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Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: Retaining Talent

Authored by Colonel Casey Wardynski, Major David S. Lyle, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Michael J. Colarusso.

Brief Synopsis

Over the last 3 decades, dramatic labor market changes and well-intentioned but uninformed policies have created significant officer talent flight. Poor retention engenders substantial risk for the Army as it directly affects accessions, development, and employment of talent. The Army cannot make thoughtful policy decisions if its officer talent pipeline continues to leak at current rates. Since the Army cannot insulate itself from labor market forces as it tries to retain talent, the retention component of its officer strategy must rest upon sound market principles. It must be continuously resourced, executed, measured, and adjusted across time and budget cycles. Absent these steps, systemic policy, and decisionmaking failures will continue to confound Army efforts to create a talent-focused officer corps strategy.

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Also by the Authors/Editor:

Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: Employing Talent
Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: Developing Talent
Accessing Talent: The Foundation of a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy
Talent: Implications for a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy
Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: A Proposed Human Capital Model Focused upon Talent

View other pubs in the following categories:

Military Leadership
Military Culture
Military Professionalism
Retention and Recruitment