Promotions and Pride

I served for over 20 years in the US Army and had 8 years of ROTC experience before that. Not what you think—I took junior ROTC at Xavier High School, the Jesuit Military Academy of New York. However, throughout all those years, there was one event that always filled me with a sense of accomplishment, strangely combined with a sense of dread—the promotion!

In the military, one's success is measured in three ways when not actually in combat; in that case, it’s measured by surviving, ensuring your unit members survive, or closing in on the enemy with fire and movement to take your objective (or hold it). In other words, winning battles and wars. But across a war or a career, awards and medals for accomplishments, gallantry, and the like are occasionally punctuated by promotions. The Army does not offer cash bonuses like the civilian sector; therefore, promotions (okay, there are longevity steps) are the only tangible means of remuneration...the gift that keeps on giving. And they do stoke the ego...

                                                                                

                                                         Medals are symbols of achievement

While many serving their country may publicly dismiss the need for such recognition, most of these sentiments are sheer nonsense. Almost everyone appreciates acknowledgment, and in the military, promotions serve as the primary form of recognition, aside from gallantry awards. During the era of the Yankee Doodle Spies, the promotion of officers was highly significant.

Silas Dean

And just like their British counterparts, the American officer corps was deeply political. Congress controlled promotions and commands at the highest levels. Officers actively lobbied congressional representatives in their pursuit of advancement. The American agents in France, Silas Dean and Benjamin Franklin, even sought rank and command for foreign officers and civilians. John Adams, disgusted by this military politicking, wrote that he “wearied to Death with the Wrangles between military officers, high and low. They Quarrell like Cats and Dogs. They worry one another like Mastiffs Scrambling for Rank and Pay like Apes for Nuts.”

Military pride nearly cost us our independence. More importantly, a denied promotion or command often played a pivotal role during the war. Note the less-than-honorable service of General Charles Lee, Washington's second-in-command, who avoided overachieving whenever it threatened General Washington's authority. The scheming of General Horatio Gates, victor at Saratoga, became the focus of an anti-Washington cabal aimed at replacing Washington with him. Moreover, pride, as detrimental to the nation's struggle for independence, is most notoriously exemplified by the treason of General Benedict Arnold, whose grievances (and they were numerous) included the unfair denial of a well-deserved promotion to Major General. Each of these men turned against Washington and, consequently, against the cause, due to excessive pride.

                                               
                                                                              Horatio Gates

We often forget that the men who served as our First Patriots were human beings with families and obligations. Promotion signified prestige and honor, which were highly valued traits in the 18th century. These promotions also brought more pay, and most officers, along with all enlisted men, were not wealthy landholders but rather teachers, shopkeepers, small farmers, and so on. Therefore, the prospect of a promotion and the accompanying potential for higher earnings were significant considerations. They all (correctly) assumed that higher rank during the war would translate to greater prestige, which could be beneficial after the war. Again, they weren't much different from folks today. In an ideal world, patriotism would be its own reward. Yet, in reality, patriotism needs to be rewarded fairly.

                                                                             

                                                                         Charles Lee

Unfortunately, a promotion in the Continental Army did not necessarily lead to a pay increase. In fact, payments for officers and enlisted personnel were sporadic. Congress had to request funds from the states to pay the Army, and the states often delayed or reneged whenever they could. Without elaborating here, this nearly brought down the new republic before it even started, and only swift action by George Washington himself prevented a disaster. It also influenced Washington's political views toward a strong central government, one that was self-sufficient enough to fund national defense and the common good. Interestingly, the politics of promotion played a significant role in the war's development and the formation of the country.

                                                                Continental Army Officers