Army ends bias reduction assessment program for officer selection
The Army Cancels Command Assessment Program, Shifts Focus to Merit-Based Promotions
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The Army recently made the decision to cancel its Command Assessment Program (CAP), a promotion board that incorporated psychological assessments and potential biases into leadership considerations.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his approval of the decision, stating, “Promotions across the Department of Defense will ONLY be based on merit & performance.”
The CAP program, which was introduced Army-wide in 2020, aimed to mitigate conscious and subconscious biases by utilizing peer assessments and behavioral analysis to select candidates for command positions.
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“Good riddance,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote. “Promotions across [Department of Defense] will ONLY be based on merit & performance.” (AP)
Former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth officially established CAP as a program of record just before the start of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Army documents describing CAP detailed the use of psychometric assessments to evaluate cognitive capacity, emotional intelligence, conscientiousness, self-awareness, and other behavioral traits.
Last month, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll halted the program and initiated a review process.
The Army will now return to its previous assessment method, the Centralized Selection Board/List (CSL), for appointing commanding officers. CSL boards evaluate a candidate’s past assignments, performance, and potential.
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Army Secretary Dan Driscoll paused a program that focused on bias and psychological assessments for promotions. (Spc. Luke Sullivan/75th Ranger Regiment)
The credibility of CAP was called into question when Gen. Charles Hamilton, commander of Army Materiel Command, was relieved of duty for allegedly influencing the selection process in favor of a lieutenant colonel who had failed her CAP assessment. An Inspector General investigation led to his dismissal in December 2024.
The Army will now revert to its prior assessment process, Centralized Selection Board/List (CSL), for choosing commanding officers. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
This decision aligns with a directive from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, issued on June 20, which called for a review of military officer evaluations and selection procedures.
