A little background on my self first (feel free to skip ahead to the 3rd paragraph, but at least you will know the shoes that I have walked in): I was in army cadets for 4 or 5 years, did 4 years in cadet camp, 2 as an instructor. Joined the CF in '88, and saw a little of the Tpr (Pte) to MCpl action happen when I got to Petawawa. In my Sqn, we had 2 crewman Cpl's, and the rest of us were very new, as the Regt had a requirement to fill the ranks out for Cyprus. I saw more than a few jerks fly up the ranks, with no time as a Cpl. I also saw more than a few deserving guys able to move onwards and upwards at an accelerated pace. I then got posted to Gagetown to the tank squadron, did my CLC in 92, because they recognized my true greatness (AKA right place at right time: SHQ). I would argue that one didn't learn a lot of quote leadership unquote on a Combat Leaders Course, none that was really applicable to garrison life, anyway. I guess it was assumed (dangerous word) that it would be taught at the unit. I vaguely remember (on course) having to go through the CFAO's, charge report, write a memo stuff (which hasn't really proven to be useful in the intervening years, as I haven't had the neccesity to have someone recommended for a charge, but I have had to counsel soldiers and write assesments on them, which seemed to be left out of the TP at the time. Then the long freeze: At one point, in our squadron of ~140, we had ONE Pte (who was a tradesman). The majority were Cpl's (and obviously higher) with varying length's of time in rank. I was able to work my way up to Tp Ldr's loader/Tp Cpl, which we referred to as "floor whip", so I was able to get leadership experience (though I wouldn't be so gracious as to say leadership training). Unless you call getting sh&t on for standing up for one of my troops by the Tp MCpl and Sgt, training.
I then had the good fortune to have a Tp WO (who was actually a Sgt) who stood up for me at merit board time, and made me his pet project, I guess (though the toes he stepped on to get me promoted have come back to be the foot that kicked me in the ass, but that's military politics for you....). I was posted to Edmonton, and less than a month later (8 1/2 years after joining) I was promoted to MCpl. It was difficult, in my opinion, going from the new boy on the block (at a new unit), to MCpl a month later, as many thought that I was new to the army (overnight success story.....), and didn't like that a newbie got promoted over them. That's natural in any organization, I suppose. Anyway, I went from being the soldier who toed the party line without (many) question(s), to starting to question some of the stupidity that is unacceptable and unneccesary in the CF. So, much like the term CFL (Cpl for life, for those not in the know), I thought I would be a MCFL (not as catchy......). A sign of how pathetic the military had become at this stage (late 90's) I distinctly remember getting an 'Attaboy' for accepting responsibility for something that happened in our troop, as though it was equivalent to saving someone's life (I'm prone to exageration, so bear with.....). I refer to one of the 10 principle's of leadership (seek and accept responsibility) as "shirk and avoid responsibility" because that seems to be the path of least resistance to the top. Don't even get me started on all the "leadership" shown by the powers that be in the wake of the "Somalia scandal", an event that effected a generation of soldiers in that a lot of trust in the powers that be, was lost. Anyway, after 7 years as a MCpl, with 2 tours to Bosnia in that rank, I was promoted to Sgt, and then I asked to be posted to Gagetown to be an instructor ( for personal and professional reasons).
Here's where my opinion on what CFL brought up, starts: The most formative time for a soldier is spent at the Cpl rank level. As a private, you are taught the basics, and then as a Cpl, you have mastered the basics of your trade, and now it's time to start learning to become a leader. My opinion on automatic promotion to Cpl (or Captain, for that matter): stupidity to the nth degree. I feel that it is rewarding incompetence, and creates mediocrity, or a union-like, job for life mentality. All rank levels should be earned, through performance and training. There should be no shame in staying a private (lance-corporal, whatever) for you career, if that's what you want, or what is your "station" in life. Leave Cpl for leadership or (I dread using this word) management positions. It is a reward for the soldier who has done his bit as a private, and then is a stepping stone for promotion, without being lumped in with all those people who are basically civvies in uniform (i.e no drive, 8 to 4 work-ethic, here for the pay, oxygen thieves, etc). At that level, it can be determined if Cpl Bloggins truly has what it takes to be a leader, or should he remain in a position where he can still put his experience and knowledge to work.
Pushing someone too fast leads to many of the points brought up by George Wallace. I honestly couldn't have imagined being a MCpl at the age of 21 or 22, and being "effective". Sure I could have done it, but it probably wouldn't have been pretty. A lot of people have "faked" it for a long time, and made their way to the top, but that doesn't neccesarily mean that they were effective. I joke that people usually rise to their level of incompetence: the more incompetent, the higher up the totem pole. So, I must only be a middle level incompetent....... With the right guidance and training, people have been able to be put in positions of leadership and authority, with minimal experience and training. Witness the way most militaries train officers: 4 or 5 years of military college, 4 summers of trade related training, and boom, you can lead soldiers into battle. That's the theory, and I guess it has worked to some degree. Personally, I would rather see ALL members of the CF join into the combat arms, do a set period as a "plug", and then once your intelligence, leadership, common sense, tactical ability, etc can be determined, you move on: to be an officer, be a tradesman, an NCO. Too radical, too far off the "normal" way of doing things, I guess. But how does a police force work???? A fire department??? Doesn't everybody start off at the bottom, and then progress. But, what do I know.......
I received a briefing similar to the one that CFL received, and I actually anticipated something like this happening a while back (rapid rank progression), when I realized that the cycle of recruitment from 20 years was coming up. There are a lot of good soldiers who have jumped ship from the combat arms, and the CF, due to the snail's pace of career progression (at NCM level anyway). A lot of good troops have OT'ed because they felt they never had a chance to be a leader in their corps, due to the slow pace and the perceived (and sometimes real) way that bootlickers and "yes" men were rewarded with leadership positions or cushy jobs ("high profile") while soldiers who voiced their opinions about screwed up policies or the like were branded as trouble makers. Some of the attributes that defined a generation of soldiers from not that long ago: hard drinking, fighting, rough around the edges,looking after their buddies, but able to get the job done are put by the wayside while the Ned Flanders style of soldiers are coming to the fore. It was perceived (when I joined) that if you were a Cpl, you were a loser (due to fast promotion rates). And today, I have witnessed a lot of good guys who weren't in the right place at the right time get bypassed by guys who are young and keen. Well, it's easy to be young and keen, when you are young and keen. I know a Cpl (who will remain nameless who was a Cpl when I met him in '90 (I was a no hook Tpr), congratulated me when I got promoted to Cpl, then MCpl, and then Sgt, and although his mouth has held him back, I'm sure he knows more than some of the MCpl's (and Sgt's, WO's, etc) he works for, definitely has more tours than most (Cyprus, UNPROFOR, SFOR, KFOR), but he hasn't given up (completed his PLQ after 16-ish years in), and I look forward to him getting promoted (he is doing the job of a MCpl now). If he doesn't get promoted in favour of someone with more "potential" (read as: more time to rise to the top, and/or still able to be brainwashed into the corporate thinking), I know that the system will have failed.
I would rather have a somewhat disgruntled (but not overly so) Cpl in charge of troops, than a Johnny Cleanboots, no-hook or one-hook straight to MCpl, just because they feel they need to promote people. I see a lot of PLQ's being run where half the students seem to be acting-lacking Master Jacks. Why???? The rationale I have heard is: we need a MCpl in that position, so lets put an unqualified Cpl in there with a leaf, and then train them after the fact. I heard a story about a Cpl who taught on a PLQ, where his boss from his shop (a MCpl) was a student on the course he was instructing on. How much sense does that make? Why race to promote an unknown quantity??? Something that I have seen happen, that I like, is WSE rank (while so employed) for tours. It gives the person a chance to prove themselves, and if they fall on their face, they lose the rank. Otherwise, it takes an act of Parliament to reduce someone in rank, short of complete meltdown. It's a win/win situation for the unit and the soldier.
I put some soldiers through the SQ course a couple of years ago that I expect will beat me to the rank of WO, and definitely to the rank of MWO (I will be a RSM before them, though: Retired Service Member). The army is definitely a young mans game, but I would hate to see them cast a lot of good guys by the wayside, even if they don't have 18 years of service left, in favour of those that do. When people race to the top too soon, they have to wait a LOOOONNNNGGGG time at the WO or MWO level, and I think it's better that soldiers spend that time as a Cpl, learning their skills, knowing what it's like to push a broom, sit on sentry, kitchen duty, etc than skip all that, and then pretend they know what it's like. And age isn't really a disqualifier: I have seen more than a few older people joining lately, with more drive and a higher level of fitness than some of the Generation X-box soldiers coming in. I'm not saying push the older guys faster (I hate the "Well, he's not getting any younger, you know??!?!" mentality to push older guys up the chain..... who is getting any younger?), it's just that, even if a guy is a little older, as long as he's fit and good to go, don't throw him on the scrap heap. Oh, and by the way, I did Mountain Man out west last September, and of all the young privates (that went to 3PPCLI) that I trained on that SQ course, I beat them all (and I was 36). Actually, the RSM of 3PPCLI beat all of them (and me). So, don't sell the oldies short: old age and treachery will also beat youth and enthusiasm, and you can't buy experience, though you can buy Viagra (and a plastic hip), and I think I'll need those in a few years, but that's another story......
Anyway, those are my thoughts, and those, and $1.60, will buy you an extra large coffee at Timmie's, and not much else.
Al
, for the majority it is a short rite-of-passage at the junior Leader level (Officers included 
). It is certainly hard to swallow for the guy with a couple of years more time-in and a tour, but we all have to live with the consequences of our decisions.
