Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar and Former Associate Director Celeste Ward Gventer wrote for New York Times‘ section “Room for Debate” on whether the top-heavy American military needs to reduce the number of its highest-ranking officers. Gventer highlights how the overall ratio of officers to enlisted personnel stands at a historic high. She argues that the current “brass creep” will not only lead to higher costs, but also to delayed decision-making and reduced military effectiveness. Such a top-heavy, bureaucratized, and unmeritocratic U.S. military will also cause a “talent drain,” as the best junior personnel opts out and joins more innovative organizations.