West Point

[retdetsgt]

Many of the pilots in the flying squadrons I was stationed in were from the Air Force Academy and it was always interesting to watch how effective they were compared to those who were not.

I don't know squat about the AF, but in the Army I would agree that field grade (major and above) and generals out of West Point are probably better equipped. Not so much with Army company grade (captain and below). I served with some good guys from Hudson High, but I wasn't generally all that impressed with them at the bottom feeder level. I have no desire to get into that though.

[Trip]

I have an entirely different view of people who drop out of basic training as opposed to those who decide to drop out of the academy after two years.

Roger, now I got where you're coming from I would agree with that.

[Trip]

I don't know squat about the AF, but in the Army I would agree that field grade (major and above) and generals out of West Point are probably better equipped. Not so much with Army company grade (captain and below). I served with some good guys from Hudson High, but I wasn't generally all that impressed with them at the bottom feeder level. I have no desire to get into that though.

I've seen some good ones and some bad ones at all levels. When I was in Iraq working closely with the Army, the West Point general I worked around was really political and arrogant. To be honest, I don't have a problem with either if you're good at the "leading your troops" part, but I thought he was better at the political and arrogant part than the leadership part. But again, I hesitate about any generalizations

[retdetsgt]

I've seen some good ones and some bad ones at all levels. When I was in Iraq working closely with the Army, the West Point general I worked around was really political and arrogant. To be honest, I don't have a problem with either if you're good at the "leading your troops" part, but I thought he was better at the political and arrogant part than the leadership part. But again, I hesitate about any generalizations

I don't think arrogance is mandatory to make general, but political is. Again, I have no idea about other branches, but when I was in the Army, the WPPA (West Point Protective Assn) was no secret by any means. The CIB (Combat Infantry Badge) was the most prostituted award in Vietnam. Every infantry officer knew that he had to have it in order to be promoted after the war. In order to get it, you have to be assigned to infantry, be in actual combat and under hostile fire (and be colonel or below). A good number got theirs by flying over combat zones tucked safely at high altitude in something like a C-135. Oddly enough all I knew of that did that attended the school on the Hudson

From what I saw, leadership was important only in that you better not do anything terribly stupid. Beyond that, it was a matter of getting your card punched as you get the required assignments as you move up the ladder. And that's where the WPPA comes into play. Some ROTC grad probably isn't going to have the horsepower to get those assignments as they are needed.

Beyond that, yeah, it's hard to make generalizations. People are people. It's just some are more equal than others at certain times. I can't say for certain with them all, but there were a few that I felt would sell me in a heartbeat to buy a medal or even an atta boy, much less a chance for promotion. I never got that from any OCS or ROTC guys I served with. But again, I served with some good guys that were West Pointers too.

That was a long time ago, it might be different now, I dunno.