Case for Service Leadership Diversity in the Geographic Combatant Commands

The dominance of two services, the Army and the Navy, leading the geographic combatant commands is striking. Of the 80 geographic combatant commanders appointed since the National Security Act of 1947, 43 have come from the Army. The Navy follows with 26. The Marine Corps comes in third with 6, while the Air Force has had 5 selected. The Department of Defense should recognize the implications of a commander selection process that supports the domination of the geographic combatant commands by two of the four services. Continuing this practice stifles innovation by limiting the full exploration of ideas. The President, Secretary of Defense, and Congress should promote a paradigm for military leadership diversity that acknowledges service cultural differences and recognizes the value in those differences. Most significantly, the Department of Defense should internalize the perspectives of senior Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps leaders so the geographic combatant commands become more effective because of these differences. In turn, the services benefit by identifying more with the geographic combatant commands, setting in motion a virtuous cycle, which better serves the national interest.