掏空力量的轶事证据？仔细观察下级军官的保留[20080501].pdf

W O R K I N G P A P E RAnecdotal Evidence of a Hollowing Force?A Closer Look at Junior Offi cer RetentionM A Y 2 0 0 8 1Today s Army is“the most combat-experienced force the nation has witnessed in two generations.Our All-Volunteer Force is being asked to do more than ever and is showing remarkable resiliency in a time when there is growing strain on the institution.”1 As the mili-tary continues to be engaged in an era of persistent confl ict,institutionalizing the combat experience of its leaders spe-cifi cally its young offi cers is arguably the Army s lynchpin and a key component to U.S.national security.In a recent conversation with an active duty Army division commander about what keeps him up at night,he responded,“the retention of captains.”As the Army grows six brigades by 2010,it may struggle to fi ll critical mid-level leadership billets.Th e retention of young offi cers is essential to fi lling these billets and is directly linked to institutional-izing combat experience in the Army.A pervasive narrative today is that main-taining these offi cers is playing out like a Shakespearean tragedy as mid-level offi cers fl ee the Army in droves,spe-cifi cally due to an increase