Retention Down; Next Generation's Military Leaders Exiting Service
by Chad Groening
May 1, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A retired Army commander and West Point graduate says he's concerned that more than one-third of the West Point class of 2000 has chosen to exit the military for lucrative civilian opportunities. He explains that that means the military is losing men with combat experience that is irreplaceable. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Bob Maginnis is concerned that last year's retention rate among West Point officers was the lowest in 16 years. Maginnis says the constant stress of deployment is taking its toll on these junior officers -- and that, he contends, is why many are leaving after their initial military commitment.
"It's inevitable that your junior officers, after having multiple combat tours, will find the enticements of the civilian economy far more welcoming than perhaps the combat realities of Iraq or Afghanistan," he comments.
Maginnis says the exodus is unfortunate because combat experience is not easy to replace. "The combat experience is irreplaceable -- and especially as you mature in the ranks," he says. "And the president has made very clear that he expects this is going to be a very long war, and we need combat experience in the officer rank as well as the enlisted rank."
According to the retired Army officer, the military has turned to incentives in an attempt to retain young officers in uniform. "The Army, in particular, is countering by offering graduate school and other perks," he explains. Those "other perks" include such things as the choice of an Army job or a pick of a desirable location for a home post.
"But that doesn't entice everybody," says Maginnis, "given some of the financial alternatives and the hardship alternatives that they face out there." Many, he points out, simply want the calmer civilian life and more time for family.
Maginnis says it is "very worrisome" to the higher-ranking officers that attrition is causing the military to lose some of its best young officers. "[T]hat's going to have long-term implications for the future leadership of the services," he says.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
