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Success is how high you bounce

When you hit bottom
General George S Patton,
US Army

INTRODUCTION

Not only the military, should all people be professional in their subject to be master. Being a
member of a Sri Lanka Army as a practitioner, we have to often focus on leadership qualities,
man management, time management, recognizing referral sources and managing situations
within our direct control and influence. Some occupations are just too big to handle
individually, and it needs group work to achieve success. Army in every nation also takes
such a situation, and it needs to groom each and every individual to fulfill their own task to
fulfill the requirement of the organization. In this context, after the thirty years of brutal war
with Tamil extremists, Sri Lanka Army has changed its face into professional while setting
up several conditions to groom specially its junior-level commanders. Sri Lanka Army uses
various personnel management systems to classify officers in different specialties which they
receive specialized and formal training once they successfully completed basic cadet course
at Sir John Kothalawala Defense University in RATHMALANA and Sri Lanka Military
Academy in DIYATHALAWA. Introducing of new career courses, foreign courses and
numbers of courses in formation level, regimental level and unit level can be introduced into
this platform to develop the carrier of officers. It is obvious that align into these conditions is
little bit difficult due to the personal interest and requirements of the organization. When it is
going to the battalion level, the Commanding Officer has to perform his duties with limited
number of officers to complete the assigned task in operational and non-operational level.
Most of the time in the present, most of the tasks assigned by the Commanding Officer from
his regiment, Brigade, Division or Security Forces Headquarters take administrative nature
and more toward to the extraneous matters. However, as an obeying to the command he has
to complete given tasks as much as possible and at highest level. On the other hand,

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analyzing the exam results, Physical training test, it is important to note that interest of the
junior level commanders to success their future career also indicates a question whether are
they really want to make their carrier or not. However officers in Grade 3 level must keep in
their mind that Officers in the Army are managers in certain level in time, man and recourses,
problem-solvers, key influencers and planners who lead other Soldiers in all situations. To
fulfil these requirements relevant to his service he must ensure that he has the competence in
his own subject.

AIM

Is to evaluate the contemporary issues pertaining to the Grade 3 level officers’ career
progress of Sri Lanka Army.

SEQUENCE

The sequence of Service paper as follows:

a. Why military officer should educate or be professional in his subject.

b. Reason for designing various courses for Officers.

c. Commanding Officer’s policy on his subordinates’ carrier progression

d. Interest by Grade 3 Officers’ to plan their careers.

e. How to overcome these barriers.

f. Conclusion.

g. Recommendations.

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TEXT

Why military officer should educate or be professional in his subject

It is said that the capacity limit of soldier is the limit of his officer who leads him, and
soldiers always looking for his leader, and they do not want another soldier they want fully
fledge officer. So, military officer always sets example to his subordinates in every aspect.
Not only the official matters, the way he behaves, thinks, decision making also subjected to
the attention of superiors as well as subordinates including under command soldiers.
Therefore officer has to be ready on his subject without any hesitation when his duty is
called. To reach this level officer need to be educated on his subject well. The responsibility
of subordinates is on the shoulder of the officer whereas it is representing by the rank he
wears on his shoulder. It can be seen that professionals are being enlisted to Army as officers
mainly from Kotelawala Defense University and Direct Entry, but there is question whether
they are employed in correct role and allow them to seek higher education.

Reason for designing various courses for Officers

The Army has been conducting various carrier progression courses from junior officers to
senior officers with the intention of making capable staff officers who can contribute to a
better Army. In Sri Lankan Army highest qualifications an officer can achieve in Sri Lanka
are Passed Staff Course and Logistic Staff Course. According to the newly laid down Army
order, officer needs to follow Junior Staff Course or Junior Logistic Officer Course then it
followed by Junior Command Course in order to get eligibility follow Passed Staff Course.
Though it is good measure which has been taken prepare an officer for important course, but
mainly scarcity of officers in unit, number of vacancies given to each regiment and other so
many factors affect to officer to follow laid down path. Moreover having qualified in Staff
Courses are now eligibility criteria for appointment of Commanding Officer, creating
competition among officers.

Commanding Officer’s policy on his subordinates’ carrier progression

When it’s come to the Battalion level, Commanding Officers is the god of his subordinates. If
he is with lack of leadership qualities, less educational and has no experience in proper man
management, all the subordinates have to suffer. After the war all the task assigned by the
Commanding Officer is not as rough as previous when the war was going on. However it is
observed that most of the Commanding Officers are have an aversion to facing challenges in
changing environment. Most of them need to cover their tenure without disturbing to the
smooth flowing and without falling into the troubles with senior officers. So he never let his
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talented officers to be away from the appointed post until he leaves the place, and when he
got strict order to send junior officers to the courses, his first selection goes to the unskilled
and untalented officers who are working with him. Then automatically those type of officers
follow the number of course including career course, and finally when it has come to any
selection board officer who categorized as less skilled, getting chances while skilled full
officers remain at same appointment doing his jobs and without attending any courses due to
the commanding officers wish. When it’s come to the regimental level also this situation can
be seen and immediate solution for this problem must need to be given, prior to develop the
career progress of junior level officers. Further I would like to highlight with this service
paper that challenging to the superior orders is totally breach of the discipline of the military,
so it’s difficult to fight individuals for their career if he tries to do so definitely he has to face
more chargeable offenses and start to destroy his career instead develop it. So, there must be
a proper mechanism to develop the career of junior officers rather announcing requirements
by letters from higher headquarters which are junior officers should follow to become
professional.

Interest by Grade 3 Officers’ to plan their career

As per the open resource definition, the personnel interest means the feeling of a person
whose attention, concern, or curiosity is particularly engaged by something. Personnel
interest depend on Love it or hate it, many officers feel compelled to create a personal
interests section on their future at the present due to lack of supervision and guidance.

Furthermore, an individual officer also has a self-responsibility to plan his future year by year
without waiting supervision. Not only the military in other jobs also extra talented people
doing it to rise above the rest. As a military officer we learn to be raised, therefore not require
to defend on others’ opinion or supervision and he needs to make his future and adopt it time
to time when the chance come. But the present truth is most of the junior officer try to spend
the days without any challenges being as company commanders or platoon commanders
while engaging unprofessional matters. Further most of the officers wasting their time with
social media, parties and unwanted gathering and no interest to create their future by own.

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Only a few officers try to overcome this barrier and rest of them sometime try to defeat him
while spreading rumours on him to make his superiors angry.

How to overcome these barriers

Implementation and maintaining are the two different ends. Number of regulations,
instructions and laws are being flashed every day in the Army to maintain its standards, but
maintaining of those things are change according to the time to time, man to man and tenure
to the tenure. Therefore it is essential to lay down permanent regulation over partake to the
courses by junior officer to achieve their future goal is must. That should not change
according to the one person wish.

Army is huge organization; without a one man it will not fall down and it is important to
imprint on Commanding Officers when they avoid to carry out orders over participate a
junior officer to a course either local or foreign.

In other hand personnel interest of Grade 3 level officers must be increased by giving certain
standards which they pass in their tenure. Otherwise most of the junior officers tend to waste
their time and knowledge over unwanted thing and show drossiness to attend any courses
while changing day to day activities which they practicing in Battalion level.

Newly commissioned officers should be educated about carrier path ahead of him as soon as
he steps into his selected regiment after commissioning, and it is paramount to motivate them
to follow it. And it customary to nominate senior officer to overlook newly commissioned
officer when the officer came into regiment, and it must be given to well educated, talented
and one who with positive mind toward Army, and it will help young officer to get into right
path.

Set example like India to maintain qualities with knowledge also very important to change
this kind of barriers. Not like Sri Lanka they get highest respect, salary, education and
opportunities and they always try to climb up the ladder without losing those things they
earned. At present context to reach up to the Indian standards may be difficult with the
country’s economy statues, but at least implementation is better rather doing nothing.

Having said all above things, officer has the great responsibility of creating his own
reputation. Nevertheless, serving as an Army officer is rewarding and can be pleasant
experience if one looks at with right perspective, and it all depend on attitude.

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CONCLUSION

Grade 3 level or junior officers are the skippers of future Army, so strong foundation should
be laid down from the first day of commissioning, without wasting his time for unnecessary
errands. Young officers should be encouraged to pass examinations, physical efficiency test
and to follow courses, with correct guidance. Apart from doing these, it is important to listen
to his grievances and give solutions his problems. They need to lead from the front and adjust
to the changes in any environment, always to perform their duties as a better way without any
excuses. An officer should be able sit any erudite forum, and his knowledge be par with
intellects. Officers to be respected within his organization and in society to achieve his goals
and to reach that level he needs to be well trained on his subject. This will make him
professional and brave. Without limiting “ Professional Army” to just another phrase, it must
be carried out effectively to build better Army.

RECOMMENDAT

Implementation of a permanent mechanism to attend courses by junior level officers and it

should be common to every regiment and battalions or else strengthen the flashed regulations
on it.

Commanding Officers should be informed on the importance of the junior officers’ course to
run future army.

Exams, physical test, career courses should make must to even survive in one year of the
army without waiting for the maximum of the rank criteria.

Evaluation must be done in every year over officers then each and every individual can
understand his level and possession in the Army.

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References

Wikipedia: List of United States Army careers

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