This competitive program is beneficial to officers, as it provides a better understanding of combined arms operations and allows officers to share Infantry branch expertise with maneuver counterparts. Functional area positions. Captains gain working knowledge of command principles, battalion level staff operations, and combined arms and infantry operations at the battalion to brigade levels. This experience concentrates on the critical tasks that all company grade officers perform to accomplish their wartime mission and survive on the battlefield. The formal designation of FAs is based upon the needs of the Army, officer preference, military experience and, in some cases, civil schooling.
Some FAs have extensive educational requirements.
After completing the Captains Career Course, Infantry captains may branch transfer to the Special Forces branch if they meet branch qualifying standards. The Army Acquisition Corps will admit a limited number of officers during the 8th year of commissioned service. This board of senior officers will decide in which Career Field each officer is best suited to serve. After promotion to major, officers will compete for promotion only within their designated Career Field. Assignments after promotion to major will be managed by Infantry Branch, OPMD, for those in the Operations Career Field.