Key US Army Ranks Begin to Thin

[SWJED]

2 May Christian Science Monitor - Key US Army Ranks Begin to Thin by Gordon Lubold.

Thousands more mid-level enlisted soldiers are leaving the Army than in each of the past two years, forcing the service to increase its use of pay-to-stay programs and find other ways to keep GIs in the fold.

Four years into the fight in Iraq, the Army continues to be successful in retaining enough soldiers overall – "a miracle" to some observers, because the war has lasted so long. But that success masks a growing problem within the ranks: Fewer mid-grade sergeants are opting to stay in the Army as many face yet another deployment to Iraq – and, more important, Army officials say, less time at home.

While a reenlistment shortfall in any Army group is cause for concern, many consider the declining rate among mid-grade sergeants to be a sign of potential bigger reenlistment problems for the Army down the line. In addition, the fact that more mid-level soldiers are leaving could have a long-term impact on the Army's ability to grow future leaders...

[sullygoarmy]

Good article highlighting a growing problem in our military. Most articles fail to mention one of the main reasons soldiers re-enlist, especially in a combatzone: Cold, hard, cash that's tax free.

But now as repeat/extended tours become the norm, how do we keep our mid-level leaders? What we want to avoid is the wholesale depletion of our NCO corps and mid-level officers. Such a depletion has long term effects on the future of our military.

[jcustis]

But now as repeat/extended tours become the norm, how do we keep our mid-level leaders?

There are several ways. Mind you, I have a more conservative view of why folks are leaving, and it isn't necessarily just extended or repeat tours:

-Don't lower the standards that exist, and in fact raise the bar.
-Don't coddle under-achievers and poor performers. Screw something up bad enough?...you're done. Not reassigned, but done. Don't let the door hit you on the ass.
-Take a serious look at revamping our personnel management practices...and then actually do something about it once the $2 mil study is released. If a guy or gal wants to stay 7, 9, or 10 years in the operating forces, and is pulling his/her weight, good to go.
-Need advisors? Stop cutting into the T/O of deploying units to carve out MITTs, BITTs, etc. Build the pool and keep those folks there.
-Want to deploy with your own commercially procured body armor? Great, just review the comparative testing analysis brochure, sign a hold harmless waiver, and drive on. Big boys rules should be in effect, so don't assume that "Joe don't know".
-Assume a little more operational risk, and tear down every super-FOB out there.

[sullygoarmy]

J,
I agree with you on most of your points. The personnel management system, and the Army's insistance to still hit certain gates (the artist formely known as branch-qualifiying jobs, now called Key Developmental positions) prevents our leaders for speciailizing in certain fields and puts a real crunch on those MiTT Advisors who do NOT get any KD credit for their time served.

Additionally, I agree we need to build up an "Advisor Corps" of selected officers and NCOs, screened for their abilities to build rapport, adapt to different cultures and to be self-sufficient in a fluid environment: not selected based on their PT scores, last OER/NCOER or just because they haven't been to the sandbox yet (one of the biggest screeners right now). As much as I'd like to see advisors remain in the conventional force once this Iraq/Afghanistan thing ends, you know the budget hatchet wielders will kill the program as soon as the firing stops...per our usual gunshot wound to the foot.

I suspect there are very few mid-level guys getting out because they couldn't wear their very own "second chance" body armor. The 365 days of continuous combat (sorry, extend that to 15 months) and the realization that once you get back home, chances are you'll start another 15 month tour with a year...oh and don't forget all the training requirements, CTC rotations and every other event that takes you away from "home" during your 12 months at "home". I suspect that these stressors are the biggest factors in our mid-level NCOs and officers pulling pitch. But hey, just my $.02 worth.

[Rob Thornton]

Treat people and their families like you sincerely value them and their families, and I think they (and their families) will demonstrate a great deal of loyalty. Every time you ask more from them, be prepared to demonstrate recipricol loyalty. After all, there are not many folks out there who are willing. Is there a point in every servicemembers life where it may be time to leave - you bet - show them how much you valued their service and leave the door open for the ones you'd like to see back, maybe even reward them upon return with a promotion if they bring something new to the table that increases their value to the organization.

It might be money, it might be allot of things (medical, dental, housing, family services, etc.), but it all comes down to the perception of value in the context of competing factors. This means acknowledging on a number of levels - it starts at the top - from the masters of the purse strings to HRC managers to commanders and CSMs/1SGs. Its to the point where considering the value of each Soldier, Marine, Sailor or Airman as an individual needs to be considered. Now we do that to a degree - a commander talks with those in their re-enlistment window - but the commander does not have the authority / resources to offer anything outside what the Unit Re-Up guy has to sell. On another note - we have even less flexibility with officers - and Joe is no dummy - if a good officer is leaving, Joe will wonder why.

We need to overhaul it - we need a HR strategy that lays out what the Force (I'm really talking people here - not platforms and payloads) needs to look like, not a new toy in the Lucky Charms box - that is not a strategy - that is a sugar high with a throw away.

[Jimbo]

I know they are still debating which demographics/cohorts to focus on for study. The honest answer is to look where the re-up rates are in the next 12 to 18 months when the guys from the 15 month plan come home and hit heir re-up window, especially those that are on their second or third enlisyment. That is where we see what is what, regrettably, we will have to be reactive.

[Ender]

I suspect there are very few mid-level guys getting out because they couldn't wear their very own "second chance" body armor.

I suspect you are correct but am reminded of a quote from Patton:

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."

It is one thing to send me on a mission and tell me what you want me to do, where you want me to go, who you want me to talk with and what you want me to tell them. No problem, Sergeant up. Tell me exactly how you want me to do all these things and then make me EXTREMELY physically uncomfortable while I am doing so and I will at the very least not perform as well and at worst will balk.

The armor isn't the issue but it does not help one bit. I spent over $3,000 on gear for my platoon, my team and my person. Almost every penny of it went to good use and the bulk of the gear I bought made me safer, more effective and more comfortable. In essence it made me a "better Marine" (dangerous ground here... hear me out...) or more accurately helped me perform my tasks easier because I was able to be MORE of me MORE often.

I don't think anyone is getting out because they can't wear their Dragonskin but I do think a large number are getting out because they are being asked to fight blind, (crappy eye pro) chafed, overheated and overloaded (50lb body armor that is made from the equivalent of polyester and sandpaper). I know there is a time to suck it up and am fully aware that I am complaining about being "uncomfortable" but seriously when your only hopes for the week are dodging IED's and sniper rounds what else do we have besides comfort? Lower enlisted guys are like babies... when they start crying there is usually a reason that can be solved by either checking their diapers, filling their bellies, putting them to bed or letting them cry it out. This one instance where I would listen to their cries and check their pants, their complaints may be based off of "substance."

[120mm]

J,
I suspect there are very few mid-level guys getting out because they couldn't wear their very own "second chance" body armor. The 365 days of continuous combat (sorry, extend that to 15 months) and the realization that once you get back home, chances are you'll start another 15 month tour with a year...oh and don't forget all the training requirements, CTC rotations and every other event that takes you away from "home" during your 12 months at "home". I suspect that these stressors are the biggest factors in our mid-level NCOs and officers pulling pitch. But hey, just my $.02 worth.

Just want to second "Ender"s point. It's not the body armor, it's being treated like a professional. Don't tell me what I can or cannot wear to fight in. A better example would be the Under Armor ban. Personally owned Under Armor was banned for wear because it wasn't fire proof. So you can no longer wear it under your plastic helmet, your plastic uniform, your plastic body armor, or your plastic boots. And obtw, the Army is rolling out Under Armor as the new underwear for the "soldier of the future" display that is travelling around military bases.

Not only treat soldiers like "big boys" but find some grown-ups to be in charge, too.

[Ender]

There are several ways. Mind you, I have a more conservative view of why folks are leaving, and it isn't necessarily just extended or repeat tours:

-Don't lower the standards that exist, and in fact raise the bar.
-Don't coddle under-achievers and poor performers. Screw something up bad enough?...you're done. Not reassigned, but done. Don't let the door hit you on the ass.
-Take a serious look at revamping our personnel management practices...and then actually do something about it once the $2 mil study is released. If a guy or gal wants to stay 7, 9, or 10 years in the operating forces, and is pulling his/her weight, good to go.
-Need advisors? Stop cutting into the T/O of deploying units to carve out MITTs, BITTs, etc. Build the pool and keep those folks there.
-Want to deploy with your own commercially procured body armor? Great, just review the comparative testing analysis brochure, sign a hold harmless waiver, and drive on. Big boys rules should be in effect, so don't assume that "Joe don't know".
-Assume a little more operational risk, and tear down every super-FOB out there.

Amen to this! I particularly agree with the first two and last two points. All four resonate a big boy theme with me and imply a level of proactive accountability.

A question: How viable would it be to move out of the FOB's and into the villages and towns? I know there have been some moves in this direction since I was in Iraq but do not have details other than what is on here. We occupied quite a few static locations and I have to admit it was much easier to insert teams from the "inside in" than the "outside in" and am sure that we had a better sense of the AO than if we had ducked into Camp Fallujah every 12 hours.

[jonSlack]

Need advisors? Stop cutting into the T/O of deploying units to carve out MITTs, BITTs, etc. Build the pool and keep those folks there.

I agree with you on most of your points. The personnel management system, and the Army's insistance to still hit certain gates (the artist formely known as branch-qualifiying jobs, now called Key Developmental positions) prevents our leaders for speciailizing in certain fields and puts a real crunch on those MiTT Advisors who do NOT get any KD credit for their time served.

Has there been talk about creating a MiTT/FID branch or functional area?

[sullygoarmy]

Has there been talk about creating a MiTT/FID branch or functional area?

Jon,
The latest rumors we hear involve creating an Advisor Identifier...something that goes on your records which says you have advisor experience and can be used again in the future. It doesn't pull you from your basic track (armor, infantry, aviation, etc) but serves as a marker for the records guys to track and find people of an advisor gig comes up again.

Personally, I'm all for an Advisor Functional Area. I believe the Foreign Area Officers fit a specific bill: area specific, more political than working with foreign security forces. My concept would be to create an advisor selection process, develop an Advisor Functional area and have the promotion "gates" fit the jobs of an advisor. You can train advisor skills, generic rapport building skills, conduct "Robin Sage" like training events, etc. Once you have a block of trained advisors, the cultural training and language can be an in-depth "isolation" type train up to get them ready for a specific mission. However, if you pick the right people, they will adapt regardless of the culture or initial language barriers.

What do you do with the Advisor Functional Area guys in peace time? Have them work with foreign militaries under FID! This keeps their advisor skills sharp, rotate them in and out of FID missions and get civilian (anthropolgy, psychology, history,etc) schooling. We could also rotate them through some inter-agency jobs to get a better understanding of how (or how it doesn't...ask Jimbo) the process works. Rotate them into police schools, police training, border patrol, customs jobs, etc. All the missions we are asking our transistion teams to do know, without the benefit of years of training...only about 60 days worth. Then back into the advisor mode. We can implement this training at CTCs, work the advisors in with standard BCT rotations, and keep a cadre of well trained advisors ready to go for the next time we have to help rebuild foreign security forces.

I'll agree with you guys that its not about the gear, but about how we treat our soldiers. When you expect guys to perform difficult missions with sub-standard equipment, when you tell them we now have to screen e-mails back home to momma and the kids, and when you continue to treat combat vets like children, you push hard on the morale and spirit of the force....now where is my dragon skin armor!