Should I stay or should I go now...

Nice professional conversation over at Lex's place about the DoD's trial balloon WRT letting CAPT stay longer than they do today.

The Navy is “aggressively” working on a plan to keep captains who are not in line for major commands in the service to fill other critical billets.

Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John C. Harvey said Tuesday during testimony before Congress that the fleet… wants officers who have already served 25 years to remain on active-duty.

“We are exploring a variety of monetary and non-monetary incentives,” Harvey said in testimony delivered to the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on military personnel at a hearing that focused on recruiting, retention and pay issues.

My thoughts that I left in comments was just a top of my list on this subject.

Different people have different reasons, but here are two to ponder.

1. Having children in the critical teen-age years, the prospect of moving every 18-24 months gets old after awhile - especially if you can get even-money on the outside in a position where you have geographical stability.

2. Every time I see a MSC manned ship alongside a warship I think, “That used to be a Major Command opportunity at one time….” When you have Admirals doing CAPT’s jobs and civilians doing CAPT’s jobs, many CAPT are just being better paid CDRs on a Staff filling in another layer in the bureaucratic onion. Doesn’t fit many personalities right.

Tough nut. It isn't all about money. It isn't all about location per se. It has a lot about what some consider being a Navy Officer is all about. Sometimes, it is best to wear a suit to do a suit job.