Col. Robert McCormick during the First World War.
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Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 here)
Military mid-level management
McCormick’s military career couldn’t be replicated today. In today’s United States military, either a college student is recruited to take classes in military leadership, or an enlisted man is selected to attend officer candidate school. Then, after 12 years of service, he may be promoted to Major. At no time during those 12 years can the soldier leave the service, and he must serve in a series of specific jobs. Any deviation from the norm means no promotion.
Many people enlist or are commissioned with the idea of gaining military experience prior to going into another field. As a result, talented people leave quickly. In McCormick’s case, the military was...