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

Required Capabilities

The future Modular Force requires Soldiers who embrace the Army ethic, are technically competent, tactically proficient, and can rapidly adapt to the complex OE of the future. Due to the changes in the OE, Soldiers serving in the future Modular Force will experience new opportunities for promotion, career development, and methods of serving the Army. The key element of these changes is the adaptations of the Army’s personnel system from the management of assignments to the management of careers. To achieve this, the future Modular Force must have the capabilities listed below.

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  A human capital management system that provides for the development of Soldiers through programmed assignments, military education, and civilian education.
  
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  The Army needs to develop a continuum of service policy that enables Soldiers to fluidly transition across components with minimal degradation of skills and opportunities.
  
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  A promotion system that incorporates decentralized inputs from local leaders and peers but retains centralized standards for evaluation and selection.
  
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  A career oriented compensation program that both facilitates and encourages increased retention and career length.
  
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  An accession system that ensures the Army has sufficient strength while simultaneously controlling attrition during initial Service obligation.
  
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  Leadership doctrine for developing leaders and who understand how to assist in the development of strong, healthy, resilient families.
  
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  Mental health doctrine for mental health care providers and counselors who can apply preventative treatment measures for Soldiers and families across the Soldier life cycle and treat mental health problems in Soldiers and families.
  
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  Generating, installation and future Modular Force commanders must have the capability to integrate into institutional, installation, and pre-deployment training programs respectively, training that promotes strong unit, Soldier, and family relationships and address Soldier and family concerns.
  
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  Future training capabilities include training for:
  
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    Family readiness groups.
    
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    Unit combat and operational stress teams.
    
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    Installation staffs and family support agencies.
    
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    Civilian government and community support agencies
    
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  The capability to deliver progressive and sequential content on the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to promote strong unit, Soldier, and family relationships and address Soldier and family concerns.
  
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  The Army must identify, obtain, and develop healthcare; family and community support; education; child and youth services; morale, welfare, and recreation; spouse employment; family relocation; deployment cycle support; and career (including wounded warrior) transition professionals to assist unit leaders promote strong unit, Soldier, and family relationships and address Soldier and family concerns.
  
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  The Army needs adequate funding for paid family readiness group deployment support assistants down to company level
  

Questions for Further Examination

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  How would a concept of expanded promotion zones and its effect on career timelines impact on the Army’s operational effectiveness?
  
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  How would a continuum of service system support individual careers and the Army as an institution? What impact will targeted monetary incentives for retention have on manning?
  
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  How does the assignment system support the brigade-based Army in near persistent conflict?
  
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  How much influence should local commanders’ have over developmental assignments and should this be a decentralized or centralized process?
  
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  What systems are required to provide more influence of local commanders on the promotion process?
  
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  What are the personnel and human capital management issues associated with giving credit for similar service in the civilian sector, which would allow former Soldiers and officers to re-enter the service at a grade commiserate with their experience.
  
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  What programs are effective at enhancing resilient families that are adaptable, can tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty, and are capable of functioning effectively without the Soldier’s presence?
  
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  What family support programs are truly effective at enhancing quality of life, improving family satisfactions with military life, and retaining Soldiers and families in the Army?
  
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  What OPTEMPO level and deployment frequency will nullify family support efforts to build strong Army families and retain Soldiers and families in the Army?
  
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  What is the impact of continued deployments on child development in dual military families where both military members deploy?
  
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  Should the Army have documented organizations performing rear detachment functions? At what level?
  
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  How should the Army interact with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to assure continued quality service to veterans?
  
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  What are the dimensions of how active Army and reserve component Soldiers are drawn from American society and then return to it?
  

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Science can only ascertain what is, but not what should be, and outside of its domain value judgments of all kinds remain necessary.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

U. S. physicist, born in Germany