I've stated only my belief while never stating it as a certainty. While there's a bit of intuition in my belief that LTC Vindman will advance to a star or, if one star then likely to two stars, I know from instruction in uni Rotc that a LTC with Vindman's record in combat and in high executive positions post combat wounds and who is also scheduled to enter the Army War College is himself star quality.
While my active duty service was many moons ago -- 1966-70 -- I was exposed to the history of many officers I served under up to my rank as captain company commander then BN assistant S-1 adjutant which as you'd know had personnel records so I saw a lot. Our Rgt colonel from WP and his first assignment in WW II retired a colonel yet only after LBJ pulled him out of the Rgt and into the WH to advise on Vietnam with Johnson finally acceding to the colonel's daily request for a command in the Nam -- a 101st airborne brigade and the historic battle of Hamburger Hill. Everybody knew our guy had it in him because he had done it before, more than once in fact so the Nam was in a sense an easy one to call.
In high school Rotc before I went to uni Rotc we had regular Army career officers and NCO (whereas post VN Jr. Rotc cadre are retired officers to include nco). We knew the WP captain in charge of our high school unit would make colonel and he did, then retired, as some of us know because we kept in contact with him over the next couple of decades to include some teachers at the school who became executives and administrators. Our capt took us on annual trips to his alma mater WP which was "hallowed ground" as we were somberly informed while we stood on it. Capt told me I could be a colonel if my lights ever went on which of course they never did luv him all the same ha. My bud from our neighborhood as kids and who in hs was a year behind me and succeeded me as cadet LTC in the hs rotc went Marines EP for a tour in the Nam where he got blown up some, then Army NG -- retired as "only" LTC so I rib him about it ha even though he never throws his doctorate at me (Eng Lit).
The armed forces have presently one of their historic high ratios of flag officers to EP and captains, captain being the modal officer rank across the services (O-3) as a lot of flag officers were created during the Obama years. So the proportion of flag officers is being reduced yet it's more than obvious the military will continue to need new flag officers who are exceptionally bright and highly accomplished which is what the LTC Vindman is. Not to mention courageous personally and professionally. Vindman is SUNY Bingham Rotc, masters from Harvard in Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia Studies, now the War College coming up in addition to other Army schools. Indeed if you don't know it already than let me say, Joint Chiefs to include the chairman recently retired just might believe that not only is Vindman qualified to advance higher on up, he's earned it in an exemplary manner. Vindman is a significant and historical reference point to the officer corps across the armed forces all of whom know well about this and to the armed services per se, presently and going forward indefinitely.
