Soldiers and Marines at Chosin Reservoir: Criteria for Assignment to Combat Command

Abstract

In Korea in 1950 all of the commanders of the U.S. Marine Division and its regiments had commanded units in combat during World War II, but 79% of the commanders of U.S. Army divisions and regiments had no such experience. Both Marine and Army personnel in the Chosin Reservoir campaign up through the rank of major had combat experience and performed creditably. The experienced senior Marine commanders extricated all of their men and most of their equipment from Chosin. The Army force had inexperienced commanders at battalion, regiment, and division. It lost all of its equipment and almost half of its men. Army command selection boards in the past decade have sought to emphasize troop experience, but frequently officers with little knowledge of field operations are selected. The rapid deployment concept requires commanders who know what to do on the first day. The Army can no longer afford career equity as a consideration in selecting officers for command.