Only this time, as opposed to being a proposal in the milblogosphere, it’s a retired Marine corps officer, Paul Kane on the OP/ED pages of the New York Times.

I agreed with it then, and I agree with it now.

He also suggests that the services abandon up or out, where officers are discharged if they get passed over for promotion twice, which is a good idea too.

Up or out tends to create sycophants, because having a poor review given out of enmity can destroy a career, and is one reason that our current military is so top heavy (1 officer per 5 enlisted men, as opposed to the 1:10 it had through most of its history).