Revisit the promotion case of the C.I.A. officer that drove the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.
The character "Maya" from the film Zero Dark Thirty is based on a real person whom the Washington Post recently reported as having been passed over for promotion to GS-14 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-zero-dark-thirt...).
It is a travesty that someone with the grit and energy to influence and overcome so many political hurdles wasn't promoted after driving one of the most prolific manhunts the U.S. has ever seen. Reasons like this are why fewer and fewer talented people are dedicating their lives to public service.