Management of personnel policies to increase the stability of patriot crew members and their families: a simulation approach

摘要

The overwhelming success of the Patriot Air Defense weapon system during Operation Desert Storm has become a double edge sword for the system's enlisted crew members and their families. During the war, the Patriot system became the first proven means of defending against Tactical Ballistic Missile (TBM) attacks. The people and the governments of Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States praised the Patriot crew members as true heroes. Unfortunately for the Patriot crew members, their success also meant that every country wanted the protection that the system offered. A battalion is now permanently stationed in Korea. Another battalion rotates every six months to Saudi Arabia. The increased number of deployments of the system and the crew members has had a dramatically negative impact on morale, retention and recruitment of Patriot crew members. In this paper, we present a simulation model which allows a personnel manager to vary personnel policies effecting Patriot crew members to determine the impact on the number and frequency of deployments and on unit readiness.