The U. S. Army Future Concept for the Human Dimension

7-4. Retaining the Force

Promotion and selection systems wield great power in retaining a qualified professional all-volunteer force. Promotion and selection laws and policies reinforce the values of the organization and make clear what the Army considers necessary for advancement. Promotion and selection systems require scrutiny and or modification to assure that the Army selects the most qualified individuals in an inherently fair manner.

Promotion profoundly influences how Soldiers see themselves, their peers, and their seniors. While promotions for NCOs in the early grades involve leaders who have actually seen these Soldiers in action, impersonal centralized boards select officers for promotion. Some perceive this as a process of promoting files rather than officers. A promotion process that balances local and centralized input could provide a more effective process. The leadership chapter addresses this as well as command selection as systems worthy of scrutiny for potential modification in the future.
The Army should consider modifying the promotion system from the current “up or out” to a “perform and stay” system. Such changes would require congressional action and would affect other Services. Policy changes could include expanding promotion zones and allowing officers to choose their promotion consideration timeframe within time in grade milestones; adjusting pay scales for officers remaining in grade longer; and, offering non-monetary incentives, such as geographical stability. The Army could also develop multiple career tracks for officers to allow a better match between career track and individual skills and preferences.
Performance appraisals should place greater emphasis on innovation, creativity, and adaptability. The Army might consider adding a 360-degree appraisal across the force with subordinates, peers, and supervisors providing input about a candidate’s receptivity to ideas from below and efforts to put them into action. A 360-degree appraisal would not replace traditional evaluation methods, such as test scores and fitness reports, but provide supplementary information about dimensions of performance. This is a highly controversial proposal rife with pitfalls, but one that requires consideration if the Army is to change to meet future challenges.
Promotion and pay are key motivators for retention. Leaders in key specialties that require extensive education or training with slower promotion opportunity require more options for retention. The Army should explore a system to accommodate pay increases without promotion, based on specialties where grade progression is slower and time in grade more pronounced. This could take the form of tying pay increases to assessment of performance creativity, innovation, adaptability, and effectiveness.
All of these suggestions have merits and faults. Allowing some to serve a longer time in grade may enable retaining highly qualified individuals longer, but the downside might be stagnation and a reluctance to adapt to changing requirements. Decentralizing officer promotions may produce better choices based on recent observation of candidates while on the job. It can also lead to favoritism and an unhealthy competition in a relatively smaller cohort. As the Army explores ways to meet the requirements of the future Modular Force it must be open to all of the ideas mentioned above, as well as other innovations.
Personnel systems that support an Army human capital strategy must balance the needs of the force as a whole and the needs of the individual. In this regard, the readiness of units and the ability of the institution to support operational forces are more important than the needs of the individuals that make up the force. Additionally, the evaluation of potential leaders must include a method to identify those who fully understand the intricacies of command and possess the intuition and innovativeness for success.
Through the continuum of service initiative, a flexible range of personal extended leave programs would accommodate the needs of the individual and the Army. This would demonstrate an understanding of Soldiers’ personal commitments and responsibilities, much as Family Medical Leave Act functions in the civilian workplace. For example, flexibility could allow a leader to take a sabbatical to care for aging parents and then permit him or her back into the force in grade and stop the “clock” for promotion to remain competitive for promotion. This idea can also encompass breaks in active service to work in other civilian capacities such as with industry or other government agencies. Soldiers can lend military experience to sectors outside the military, and, in turn, leaven the military should they return to active service in uniform.
The continuum of service concept can also support the Army’s wounded warriors and take advantage of their, training, education, and leadership skills. The operations of the last few years have produced a group of severely wounded Soldiers who opt for continued military service. Some of these Soldiers have even been able to return to operational units with state of the art prosthetics. Those too disabled to return to operational units can contribute and should be able to reach the highest levels of the Army by serving in the generating force. Another possibility is serving as a civil servant before returning to uniformed status. Optionally, wounded warriors could also advance through the civil service ranks to become senior Army civilian leaders. The Army should make routine what it has done in the past by exception in supporting and retaining on active duty leaders of exceptional potential. General Eric Shinseki (Ret.), General Frederick Franks (Ret.), and Brigadier General Stan Cherrie (Ret.) were all severely wounded in Viet Nam. All three and numerous others went on to make major contributions to the Army and the Nation. The Army cannot afford to overlook the potential of Soldiers who have given so much and attained the skills, leadership, and combat experience essential to the Army.