Waste Of Talent

I am not going to provide my experience coming in the Army (because I cannot speak of another branch of service) as my experience has been very similar to what other individuals have already describe in other posts. However, I am going to say that the Army WASTES so much individual creativity, potential, and desire for growth and development. I have a BA Degree in Forensic Science and currently obtaining my Masters Degree (which I am paying 35% of the tuition as the Army refused to pay for my books, ect). I acquired my degree prior to joining the service with ambitions of gaining experience first and then submitting my packet to become an officer. I changed my mind immediately after basic training due to incompetence, disorganization, and chaos created by the units I have been part of. Another point to bring up is favoritism within the ranks. I thought any employer would promote employees based on merit not based on the memorization of a few questions, rather in my unit people obtain their next rank based on high PT scores and being political with a First-Sergeant. These people who are getting promoted to lead future troops have no real education, cannot write original counseling statements neither positive nor negative. I came in with a burning desire to do great things, become an officer, and actually make a change; I have realized that I am wasting my life here because the harder I try to move up, ask to go to basic soldier schools like WLC, CLS, and such, I am denied or I'll go in the next cycle that never seems to arrive. With my expertise i have asked to move to other locations looking for a change and see if any body else who is not sexists, racists, or plays favoritism sees my potential and what i can offer as an educated human being. But there is the catch, they hate to see minorities progressing unless I become political aka a kiss ***--which i refuse to be, I see no progress or growth where I am at. Sometimes i look around me with disgust and I should have listened to the voice inside of me when I was on my bunk in basic training saying, "this is no you, you are better than this, RUN!." I guess it is too late for that now and I am counting day after day to get out and i have 20 months to go.