________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
Leavenworth or Maxwell in the staff level course. It isn't appropriate for the senior course,
the War College."
You need to understand that at the Naval War College there was both the staff level course,
the Leavenworth level, and the senior course, the Army War College level course. Both were
there at the same location.
So, nevertheless, it was decided they would require a staff study. Then the faculty decided
that rather than individual staff studies, they would make it part of the next group effort. Why
they thought that provided a great teaching and learning experience for individuals I don't
know, but anyway, it was required in the next task. Then in all the work groups the strawman
staff study was put together by either Air Force, Army, or Marine students. The Navy folks
would look it over and say, "Well, that really looks good." So much for Navy officers
needing to experience putting together a staff study. [Laughter]
Q:
Were there any other engineer officers when you were there?
A:
No.
Military Personnel Center
Q:
So, the next assignment, from 1972 to 1974, was as staff officer, Personnel Management
Directorate, Military Personnel Center in Alexandria.
Did you find out about that assignment right at the end of your time at the Naval War
College? Was it something you expected? How did that develop?
A:
It was during the period when I was at the Naval War College, probably around the January
time frame or so, that Lieutenant Colonel Bob Ayers, who was in the Engineer Branch of the
Officer Personnel Directorate at the time, called me to see if I'd be interested in that position.
Chuck Fiala was in the position, the engineer colonels assignment officer, in the Colonels
Division. It was really then still the Office of Personnel Operations and still located in the
Tempo Building beside Fort McNair.
The Colonels Division basically had a single officer for each branch, with two for artillery
and three for infantry because of size. Bob Ayers called to say this position was always
selected with the concurrence of both the commander of the Office of Personnel Operations
and also the Chief of Engineers.
I thought that it was a good position and said I'd like to do it--and so the nomination was
made. I knew in February or March of that year that I would be going there.
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