Roy A. Wallace

The United States finds itself at a profound inflection point. Since World War II, its national security threats have tended to accumulate rather than diminish. While U.S. military capabilities remain more advanced than that of any other state, an increasingly interconnected global economy has allowed potential adversaries to shrink the technological lead currently enjoyed by America's Armed Forces. Additionally, U.S. economic power has declined relative to that of other nations, steadily narrowing its defense spending advantage. Meanwhile, increasing Federal budget austerity has focused Congress upon reigning in defense costs, particularly in the personnel realm. The authors of this monograph believe that talent management-the science of creating a higher performing, more productive, and more satisfied workforce-is critical to dealing with these national security challenges. They argue that, instead of making across-the-board cuts to service member pay and benefits...

The current military retirement system has been integral to sustaining the All Volunteer Force (AVF). Mounting federal budget challenges, however, have raised concern that the program may become fiscally unsustainable. While several restructuring proposals have emerged, none have considered the implications of these changes to the broader issue of manning an AVF. Changes to the existing system could create military personnel shortfalls, adversely affect service member and retiree well-being, and reduce public confidence in the Armed Forces. With the right analytical framework in place, however, a more holistic restructuring of the system is possible, one that avoids these negative effects while significantly reducing costs. This monograph provides both a comprehensive framework and a proposal that stand to benefit both service members in terms of value and the military in terms of overall cost savings.