Officer Evaluation Report - John H. Daly, Jr.

Below is a copy of the Officer Evaluation Report received by LTC Daly for his performance from May 31, 1990 to March 18, 1991 (the day Thunder Squadron departed from the Persian Gulf to return to Fort Bliss, Texas). He was evaluated by both Colonel Douglas H. Starr, the Regimental Commander, and Lieutenant General Gary E. Luck, the Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps. This evaluation includes his performance during the Umm Hajul fratricide.

Many of the glowing superlatives heaped upon LTC Daly are the opinions of COL Starr and General Luck, and as such, not subject to the litmus test of truth. Some of the facts stated in the narrative of this evaluation however, are blatantly false. COL Starr's statement, capturing during one night attack an important airfield, is obviously a fabrication based upon the fratricide incident. Similarly, General Luck's statement that LTC Daly performed the critical mission of screening the Corps flank with VII Corps ... in a magnificent fashion is also very questionable, given that a proper screening action would have detected the engineers at Umm Hajul and prevented the fratricide. These two statements are the meat of LTC Daly's performance assessment. They are the only combat actions referenced, and thus the most critical indicators of his performance. Both are also false. Undoubtedly, they played a critical role in his selection for promotion to colonel a year later.

The performance evaluation portion of the evaluation is, of course, the sole opinion of the rater and does not contain any statement that can be proven as false. However, several high ratings in this area are questionable in light of the events at Umm Hajul. They are:

• Encourages forthrightness
• Impeccable judgement
• An excellent communicator
• Loyal to his Troopers
• Unquestioned integrity
• Unimpeachable moral standards

In terms of potential, both COL Starr and General Luck considered Daly to be "general officer material." In other words, they both believed that he possessed the qualifications to rise to the rank of general, a position limited to less than one percent of all army officers.

Finally, the senior rater, General Luck, gave Daly a "top block" rating. This indicates that General Luck perceived Lieutenant Colonel Daly to be in the top 10% of all officers he rated. Of course, General Luck gave the same rating to 141 out of 183 officers he rated ... about 77%. Either many extremely talented officers worked for General Luck, or he had some problems figuring out percentages. Still, this is probably the single most discriminating factor in selecting officers for promotion. This also placed Lieutenant Colonel Daly well on his way to a promotion to full colonel.

The rest ... I will leave up to you

PART 1 - ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
NAME DALY, JOHN H. JR.	SSN ###-##-####	LTC	90 04 01	AR	I2-41		48083
UNIT, ORGANIZATION, STATION, ZIP CODE HHT, 3D SQDN, 3D ACR FT BLISS, TX 79916 FORSCOM				22	REASON FOR SUBMISSION SR OPTION		FC
PERIOD COVERED FROM THRU 90 05 31 91 03 18	NO. OF MONTHS 10	FS 34	RATED OFFICER COPY GIVEN TO OFFICER ____ FORWARDED TO OFFICER 910429
PART II - AUTHENTICATION
NAME OF RATER STARR, DOUGLAS H.		SSN ###-##-####
GRADE, BRANCH, ORGANIZATION, DUTY ASSIGNMENT COL, AR, RHHT, 3D ACR, FT. BLISS, TX, REGIMENTAL COMMANDER							25 March 91
NAME OF SENIOR RATER LUCK, GARY E.		SSN ###-##-####
GRADE, BRANCH, ORGANIZATION, DUTY ASSIGNMENT LTG, XVIII ABN CORPS APO NY 09775, COMMANDING GENERAL							25 April 91
SIGNATURE OF RATED OFFICER Officer unavailable for signature		18 MAR 91
PART III - DUTY DESCRIPTION
PRINCIPAL DUTY TITLE   SQUADRON COMMANDER				SSI/MOS 12C00
DUTY DESCRIPTION Commander of one of three ground combat Regimental Armored Cavalry Squadrons assigned to an Airborne Corps on Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia. Responsible for maintaining the squadron as a cohesive, combat ready force with special emphasis on combat training, modernization, materiel readiness and combat preparedness. Maintain a high level of discipline, morale and welfare for the troopers and ensure the welfare of their families at Ft. Bliss through proactive and viable family support groups. Responsible for 1000 personnel, 146 tracked and 117 wheeled vehicles. Responsible for 6 subordinate units including a Headquarters Troop, 3 Cavalry Troops, 1 Tank Company, and 1 Artillery Battery.
PART IV - PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
a. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE HIGH DEGREE   LOW DEGREE <------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> 1 2 3 4 5
1.Possesses capacity to acquire knowledge/grasp concepts 1 8.Displays sound judgment 1 2.Demonstrates appropriate knowledge and expertise 1 9.Seeks self-improvement 1 3.Maintains appropriate level of fitness 9011 PASS 1 10.Is adaptable to changing situations 1 4.Motivates, challenges and develops subordinates 1 11.Sets and enforces high standards 1 5.Performs under physical and mental stress 1 12.Possesses military bearing and appearance 70/154 YES 1 6.Encourages candor and frankness in subordinates 1 13.Supports EO/EEO 1 7.Clear and concise in written communication 1 14.Clear and concise in oral communication 1
b. PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
1. DEDICATION 2. RESPONSIBILITY 3. LOYALTY 4. DISCIPLINE 5. INTEGRITY 6. MORAL COURAGE 7. SELFLESSNESS 8. MORAL STANDARDS a.1. Quick mind, broad perspective; a.2. Fully qualified both tactically and technically; a.4. Excellent mentor/teacher for subordinates; a.5,10. Unflappable, handles pressure well; a.6. Gives subordinates room to succeed/fail - encourages forthrightness; a.7,14. An excellent communicator; a.8. Impeccable judgement; a.11. Sets high standards - meets them himself; b.1. Wholly and completely dedicated to his Troopers and their mission; b.3. Loyal to his Troopers and to his unit; b.5. Unquestioned integrity; b.6. Has the courage of his convictions; b.7. Unimpeachable moral standards.

PERIOD COVERED 900531-910318

PART V - PERFORMANCE AND POTENTIAL EVALUATION

a. RATED OFFICER'S NAME DALY, JOHN H. JR. SSN ###-##-#### RATED OFFICER IS IN ONE OF HIS/HER DESIGNATED SPECIALTIES YES NO

b. PERFORMANCE DURING THIS RATED PERIOD ALWAYS EXCEEDED REQUIREMENTS USUALLY EXCEEDED REQUIREMENTS MET REQUIREMENTS OFTEN FAILED REQUIREMENTS USUALLY FAILED REQUIREMENTS

c. COMMENTS ON SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE PERFORMANCE John Daly has done an outstanding job in Desert Shield and Storm. Orchestrating the deployment of his Squadron by rail, air, and sea over 10,000 miles, he deployed safely and efficiently, prepared to move into the desert almost upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. After moving directly into the desert from port, John commenced a desert training and maintenance program designed to emphasize and improve desert training begun at Ft. Bliss for NTC. He focused on individual training due to having several hundred new arrivals, but integrated the focus on maintenance/services and collective Squadron maneuver skills requisite to success in desert operations. As a result his Squadron enjoyed exceptionally good OR rates (95-98% combat vehicles) and rapidly became a tactically adroit combat-ready Squadron. In Desert Storm John crossed the LD with the difficult mission of screening the Corps right flank up to 125 KM at one point and moved his Squadron over 325 KM in 48 hrs, capturing during one night attack an important airfield subsequently used by the 101st Air Assault Div. for offensive operations. John's Squadron switched out both its tank and Bradley fleet (the tanks only two days before the ground war) and it took care of its soldiers and waiting family members beautifully. As a result, morale and esprit and a winning attitude prevailed. Through John's talent and drive, the Squadron was a key to the Regiment's success in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. This Squadron accomplished every mission given it quickly, violently and successfully!

d. THIS OFFICER'S POTENTIAL FOR PROMOTION TO THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE IS PROMOTE AHEAD OF CONTEMPORARIES PROMOTE WITH CONTEMPORARIES DO NOT PROMOTE OTHER (Explain below)

e. COMMENT ON POTENTIAL John Daly has it all -- all of the traits and characteristics requisite to service at the highest levels. Promote ASAP -- must command a Brigade/Regiment. John is without question General Officer material.

PART VI - INTERMEDIATE RATER

PART VII - SENIOR RATER

a. POTENTIAL EVALUATION *[141] [ 39] [ 1] [ 0] [ 1] [ 1] [ 0] [ 0] [ 0] b. COMMENTS LTC John Daly's performance as a squadron commander during all phases of Desert Shield/Storm was simply outstanding. He possesses and blends all the skills and attributes to make him truly one of the very best. His maintenance and training programs conducted in a harsh, bare-based environment resulted in a combat ready maneuver force. His soldiers and combat systems performed flawlessly, even though he switched out tanks and Bradleys just two days before the ground attack. John's squadron performed the critical mission of screening the Corps flank with VII Corps (at one point this stretched him 125KM) in a magnificent fashion. This allowed both Corps to rapidly exploit the tactical situation and contributed significantly to the overwhelming success of Desert Storm. Unlimited potential. Select for Army War College. Promote and select for O6 level command. General Officer potential.