNn|* V[E6P4NS%XDM 0;A شYܓ,s_\1Psw6E4^l [?$ěA ,]ڶZVkq'݅LlRz㝑_kG U԰ B'5n;Dٯ]c_>YG_TEK}Z2V' @1B ""0+z_trs p[6i} 7OaQYۉҰy6N&<ܶyJ7%ohC*iV^ۿ?MN57QzEڍrwҫO@ ۍ^&(^b3UL3R|9ok}7}V2:X  %G endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Times-Italic /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 18 0 R >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1678 >> stream xXM6ϯ( Ͷ,A$`v @KŴDzHϘٿ(ݚ0s܃-^*M" :ӎ~7;kםv|HY>M-zG=|Q ~}˟;4vQz;霖GENANOU΋\$M+Mg{F۩vhq j*W($"c'0k'K1Pe#mNM0{="ݺ]`=QQ+A#y= U+ kN!|\srv?xZ2ZߤlT> N\]I:9]|@=K*X<yZ\v9RϺS0-ٶ`G;i?߈tJN~{[uև%%1Pi%*dvSe,hZǬ {Xcݑ0R6H#n9g&ՓԑaY uvRs,gGS i ж4j{b (FYĪɩQu\2gՋ*i]Ǥ*ݧZUڬڐ=ܾW{)W=&yQ8G TzB.f-9qۊRtpv 3eQaaP̳Vg^,Ճ"DNJ 17s0!Z4UZ@W8A< BPt+'KX!@!G^o $/SQvKV%~1?-h҄ĩ􂯵~th[UvG;_i I.'܄!cҎ<{ vK_I<]%<:fAQyA)kvY*LC5(X5vSAFܨA,=7NN0It+,+4.@G\V5"mb5:͔f!pax#0CÅfțx_O0`#ykЕRXB*L aaa јD)etb2$U4ʐvX%^CR EV* 0 ډ2ͷ6Xp3|ןAP zX'}>Ay.fd<3~d',V`A&>9 \'5(=]#d,= |9OvT-kl*.m QWAO2}rȀK8e]\p8F8uYk;`i4cDI,#8t8EvGzmt<2]K[mSHVFGuIV~^G+$ h[L)2q u@'-xkƆ8$KX7!禑2tw#ZFMZ_i:?<θ\7+t|UG]IU&v_sl}5}Ho/VN endstream endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj xref 0 21 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000401 00000 n 0000000430 00000 n 0000000579 00000 n 0000000682 00000 n 0000002276 00000 n 0000002383 00000 n 0000002491 00000 n 0000002601 00000 n 0000002714 00000 n 0000002825 00000 n 0000002854 00000 n 0000002964 00000 n 0000003023 00000 n 0000003082 00000 n 0000003187 00000 n 0000004939 00000 n 0000004996 00000 n trailer << /Size 21 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<284e93574120779f298495692072b433><284e93574120779f298495692072b433>] >> startxref 5053 %%EOF On the Corner | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

On the Corner

June 2, 2000
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

by Robert Docter – 

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON OFFICERSHIP

Congratulations!

Thank you!

Your recommendations on officership begin a process of such importance to the Army that one cannot overstate the case. This Army needs officers. Your courage brings hope to all who love what the Army was, what it is today and what it can become. The introduction you wrote for the report should be mandatory reading for all officers, soldiers, employees and members. It places into context the role and responsibilities of officers in the 21st century. Your conclusion, with its acknowledgments and affirmations, reveals the intensity and focus of your effort.

General Gowans did not seek my thoughts on the issues surrounding your recommendations, but I will provide him with them in this form.

Space will not allow comments on every recommendation, so I will select those that I perceive to be the most important.

#1 — Leadership models and structures.
It will be difficult to embrace both the military metaphor and movement away from authoritarian leadership. It is, however, not impossible and is in fact essential. One important way to accomplish this end would be to abandon all titles designed to imply a “command” structure. In this country, the letters C.O. identify a corps officer–not a commanding officer. Divisional commanders don’t command anything. Changing the titles will result in changes in identity of the office holder and lead to changes in the way that person relates to those with whom he/she works.

#9-14 — Marriage regulations for officers.
The “envoy” model of marriage regulations works well. The spouses of married envoys are not required to accept this responsibility. Married officers have not lost their calling simply because a spouse has determined that officership isn’t for them. The problem of not paying spouses a separate and equal allowance becomes tragically evident on the occasion of dissolution of the marriage or death of the husband. The wife has absolutely no record of employment anywhere. Moreover, it is ethically intolerable to presume that wives should work without compensation. Whatever dollar problems occur as a result of this change should be remedied with dollars.

#18-20 — Open-ended officer service
What makes us believe that a call to officership is always from youth to 65? We cannot insist this view is valid for all officers.

Officers who choose to leave active officership should be allowed to enter reserve status and maintain their prior rank. Presently, the implied or assumed stigmas against officers who resign push them from the Army. I endorse the proposition that some kind of termination grant be provided on the basis of years of service.

I also believe that cadets entering CFOT be asked to sign a loan statement based on the cost of their two year education. That loan would be “forgiven” after serving as an officer for a designated number of years ­ maybe five years.

#21 Officer service — revision of age requirements
Chronological age is almost meaningless when assessing the potential of a human being. Aban-don this criterion as an entrance requirement to full status. Modify training requirements for experienced personnel, and lose completely the confusing rank of auxiliary captain.

#25 — Officer ranks
Every officer should have a permanent rank–either captain or major. Other ranks should be assigned according to the span of responsibility of the officer’s position. Women and men should not automatically be assigned the same rank simply because they are married. The rank should accompany the position. When an individual leaves a particular assignment, he/she should revert to their permanent rank.

I’m out of space, but this is a start –thanks to a great effort by the Commission.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like