Personal abilities and preferences affect the choices a person makes, so there is no one career blueprint. There is, however, a general progression most officers' careers follow. The promotion system is designed to help both the Army and the officer. From the Army's point of view, the system enables the best officers to reach positions of most importance and highest responsibility. From an individual officer's point of view, the promotion system assures a qualified person advancement after a certain time.
Performance is reviewed on a regular basis during rating periods.
Officers are told they are being rated and what is expected of them during this period. Once a cadet graduates, he or she is commissioned as a second lieutenant. However, most go right to their first duty assignment. First Lieutenant Progressing from second to first lieutenant, young officers apply their training and develop their leadership abilities. In fact, learning how to lead troops is the key objective of this phase.