By ANDRE FRANCISCO
The U.S. military's top-heavy command structure is the result of "star creep," the trend over the last 20 years of adding more and more generals and admirals to do work that could easily be performed by lower ranking officers, POGO National Security Fellow Ben Freeman told a Senate panel today.
The military has more generals and admirals now than at any time since the end of the Cold War -- the average general and admiral has nearly 500 fewer personnel under their command than in 1991. Freeman told the panel about the problems this creates,
This progression towards a more top-heavy force is a burden for taxpayers and military commanders. The cost of officers increases markedly with their rank, so taxpayers are overpaying whenever a general or flag officer is in a position that could be filled by a lower ranking officer. Additionally, some military personnel experts say unnecessarily top-heavy organizations hinder military effectiveness as they slow decision cycles.
Freeman testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Personnel. Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) were present at the hearing along with representatives from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. Testifying with Freeman were Vice Admiral William Gortney, director of the Joint Staff, and Clifford Stanley, the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
Stanely and Gortney testified that a review of flag officers had found a number of efficiencies that allowed for the removal of more than 100 flag officer positions, but the Senators pushed for a more comprehensive review of the roles and missions of flag officers. They also requested a deeper look into how flag officers are allocated across the various military branches. Part of Freeman’s testimony focused on this uneven distribution.
The Army and Marines, which bear the greatest burden in the war on terror, have added far fewer top brass than the Navy and Air Force. In fact, the Navy and Air Force have each added more top brass than the Army and Marines combined, and the Navy and Air Force added this top brass while cutting more than 70,000 enlisted personnel and lower ranking officers
For more, read Freeman’s entire testimony and the written material he submitted to the panel or watch a webcast of the hearing.
Andre Francisco is a POGO Communications Associate.
Photo by Andre Francisco.
Comments