Peter Schirmer

Security cooperation's importance, scale, and complexity have grown substantially in recent years, but efforts to develop and manage the Department of Defense security cooperation workforce have lagged. This study informs the development of career models for the security cooperation workforce, assesses potential requirements for competencies and experience, and identifies potential job families within the workforce to facilitate management.

RAND Arroyo Center explored how the U.S. Army might need to adapt its personnel management policies and practices to support the Regionally Aligned Forces concept. Authors estimated the scope and scale of the requirement for regional expertise; modeled the Army s current ability to produce soldiers with the required expertise; and identified changes to the personnel management system to develop and match such soldiers with appropriate positions."

This title summarizes discussions with over 450 Army officers (lieutenants through colonels) about leader development in Army units. These discussions revealed that the type and extent of leader development activities vary greatly across units, but that they are generally informal and most heavily influenced by the unit commander. The authors conclude with suggestions on how the Army school system can improve leader development.

The Department of Defense has suggested that "blending" active component and reserve component workforces in military units must be implemented more broadly for a more flexible, capable force. This report examines existing organizational designs that facilitate integration of the reserve and active workforces, to ascertain whether changed personnel management practices are needed to further implement these designs.

Readiness is integral to national security, and key to its management is the ability to measure it. The U.S. military reports monthly on overall readiness, and the authors' goal is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the detail and accuracy of the U.S. military's readiness reports. This report will be of interest to people who seek to use AI and its enabling technologies to support the mission of national defense.

Increased use of the reserve component, particularly since September 11, 2001, and an expectation that this role will continue and possibly increase in the future has renewed interest in the question of the appropriate number of reserve component general and flag officers (RC G/FOs). RAND researchers conducted a review of requirements and authorized strength for RC G/FOs.

RAND Arroyo Center produced competency models and a training framework to support Army Human Resources Command's delivery of services after its upcoming reorganization and relocation. Researchers developed competency models for jobs that would survive the move. They identified gaps between the competencies HRC would need and the availability of workers. Finally, they developed training concepts to close gaps between current and future workforces.

A RAND simulation model adapted to address general and flag officer management subject to provisions of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 assesses the complexity and feasibility of managing new end- and grade-strength accounting rules. The model schedules assignments, holds positions open as needed, and forecasts retirements and promotions. The results indicate that GFO end-strength management is tractable.

This title presents the results of a short-term review of 27 publicly available manpower studies to discover methods that other organizations could use to make fiscally informed manpower decisions. The studies exhibit varying methods for determining manpower requirements; however, the method used may not be as important as other attributes, such as the direct involvement of a senior decision maker.

Many of the laws and policies that govern officer career management (often referred to as "DOPMA," after the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act of 1980) may not meet the requirements of the future operating environment. One criticism of DOPMA is that it does not allow for much variety in career paths because it is time-driven. The authors demonstrate how a competency-based system could provide more flexibility in preparing officers for the wide-ranging roles and missions of the 21st century military.

Revisits joint officer management and frames a strategic approach to further officers' development in joint matters. The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 dramatically changed the way in which the Department of Defense prepares for and executes its mission. The authors of this report revisit Goldwater-Nichols by examining the current state of joint officer management and framing a strategic approach to further officers' development in joint matters.

Are there feasible alternatives to the present "up-or-out" policy for U.S. military officers? Most military officers are subject to a policy known as "0up-or-out," which requires separation from service if they are not promoted or selectively continued within a certain period of time or when they encounters established grade/tenure limits. RAND considered a range of potential substitutes for, or modifications of, the existing policy and recommends that the Department of Defense implement four demonstration projects to establish the relative value of specific policy alternatives and requirements.

Recommends alternative promotion models to address the high turr over of the military's general and flag officers. The Department of Defense (DoD) experiences a high turnover from its general and flag officers (G/FOs). A concern exists that simply lengthening the stay of senior officers will only clog the system, stagnating promotions through out the entire officer corps. In response to this, RAND researchers analyzed the current system, reviewed literature on corporate management practices, and modeled different ways of managing G/FOs. In addition to proposing variations to the promotion model, the authors address the concerns expressed by those in DoD and Congress about implementing such changes.