Subverted?

After the Civil War, lots of officers were demoted if they remained in service.

George A Custer is a famous example going from Major General to Lieutenant Colonel.

To prevent losing too much face, they retained their higher rank as a brevet rank.

The losses in rank was not applied evenly across the Army.

There was more than a little resentment over whom retained their original ranks and who got breveted down.

Something I've noticed more than once is a brevet who should never have had the higher rank in the first place on account of The Incompetence™.

Custer is, again, a famous example.  The man was famously and fabulously lucky; but he was rarely accused of being good at being a commander.

Surely, though, there must be people breveted who were solidly competent, but didn't have the favor of the people making the decision.

I don't recall any stories about them.

I am thinking of making a 1st Lieutenant brevet Colonel who's a good commander, just unlikable.  Nothing but competence.  No social graces.

The kind of guy who shines when the bullets are flying, but is a disaster at the officer's cotillion.