Grade Inflation Means the Terrorists Have Already Won. Performance Evaluations Matter.

Despite repeated unprofessional behavior documented by his bosses, those same bosses rated Hasan "outstanding" and "best qualified" just before graduating him and sending him to work at Walter Reed.  Just when you thought grade inflation was a victimless crime, there are 13 bodies at Fort Hood to prove you wrong... (more after the jump)



Now, some folks are upset that the official Army report that released this information didn't include Hasan's name, or that he had connections to radical interpretations of Islam.  I'm not in that camp.

I'm more concerned that his superior officers, Major Scott Moran and Colonel John Bradley, should be severely punished for this misconduct, if not removed from active duty.  They clearly covered up Hasan's deficiencies, relying on the relative anonymity of his performance records.

Somebody, somewhere has to send a message that performance evaluations matter, inside and outside of the military.  Ideally, all performance evaluations would be open to public scrutiny and accountability.  Until that time, we are placing our trust in these managers.  Moran and Bradley failed that trust.

Are there issues with making performance evaluations public, unique to the Army?  Should delays or embargoes be built-in to support objective assessments or national security?