Among U.S. military officers, they're known as "ring knockers" because they proudly wear the big, gold class rings they earned when they graduated from one of America's military academies. For generations the ring signified that the wearer was a cut above. No longer: the ring knockers are losing their grip on the armed forces. When Admiral Jeremy Boorda becomes chief of naval operations this month, five of the six Joint Chiefs of Staff will be nonacademy men who have come up through the enlisted ranks or from officer- training programs.
Such meager representation among the topmost brass is just one sign...
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