Analysis and Recommendations on the Company-Grade Officer Shortfall in the Reserve Components of the U.S. Army

摘要

A June 18, 2009, U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee report on Public Law 111-84 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010 (House Report H.R.) 111-166 requested the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study of the company grade officer shortfall in both Reserve Components (RCs) of the U.S. Army: the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) and the Army National Guard (ARNG). In response to that report, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (OASD/RA) asked the RAND National Defense Research Institute (NDRI) to conduct a study on the company- grade officer shortfall in both Reserve Components. This monograph is intended to satisfy this request. As such, it addresses the shortfall of company-grade officers in the USAR and the ARNG. However, our recommendations for the U.S. Army could be applicable to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and the U.S. Navy, which are also experiencing a shortfall in company-grade officers in their Reserve Components. This monograph addresses four study goals. It explores and validates the magnitude of the company-grade officer shortfall in the Reserve Components of the U.S. Army, concluding that the problem is really a captain shortfall, and identifies recommendations to address this shortfall. In making recommendations, the monograph assesses whether the concept of a National Guard academy is a feasible partial solution to the captain shortfall. It also assesses the impact of requiring Officer Candidate School (OCS) candidates to hold a four-year degree to participate in OCS.