Retention and Recruitment Crisis

Intel Nerd said:
I've had friends go officer and come back to our old brigade and say it has a higher optempo today than it did when it was surging in Afghanistan.

Although the Army is maintaining it's retention mission for enlisted, we aren't doing a good job of retaining mid-career officers or warrants. In the MI community it has become so bad that MI WOs are expanding BZ promotions to CW3, and the exodus of senior CPTs is so severe we might get 95% selection rates for Major. On one hand it's good news for several people, but if retention dips, we may actually have more vacancies than promotable officers to fill them..
Click to expand...

This is exactly where Canada is, across all Branches, Officers and NCO's. Fucked.
 
The navy has heavily undermanned rates so they make rank super fast, like Chief in 7 years, then because they don't have enough senior enlisted leadership, these guys get twice the number of reportables under them.

My rate (HM, corpsman) was not such a rate.
 
Intel Nerd said:
I've had friends go officer and come back to our old brigade and say it has a higher optempo today than it did when it was surging in Afghanistan.

Although the Army is maintaining it's retention mission for enlisted, we aren't doing a good job of retaining mid-career officers or warrants. In the MI community it has become so bad that MI WOs are expanding BZ promotions to CW3, and the exodus of senior CPTs is so severe we might get 95% selection rates for Major. On one hand it's good news for several people, but if retention dips, we may actually have more vacancies than promotable officers to fill them..
Click to expand...
I'll blame Rumsfeld for this.
 
Intel Nerd said:
I've had friends go officer and come back to our old brigade and say it has a higher optempo today than it did when it was surging in Afghanistan.

Although the Army is maintaining it's retention mission for enlisted, we aren't doing a good job of retaining mid-career officers or warrants. In the MI community it has become so bad that MI WOs are expanding BZ promotions to CW3, and the exodus of senior CPTs is so severe we might get 95% selection rates for Major. On one hand it's good news for several people, but if retention dips, we may actually have more vacancies than promotable officers to fill them..
Click to expand...
Saw the same kind of thing 2008-ish when so many folks were tapping out during the height of the war in Iraq. Huge retention bonuses and even double-BZ promotions (i.e. promoting captains 2 years early to major). When I made MAJ I think there was like a 98% selection rate.

Trust me, 98% of MI CPTs did not deserve to become MI MAJs--then, now, or ever.

This is a bandage over an infected wound. It will look better from the outside, but the internal rot will continue to fester. Promoting people early based on shortages rather than merit puts less-experienced people in higher positions before most of them are ready. That's bad. Also, in situation like this you have some good people leaving, and some people who should be thanked for their service and shown the door, get to stick around. And they become leaders. Bad leaders. And we all know what bad leaders do to retention...
 
If you enlist now, not only will we pay to send you to a federally approved reeducation center located on the campus of one of our top universities, we will also give you an original Montagnard crossbow...
...a number one address on Chu-Do Street
...and a pair of Ho Chi Minh's sandals
 
DA SWO said:
I'll blame Rumsfeld for this.
Click to expand...

Eh, you can do that or you can blame Obama. Almost immediately after Rumsfeld's randomass idea about leaner more deployable force structure went into effect, which amazingly remains in place today. Army usually is dumber than that. During the Obama administration we had three forces reductions in his second term alone! And now we're starting to pay. But don't worry, end strength is going to be reduced again under this clown show of administration.

Marauder06 said:
Saw the same kind of thing 2008-ish when so many folks were tapping out during the height of the war in Iraq. Huge retention bonuses and even double-BZ promotions (i.e. promoting captains 2 years early to major). When I made MAJ I think there was like a 98% selection rate.

Trust me, 98% of MI CPTs did not deserve to become MI MAJs--then, now, or ever.

This is a bandage over an infected wound. It will look better from the outside, but the internal rot will continue to fester. Promoting people early based on shortages rather than merit puts less-experienced people in higher positions before most of them are ready. That's bad. Also, in situation like this you have some good people leaving, and some people who should be thanked for their service and shown the door, get to stick around. And they become leaders. Bad leaders. And we all know what bad leaders do to retention...
Click to expand...

Sir, even in the current period the Army still forces out good people, and keeps people who may be good at their job...but are actually trash leaders. Too many politicians!
 
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If RDS makes it in I might consider going back to finish out my last four years. Until then, I'm going to take the @AWP approach about caring.
 
"Provide for the common defense" is just propagandist psycho babble from long dead slave owners.

The "new" phrase should be, "provide the mentally ill an opportunity to serve authentically"
 

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