Management and Use of Army Enlisted Personnel: What Needs To Be Done

For many years, the Army relied on the draft to acquire a large, continuing supply of new personnel. Since the draft ended, it has pursued an aggressive program to recruit volunteers, paying bonuses to enlistees for critically needed skills. Although the Army has shortages of enlisted personnel in critically needed skills, it has substantial numbers of individuals qualified in those skills. It has had problems in maintaining an inventory of personnel with skills to match its needs. The Army needs a workable system for distributing, assigning, using, and accounting for its personnel.