SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/cadet-officer-meritocracy

What changed with the rise of the modern officer corps?

Selection increasingly emphasized merit, education, and professional skill.

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  1. Family wealth became the only standard
  2. Merit and training replaced birthright as ideals ✔
  3. Technical knowledge became unnecessary

Why: Older systems often favored ancestry and influence. More complex warfare and equal-opportunity ideals pushed militaries toward trained officers chosen for ability.

Huh, didn't know that: Military technology helped create demand for specialized officer education.

The dad joke
The officer candidate brought homework. Skill had replaced the family tree.
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References

Answer: Merit and training replaced birthright as ideals. Older systems often favored ancestry and influence. More complex warfare and equal-opportunity ideals pushed militaries toward trained officers chosen for ability.

  1. Learn to Lead, Volume 3 www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/L2LVolume_3__LOW_FINAL_4_MAY_13CC68236BDFE.pdf
    In a meritocracy, merit rules.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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