Congressman Crow Calls on Secretary Hegseth to Uphold Merit-Based Evaluations
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), a former Army Ranger who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, led a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urging him to explain why he’s considering ending an evaluation process that ensures the most qualified officers eligible for key command positions are promoted. These are known as Command Assessment Programs (CAPs). This letter was also signed by Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02).
This program goes beyond traditional evaluation methods to provide a more comprehensive view of an officer’s leadership potential and capabilities. CAPs aim to select the best leaders by examining both past performance and potential for future success in command roles.
In the letter, members said: “These programs have been in place for years across the services and help drive meritocratic promotions. Tools like the 360-peer review and double-blind interviews make up a fair and rigorous process for identifying and selecting the most capable leaders for command positions.
A PDF of the letter can be found here, with full text appearing below:
August 15, 2025
Dear Secretary Hegseth:
It has come to our attention that you may be considering dismantling the Command Assessment Programs (CAPs). These programs have been in place for years across the services and help drive meritocratic promotions. Tools like the 360-peer review and double-blind interviews make up a fair and rigorous process for identifying and selecting the most capable leaders for command positions.
Given the demonstrated effectiveness in improving the quality of command selections, any proposed changes to these programs raises serious questions. We respectfully request you inform us of any plans to dismantle or make major changes to these programs. If such a decision is made, we request that you provide us with your rationale and information on how the Department intends to maintain the standards of leadership selection that CAPs have helped to achieve.