I am a little over half way through reading Colin Powell’s book, “My American Journey.” I am loving it. I’m embarrassed to say that I bought the book when it first came out. It’s been on my shelf for over ten years and I just got around to it. It’s nice to finally be retired.
Even though he had a meteoric career and I just sort of chunked along, we still had a lot in common. I guess that is natural when we both spent a large portion of our lives wearing the green uniform. Each time something popped up in the book, I would think, “Yeah, that happened to me too.” Like buying a home in the Springfield/Burke area while working in the Pentagon. Isn’t it a small world.
As his going away gift from Fort Carson, they gave him a Michael Garman statue. When I left Fort Riley, I got the same. I think his was a cowboy and mine was the old trooper, but let’s not quibble. He didn’t mention whether he paid for his. I paid for mine. Our command decided that it wasn’t fair to have subordinates pay for a senior officer’s going away gift. So, I selected my “gift” from a large number of options and paid for it. Then, at the going away party, the general would present the “gift.” It was hard to be surprised since everyone in the room knew I had purchased it. I still display it proudly on my shelf.
Both Colin Powell and I received killer OERs (Officer Efficiency Reports) and survived them! That is not easy to do and I am sure we realize how lucky we were. His bad OER came when he was a brigadier general and an assistant division commander at Fort Carson. He ran into a situation where the division was run by intimidation and both the general and his wife had a hand in it (Carole and I ran into one of those situation, but we survived). Major General Hudachek, the division commander, rated Powell to be “promoted with contemporaries,” and was totally silent about his future potential. For my military friends, I don’t need to explain, but promoting with contemporaries was the kiss of death. One time, I checked with the Department of the Army and found that 80% of majors were rated “promote ahead of contemporaries.” That means that if you are rated to promote with contemporaries, you are in the bottom 20% (math was always one of my strengths).
Lieutenant General Ross, the deputy commander of Forces Command, was Powell’s senior rater and he just repeated what General Hudachek had said and placed him in the third block, where blocks one and two were reserved for officers on the move. My one experience with General Ross wasn’t any better, but he wasn’t rating me.
I always wondered if I could make it in the military, because trying to be funny can sometimes be inappropriate in the Army and I couldn’t seem to pass up an opportunity. I am also short in height and on one occasion at the Fort Riley Officers Club, I mentioned to the chief of staff and other officers present that putting the tall soldiers in the front of the formation wasn’t fair to the short soldiers in the rear. First, they couldn’t see over the tall soldiers and second, when marching the guys in the back had to really stretch out. The chief mentioned the need for uniformity and I said put the short soldiers up front. It will make the formation look more aerodynamic. Everyone thought it was funny.
About two weeks later at a social event, here comes the chief and Lieutenant General Ross (who is about 6′ 5″). the chief introduced us and told Ross that I was the guy that wanted to put the short soldiers in the front. Ross got right on top of me, leaned over and asked what I had against tall people. It was an amusing scene. He then lectured me on uniformity and appearance and that it was important. I then mentioned that out in front of the formation we had the division G1, G2, G3 and G4 and that the G3 was really tall and that the G2 was short. I suggested we needed a taller G2 or a shorter G3. We were all having a good time and my comments were meant (almost) in jest. However, at the next parade, the division staff lined up G1, G3, G4 and then the G2. I guess I am glad no one got reassigned.
Getting back to General Powell’s OER, it appears that along with the formal rating system, general officers have an informal system. In Powell’s case, General Cavazos, the FORSCOM Commander, was looking out for him and recognized that things were not as they appeared in the formal rating system. General Powell ended up assigned to a two-star billet.
In my case, I was a brand new major working for a more senior major who couldn’t understand why I had been promoted so quickly. The reason was we were in the middle of the Vietnam War ramp up and people were getting promoted more quickly. He was forever competing with me. You really don’t want to compete with your rater. What made matters worse was that after he would insist on competing, he would lose. It was my worst experience in the Army He came into my office one day to talk about ratings. He said he would never give anyone lower than a 92, because he wouldn’t want to kill them. At that particular time, ratings were so inflated that anything but a 99 or 100 would be devastating. He gave me a 92. I am convinced that our earlier conversation was so that I would know that he was giving me his lowest rating.
At that time, the system consisted of a rater and an endorser. What saved me was the staff judge advocate was my endorser and he gave me 100 and noted that I was the best major in his office. Fortunately, I was not to be considered for lieutenant colonel for seven years. The Vietnam War was winding down and few were getting promoted. I had plenty of time to build up my file.
General Powell and I were both assigned to V Corps in Frankfurt, Germany and both lived in a senior housing area in the town of Bad Vilbel. Not at the same time. And, we both had our tours cut short. I was selected to be the Commandant at The Army Judge Advocate General’s School and he was asked by President Reagan to be his Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. If I hadn’t come back early, I would have been his SJA. As it turned out, he came down to The JAG School for legal orientation before he went to V Corps. Along with the instructors bringing him up to date, I had a chance to brief him on what to expect when he arrived at V Corps.
I’m going to get back to the book. I can’t wait to see how it ends. I hope he gets his fourth star.