A naval career demands different abilities at successive ranks. Junior officers need tactical competence to build a reputation and establish their careers. Command of ships and larger formations requires strategic understanding, while senior service leadership involves political arguments over support and resources. An officer who succeeds at one stage does not automatically have the abilities needed for the next. Burke's career raises the institutional question of how a navy develops officers who can make each transition.
Notable Point · 5:05-6:36
Developing officers for tactical, strategic, and political command
The officer-development problem is how to prepare someone for tactical duties, strategic command, and eventually the political work of senior rank.