Some US Army Recruiting, Retention, Training, and Personnel Implications of the Objective Force: The Army Enlistment Production System

Abstract

Abstract : The Army employs a process that involves a number of interconnected organizations. The ongoing recruiting, retention, training, and personnel systems are required to maintain the Army's ability to maintain mission effectiveness and readiness of the operating forces. This report looks at the interconnected system consisting of recruiting, retention, training, and personnel systems as the Army Enlistment Production System (AEPS). The present AEPS has a number of issues that negatively affects its performance. Some of these problems have origins that go back to the days when the present system was developed. These problems are not isolated within a specific part of the process. On the contrary, they go across the entire system so that one problem in one part of the system ripples to other parts of the system. Army policy on retention, for example, affects the number of soldiers that have to be recruited, which affects the training base. There are a number of places where unexpected losses result in over one-third of the recruited soldiers failing to complete contracted years of service. These losses, in turn, affect the recruiting mission. The losses occur in every part of the AEPS: (1) Enlistment Processing (prior to contract signing); (2) Delayed Entry Program (after contract is signed but prior to basic training); (3) Training (usually within the first year of enlistment); and (4) Initial assignment.