The selection process for advancement for all the branches has grown more Byzantine and as a result it is much much more political. We are fortunate that our technology has not been treated with the same level of disrespect, but this cannot continue without incurring serious leadership dieback that causes us to lose effectiveness, readiness and will to act, and to have wisdom in our actions and the advise we provide the CiC. Every branch has had its purges. This needs to be reversed. In a world filled with perils we need more Halsey's, Patton's, Puller's & Boyd's, but the enemy within is doing more damage than any external threat could have hoped to accomplish.