Falklands experience versus the promotion plan

Captain Michael Clapp commanded the amphibious task group in 1982 but retired on schedule despite praise for his wartime performance. The decision kept wartime performance from disrupting an existing promotion plan. The service was heavily influenced by submariners, while several conspicuous Falklands commands belonged to Fleet Air Arm and amphibious officers. The later discussion describes a divide between submarine captains and the higher staff, including a fear that the carrier group's wartime success could reverse the 1967 carrier decision and require renewed funding for a carrier battle group. Personnel planning therefore discounted newly demonstrated experience.