Army ends controversial Command Assessment Program for promotions

The Army, operating in the United States, has recently canceled the Command Assessment Program (CAP), a promotion board initiative that involved psychological assessments and aimed to reduce bias in leadership appointments. This reversion to traditional methods was announced after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed dissatisfaction with CAP, highlighting that future promotions will depend solely on merit and performance. The program, which began in 2020, faced scrutiny as participation dwindled, with a notable increase in eligible senior officers opting out of assessments over the years, contributing to its declining credibility. The CAP was designed to use a variety of psychometric assessments to evaluate candidates based on factors such as cognitive ability and emotional intelligence. However, it did not achieve its goal of generating true interest in leadership roles, as evidenced by participation rates dropping significantly from 40% in 2019 to 54% in 2024. Critics of the program pointed to the potential for biased decisions despite the safeguards intended to eliminate them, claiming that it failed to adequately address the concerns it sought to alleviate. The credibility of CAP faced a significant blow with a scandal involving General Charles Hamilton, who was relieved of his duties after being found to have improperly influenced the command selection process. An Inspector General investigation determined that Hamilton had attempted to favor a lieutenant colonel who had performed poorly in her CAP assessment. This incident underscored longstanding concerns regarding transparency and equity within the military promotion system and likely catalyzed further calls for reform. Going forward, the Army plans to utilize the Centralized Selection Board/List (CSL) for evaluating candidates for commanding positions. This board method relies on a candidate's established performance and previous assignments rather than potentially subjective psychological evaluations. The move represents a return to a system with a more straightforward assessment approach, reflecting the current leadership's commitment to merit-based promotions free from perceived biases or complexities introduced by CAP. The cancellation aligns with recent directives from the Department of Defense aimed at reviewing military officer evaluations, with implications for overall military culture and leadership assessment moving into the future.