We must set a high standard for selection to either career option. The people we select to remain in their functional career fields must be chosen based on proven excellence. They must be very capable and highly motivated like Mich but must, for their own reasons, have decided not to pursue the path to higher rank and command. We would be making a selection that the Air Force and the individual will have to live with for the rest of that person's career. These people must be selected against the most stringent of standards.
Poor performers are poor performers regardless of the option.
The second track cannot afford to be a place for the sick, lame, and lazy to rest. If it is, the individuals selected can be the corporate knowledge base that keeps their organizations strong and effective. We can make the second track a useful tool in Air Force personnel management by controlling entry into it. The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.