Too Many Stars, Not Enough Wars”

Once upon a time—say, World War II—we had 12 million troops and about 2,000 generals and admirals. That’s one star-per-6,000 troops. You know, when generals generally commanded armies.

Today? The U.S. military is down to 1.3 million active-duty personnel… and nearly 900 flag officers. That’s one general or admiral for every 1,400 troops. We’ve downsized the warfighting but upsized the management. 

Once, admirals led fleets and generals took hills. Today, they lead “cross-functional task forces” and take Zoom calls. Some command bases; others command PowerPoint. If a war breaks out, half the senior staff will be too busy coordinating their “leadership priorities matrix” to show up.

This rank glut isn’t about strategy—it’s about bureaucracy. Promotions are currency and it’s easier to give someone a star than a mission.

And while enlisted ranks are stretched thin, the general corps keeps expanding—like a balloon of self-importance. We deploy senior officers faster than drones.

Don’t get me wrong: many of these officers are talented, decorated, and honorable. But we’ve built a force where there are more leaders than followers, and more admirals than ships.

Rick Wagner