Officer Retention: Incentives and their Effect on Officer Behavior Concerning Career Decisions

摘要

Over the past few years, the Army has had a difficult time recruiting quality enlisted soldiers and retaining officers in sufficient numbers to man the required personnel billets. Of particular concern is the fact that officers are opting to end their service well before the 20-year retirement point. This phenomenon has the potential to cause serious shortfalls of personnel who possess the requisite experience necessary to assume the responsibilities, and to perform the tasks that are required of senior officers. Because the military personnel system has been designed to grow its leaders from within, it is critical for military leaders to develop strategies to retain quality officers for continued advancement through a lifetime of service. General Ralph E. Eberhart, U.S. Space Command commander sums up this sentiment with the statement "the challenge is retaining them (Gilmore, 2001)."