Why senior command needs more than combat specialization

Are politically skilled flag officers the main cause of military problems?

No; senior command needs political and communication skill as well as operational competence, and specialists need broader experience before directing a carrier force.

Peacetime promotion rewards visibility, while wartime service gives fighting officers more chances to prove themselves. Neither pathway by itself guarantees the breadth needed for fleet command. A specialist such as a SEAL would need extensive surface-warfare experience before directing a carrier group, while American wartime carrier staffs deliberately balanced flying and non-flying officers. Destroyer officer Philip Vian's later carrier command shows how broader experience could produce an effective fighting admiral, including the willingness to risk his flagship to recover downed aircrew.