Military Attrition: Better Data, Coupled With Policy Changes, Could Help the Services Reduce Early Separations

DOD partially implemented this recommendation, but intends no further action. Specifically, the Navy took no action, despite the fact that GAO's data indicated that it had the highest number of enlistees allowed early releases. The Marine Corps took no action but had few persons in this category. The Army reviewed its policies, but, like the Marine Corps, it grants few enlistees early releases. The Air Force is the only service that has reviewed its policies and decreased the number of its early releases.

All the services administered quality-of-life surveys and identified initiatives aimed at reducing the attrition of first-term personnel. For example, the Navy designed a survey to be given to personnel at "transition points," including when they separate or enlist. The Marine Corps uses both exit and retention surveys and the Navy Postgraduate School conducted an analysis. The Army administered entry and exit surveys to first-term enlistees to obtain root causes of attrition. The Air Force has administered biannual surveys and, in April 2000, began to institute exit surveys for use in addressing retention. In late 1999, DOD administered a survey of active-duty personnel that included many items aimed at assessing quality of life. In April 2000, DOD conducted a military exit survey to assess the decision of service members to leave. The final report with a completed analysis of the military exit survey was completed in February 2002, and was distributed to the military services.

In testimonies and other forums, DOD and the services have made reducing attrition an important goal. For example, Navy officials admit that they cannot afford to weed out recruits. They have initiated many remedial programs to reduce attrition. The July 1999 Marine Corps Commandant's Planning Guidance emphasized leadership responsibility for mentoring Marines and providing a framework for success. The Army's philosophy has changed from "Prove to us you're good enough to be in our Army and we'll let you in" to "It's going to be tough, but we will train you. We will get you through it." Finally, three times each year, Air Force recruiting, basic training, and technical commands meet to discuss issues including reducing attrition.

All four services have introduced new programs aimed at retaining enlistees who might earlier have been summarily discharged. For example, the Navy has instituted six remedial programs targeting enlistees in basic training. It also plans to provide more remedial attention to enlistees in the fleet who are having minor disciplinary problems and experiencing hardships. The Marine Corps has begun new programs in basic training to target persons threatening suicide and suffering physical problems such as lower extremity injuries. Fort Jackson, the Army's largest basic training site, has developed programs designed to remediate enlistees experiencing problems with injuries and with adjustment, language, physical fitness, behavioral, and academic problems. After training, the Army plans to target enlistees who have previously been separated for desertion or minor disciplinary problems. Finally, the Air Force has begun to target for special attention persons in basic training who suffer physical injuries and psychological problems and enlistees who make false declarations of homosexuality. After training, the Air Force is providing remedial attention to enlistees with minor disciplinary problems.