Star creep has risen steadily since World War II / Project on Government Oversight
Star Wars: Congratulations to the Air Force's 39 Newest Generals -- Time
Yep, that's right. On Monday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced President Obama has nominated thirty-nine Air Force colonels to the rank of brigadier general. It's all part of the bigger problem of star creep – the ratio of generals to troops – that has gotten worse since World War II, and accelerated since 9/11. (Brigadier generals wear one star, major generals wear two, lieutenant generals wear three, and plain old generals, four.)
We don't mean to quibble with the sensitive topic of rank, but some of these star-worthy titles seem more red dwarf than super nova. Many of them don't run things like the newly-promoted brigadier generals who command Bomber and Network Warfare wings (yes, both the guys flying, as well as those prying, now run wings in the Air Force). Instead, they're helping even more senior generals by serving as “director, force application, deputy chief of staff, operations, plans and requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.” Or toiling away as the “commander, 76th Maintenance Wing, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.”
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Update: Air Force announces 1-star nominations -- Air Force Times
My Comment: This continues a long term trend in the Air Force