The Pentagon is tricky and treacherous, and can be immensely rewarding. No assignment in the military is more desired, more detested, and more necessary to an officer’s advancement. It is said that Air Force careerists—“Blue Suiters”—would put on track shoes and climb up the backs of their mothers for such an assignment. If an officer is to be promoted rapidly, he must have a protector, a guardian, a rabbi—what the Navy calls a “sea daddy”—to prepare the way. No better protector can be found than a man with stars on his shoulders. A general who bestows his blessings on a young officer can see
The Pentagon is tricky and treacherous, and can be immensely rewarding. No assignment in the military is more desired, more detested, and more necessary to an officer’s advancement. It is said that Air Force careerists—“Blue Suiters”—would put on track shoes and climb up the backs of their mothers for such an assignment. If an officer is to be promoted rapidly, he must have a protector, a guardian, a rabbi—what the Navy calls a “sea daddy”—to prepare the way. No better protector can be found than a man with stars on his shoulders. A general who bestows his blessings on a young officer can see that the officer receives assignments that prepare him for ever-higher commands. A general’s support automatically puts an officer’s career on the fast track. For a Blue Suiter who craves face time with generals, the Pentagon is the ultimate assignment. All the things that make the Pentagon so prized by careerists make it loathed and detested by warriors. The self-promotion and sycophancy and backstabbing treachery are all anathema to a warrior. A warrior wants his country to be prepared for war, to win against all enemies, to prevail at all costs. Duty and patriotism and honor are not buzz words to a warrior; they are his creed. A warrior speaks the truth to generals and congressmen. Being promoted is not the top priority of a warrior. Thus, warriors do not fare well in the Pentagon. But then, there are few true warriors in the Air Force. There are officers of great patriotism, howev...
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Command and control culture
