@Cale,
Excellent post! Coming into my position as the BN S1, I learned a lot about officer and career management. Not many Guard LTs (or their chains of command) realize that they are eligible for promotion at 18 month’s time in grade (and have completed BOLC). Fewer know that a waiver MUST be submitted to NGB for approval if the officer isn’t promoted at 18 months and then again at 24 months. Take that officer who finally complete BOLC at 28 months, they now need 2 waivers to be approved (which can only be done one at a time) before they can be submitted for promotion. Oh, and if the 2LT isn’t promoted by 36 months TIG? They’re done with the Army and separated. No 2LT I have spoken to understands let alone knows this.
There are those that blame all of the additional requirements that pull at Soldiers’ time as to why leaders don’t know.
From my experience it’s two things. First, I blame a lack of initiative on the parts of individual officers to gain experience and knowledge; you can lead an LT to knowledge but you can’t make them learn. I have personally sent out links to this site, as well as other professional forums and knowledge data bases, yet I still can’t get a PL to write an MOI for a range. Second, I blame a lack of coaching and teaching on the parts of senior officers, raters, and senior raters. Whether that’s because they don’t know how to teach what they know, or just don’t want to, I can’t say.
The best advice I can give to young officers is this; It’s your career and it doesn’t matter to anyone as much as it does to you. Take charge of it. Sit down and determine what you want to do and where you want to go; what are your career goals? Then, sketch out a plan on how and what you need to do in order to get there. What assignments, units, locations, etc. I also recommend being open to change and working outside of your comfort zone. Don’t ignore the benefits of getting another branch or working as an Aide de Camp.
Just some thoughts.
 
Brock