U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth announced on the 22nd that the Pentagon is adjusting its general officer promotion system, aiming to “cut bureaucracy and truly implement merit-based selection” within the senior officer ranks.
The Hill reported on the 22nd that Hegseth announced in a social media video that the Department of Defense will launch the “Joint Warfighter Evaluation” (JWE) this year. This initiative will assess eligible colonels in battlefield scenarios, selecting candidates for promotion to brigadier general based on their “ability to fight, adapt, and win.”
Hegseth noted that while non-commissioned officers (NCOs) form the backbone of the U.S. military, victory depends on the commanders who lead them. The U.S. needs warfighters capable of navigating chaotic battlefields, and commanders should be selected based on “proven capability rather than paper qualifications.”
Under the current system, promotion boards review candidates based on performance evaluations accumulated throughout their careers. According to internal documents obtained by The Hill, each military branch will adopt its own version of the JWE.
The Army will conduct a written assessment followed by a digital wargame; the Air Force and Space Force will administer a two-hour online analytical test followed by a one-hour interactive simulation; Navy officers must travel to the Naval War College for a three-hour written assessment and a two-to-three-hour wargame; and the Marine Corps will utilize an AI platform for an eight-hour remote assessment combining written evaluations with situational judgment tests.
The Joint Staff will employ a “hybrid” model to evaluate 50 to 60 students from the Joint Forces Staff College. Students will first complete a written analysis independently before traveling to the college in Norfolk, Virginia, for an “in-person, AI-assisted execution phase.”
Hegseth likened the new assessment to the “Louisiana Maneuvers” held before the U.S. entered World War II, during which approximately 400,000 troops participated in wargames to evaluate the military’s training, logistics, and command capabilities. He said that such tests produced generals such as Eisenhower, who led the Normandy landings and the liberation of Western Europe; Bradley, the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who later oversaw U.S. policy formulation during the Korean War; and Nimitz, who commanded the Pacific Theater during World War II.