What else the Army should consider to retain soldiers within the total force
The focus of this paper is to address areas of consideration that can enhance our approach at retaining quality soldiers within various ranks of the Army’s total force. Given the point that re-enlistments at the Army’s lower ranks are being achieved, the Army continues to loss quality soldiers at the mid-level enlisted ranks. To this end, the Army needs to consider new policies and changes to tradition areas that will enhance the benefits and advantages offered to our non-commissioned officers to remain within the ranks of the Army.
Recently, Army LTG(R) Julius Beckon, former VII Corps Commander, Director, FEMA, President of Prairie View College, and head of Washington, D.C. school district spoke at the Army Management Staff College about leadership both as a soldier and while serving in various civilian positions. LTG(R) Beckon was eloquent and passionate --speaking from the heart-- on a subject he understands well, and practices daily. One of the students asked him a question about what he thought was one of the most challenging decisions did he made during his career. He thought for a moment, and then began to tell the audience a story about when he was the Deputy TRADOC Commander and his proposal for Army soldiers to change from conducting physical fitness (PT) in boots to running shoes. He noted, however, that this small change in tradition and culture resulted in enormous criticism and a risk to his career. To him, this change centered on the well-being of soldiers and so important to LTG (R) Beckon that he risked his career on what he believed was a common sense initiative, but not now looking back was not so common sense in 1979. LTG(R) Beckon was eventually able to convince the Army leadership of the benefits in this paradigm shift.
Now twenty-five years later, the Army must use the same logic but this time, we need to have young people replace their civilian running shoes with Army boots as new recruits. Currently, the Army is struggling to meet its enlistment goals as cited by Army LTG James Lovelace, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 (Personnel) who recently acknowledged that the Army will not meet its enlistment goals for 2005, however, he went on to say migration plans are being in-placed to turn this shortfall around in 2006. It is clear that our current recruiting problems can be attributed to a number of issues, and that Army leadership will tackle this recruiting shortfall head-on with innovative changes to meet its goals for 2006.
While explaining the challenges we face at achieving enlistment goals for 2005, LTG Lovelace did say the Army surpassed its re-enlistment projections for fiscal year 2005 and that the Army's active duty re-enlistment rate is 107 percent of projected estimates, with 58,480 soldiers re-enlisting between 1 Oct 2004 and 31 July 2005. Lovelace said the Army National Guard and Reserve re-enlistment rates are also exceeding 100 percent of projections. Yet, this is not the entire story a majority of these re-enlistments cited above involve first term or second term soldiers, and not the middle or upper enlisted soldier ranks whose ranks are in-fact beginning to dwindle.
To stem this tide that is equally important, and requiring added attention beyond what is currently being done to retain quality soldiers as members of the Army’s total force would be to create an environment focused on providing a host of life-time career opportunities for young men and women to consider when deciding to remain within the Army family of service or not. How do we do that during this period where the opt-tempo of our Army is being stretched and as noted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, indicated that..."this volunteer force has never been busier." With the significant downsizing of our military in the ‘90s...“Today’s smallest force in four decades – with 56 percent married – is overworked, underpaid and under resourced at the cutting edge." The report clearly indicated there is little doubt that current conditions within the armed forces, particularly the Army are less favorable than they were a decade ago.
Excluding current recruitment efforts to turn the tide on the shortage of recruiting young people into the Army, we should be equally innovative in programs to retain the soldiers we have already attracted into our ranks and performing the job, particularly the junior and mid-level non-commissioned officer grades. To accent the need for a new approach and commitment, the Army must first consider changing its approach as “An Army of One" theme to one that includes innovative opportunities to service and remain as part of the Army’s total team: Active-National Guard-Reserves-Army Civilians. The cornerstone for this new Army approach should be the Army’s new theme for the 21st Century: “A life-time of selfless service to the Nation."
We should not be limited in efforts to provide funding for increased incentives associated with military education and training. Rather, we must review four areas of consideration involving policies, programs and most importantly a broad array of incentives to enhance retention of junior and mid-level non-commissioned officer personnel. These suggested areas of consideration are necessary to entice junior enlisted soldiers to remain within the ranks of the Army, which subsequently have an overall effect of our total force.
Area of Consideration 1
The first area of consideration is an initiative that requires a regulation change without additional funding or increasing budget cost. Although uncertain, the origin of the hand salute began when Knights in armor raised visors with the right hand in meeting a fellow comrade. This custom is the forerunner of our current regulation on the rendering a salute within our ranks. Currently, Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled (by grade) to a salute. There are other times when a salute is required which include the turning over control of formations and rendering reports or when reporting to an official board and/or officer. But traditionally our Army does not require junior enlisted or NCOs to render a salute when they meet and recognize senior NCOs.
Inclusion of senior NCOs (E8 and E9) extended what is considered the most important of all military courtesies to re-enforce the importance of rank and enhance the factors that inspire enlisted soldiers and NCOs to strive at achieving these ranks. Junior enlisted and NCOs make critical decisions to re-enlist in part based on duty, commitment, and pride. An enhanced requirement to render a salute to all E-8 and E-9s will only re-enforce our current efforts to retain junior and mid-level NCOs to remain within the Army and achieve the rank of senior Non-Commissioned Officer. Elevation of importance our Army places on the senior NCO with the respect and honor they have earned and desire can be the catalyst to enhance the esprit-de-corps that permeates throughout all ranks, officer, NCO and enlisted.
Area of Consideration 2
The second area of consideration is an improved way we look at enlisted service members achieving a self-desired goal to complete their college education. Currently, many soldiers take advantage of the various programs that support an enlisted service member attending school after duty hours. These soldiers in many cases spend years to achieve the college educational goals. The dedication, perseverance and effort of these soldiers, and those married service members, whose families also sacrificed over the years should be more widely recognized. At all levels of command, junior enlisted and NCOs are encouraged to enroll in civilian school classes and achieve their college educational goals often times with elapses of enrollment due to deployments and mission requirements. But, eventually soldiers who achieve their lofty educational goals do so with little or no command recognition. Any achievement by soldiers should have equal importance to a promotion or re-enlistment within a command. This recognition will send a positive message within the enlisted ranks that our Army takes pride in their self-achievement. An Army wide policy to establish recognition of immediate completion of a enlisted soldier earning his/her undergraduate degree should include several of the following incentives:
- Pay bonus of $1000
- 30 days of additional leave
- DA Letter of Commendation
- Increased promotion points for undergraduate degree completion
- Enhanced instructor opportunities to serve within the Army’s military schools
- Public affairs recognition in one of the Army’s professional journals
In addition, a program should be developed that affords selected enlisted service members similar benefits that selected officers are provided to earn an advanced degree. Officers are afforded an opportunity to apply for a limited number of spaces within this program to fully fund their obtaining their graduate degree while attending a civilian university fulltime. Once they achieve their advanced degree, these officers must support the needs of the Army by teaching or being assigned to selected positions. Enlisted service members should be afforded a similar program that allows enlisted service members who possess an undergraduate degree to compete for selected allocations to fully fund their advanced degree completion, and then assigned to instruct at the military academy, or a selected military school, as needed. This type of program will increase the pride and importance placed on education and enlisted service members to be the trainers of the entire force.
Area of Consideration 3
Professional pay (Pro-pay) for selected NCO positions. Pro- pay has been used in the past and currently used in selected positions filled by a CSM. The Army should seriously consider establishing pro pay for those TOE positions filled by various NCOs in leadership positions. The combat unit positions that should be considered would include squad leaders, platoon and 1st Sergeant. If NCOs are filling officer positions, these NCOs should be compensated to reflect efforts in many cases accomplishing both positions as a NCO and an officer. The amount of compensation can be an amount that is not enormous, yet it would represent recognition of holding a position of importance and worth.
Area of Consideration 4
Cap on base pay for senior grade officers. A maximum base pay cap for General officers should be considered at a ratio greater then an O-6 with 26 years of service. Our general officers don’t continue to remain in the ranks for financial gains rather they continue to remain in the military based on a commitment to selfless service and devotion to duty. The prestige and honor of serving as a general officer far exceeds financial benefits. Savings from this cap, should be directed toward supporting incentives similar to those noted above. A cap of general officer base pay will not degrade the force rather it will send a message throughout the force that our senior military leaders are committed to supporting the lower ranks.
Conclusion
The Army should seriously analysis these areas of consideration along with a full range of ideas and initiatives to improve the retention of our active duty enlisted force. We should be innovative and far-reaching in our efforts to retain our enlisted soldiers during at the beginning of this new decade and the next century. Some of these areas of consideration are bold and will be questioned as not durable. What are the alternatives? Continuation of what we are during now to retain our force is eroding our quality. We must not lose sight of the objective maintain a veritable force that is well-trained and ready to fight. Placing importance and stock in our NCO Corps will a positive effect on the lower enlisted ranks. Rather then completing their initial obligation, soldiers will witness these changes and strive to become what we all agree is the corner stone of our force, the NCO.
