Command bottleneck

In my CLC3 class of about 120, about 20 of us were sent to Korea. Of that number, about half (including me) went to the same sustainment brigade. As I recently learned, that's a really big number for a brigade to take in, and it puts the brigade commander in a difficult position.

All brigade commanders like to keep their talent, and will only let captains go if 1.) there's a significant career opportunity elsewhere that they can't match, and 2.) they like the captain. If either of those is lacking, well, tough cookies -- you're not leaving. The problem right now is that there are 24 logistics captain slots between the brigade and its subordinate 3 battalions but only 9 company commander slots.

Granted, some of these 24 captains are already command complete, while others don't want command and are simply biding their time until they get out, but still -- that's a lot of people to cycle through. In order to be branch-qualified, you have to spend at least a year in a "key developmental position," and this recent surge of captains doesn't help.

Considering that most of us are on roughly the same two-year timeline, here's what I think will happen:

1. Some people are just plain not going to get a command. That will be a raw deal -- to have spent two years someplace and not get offered a command -- but I think it'll happen to someone.
   
2. The brigade commander will have no choice but to release some people.

It's that second one that I hope for, because there are commands that are closer to my parents-in-law that I'm interested in, even if I have to wait about a year.

My biggest fear, though, is that I sign on for a third year only to have that used against me -- having to "step out of line" because, from a commander's point of view, "he's got time." From a personnel management point of view, I look forward to seeing how things work out -- what decisions are made. However, because my own career track in on the line, the whole thing makes me a bit more anxious than curious.