Dear Customer (name blocked for privacy),

I am a retired Army First Sergeant and former Special Forces. I served in combat during the Vietnam and Gulf Wars. I also helped the Army Recruiting Command by Conducting Public Relation's tours throughout the South East for 6 months. I also worked with congressional law makers on several projects and inquires.

I am happy to answer this question for you.

The current state of the military basically began just before Korea when we were sucked into that first of the Cold War incidents. Truman had ordered the military to downsize. The military followed orders, and in the downsizing, did not provide training or reorganization of its missions and strategic deployment of troops. Our Army was perceived weak, because of the reduced and stripped out size. There was, and still is, a trend to put our army back to the size that it was post Civil War. That is, with 70% or more of our defense and war time effort coming from the national guard and reserves.

However, this proved to be a fatal mistake, when North Korea, perceiving us to be weak, invaded South Korea. We reacted quickly with a Draft to fill the ranks, reverse engines and rebuild our military. In those years, between Korea and 1974, we relied upon the draft to fill and build the military. There were some problems with that.

• The children of wealthy people were exempted to receive college degrees; the non-wealthy did not get the degrees.
• Those without eduction would get out and take blue collar jobs or make the military a career, taking themselves out of the labor pool, and casting themselves into a category viewed by many as non-employable. At one point nearly 14% of veterans were homeless and unemployed. (1970's).
• Drugs and Drug abuse were rampant in the military through out the 60's and 70's. This was because, the draft pushed people into military ranks that were a reflection of society, and also because a large pool of military volunteers between 1968 and 1974 came from the streets. (criminals being given second chances by judges, poor, homeless, etc.). Because of the drugs and the unsavory surroundings of combat, drug addicted soldiers were hitting the streets on discharge from the military. We were putting dysfunctional and marginal people on the street, which in turn was creating an unfavorable image of military as competent employees or entrepreneurs. Interestingly, in 1974, the life expectancy of a retiree after 20 years of service was only 10 to 15 years; and after 30 years of service, the life expectancy was 5 to 7 years. this was largely due to alcohol, drug, and cigarette addiction and associated ailments.

2. Clearly, the military had to change. It needed to:

• Improve the quality of the workforce (soldiers)
• Restructure to match mission and size
• Improve training and readiness
• Improve opportunities within the service
• Improve opportunities for soldiers getting out of the service (create a positive image of soldier as employees and entrepreneurs)
• Attract replacements. (part of increasing the quality of the work force)
• Restructure the qualifications and job's

3. While the draft was the way of getting people into the army during the cold war and before; keeping them during that time was relatively easy:

• Pre cold war retention was based on the draft, combat pay, and patriotism.
• Cold war recruiting and retention was based on the draft, combat pay, some patriotism, and benefits: (housing allowances, Bachelors assistance for quarters; free meals or meal allowances; educational assistance; and retention bonuses for direct combat skills such as infantry and artillery). However this started to change in 1972 and by July 1973 we had started the first all voluntary force in our history. IN 72 we had a goal of attracting 30 to 50 percent of recruits from volunteers and only making up the difference with draftees. In 1973 congress passed a law ordering the military to recruit from volunteers and stopping the draft. Draft registration still exists; but it will take a congressional act to reinstate a draft.
• The GI BILL became fixed in law and provided in service and out of service benefits. for the first time, active duty military could use the GI Bill to get education.
• IN 1974, the military started the concept of a recruiting "contract" and we created in service recruiting. We also created a "Recruiting Command" with its own generals. So now we have Recruiting commands, divisions, brigades, battalions, and companies. Prior to 1974, unit commanders and first sergeants were responsible for in-service recruiting. So now we see Recruiting as a profession within the army.

Incidentally, the recruiting contract created quite a historic event that was also funny. My wife and I were recruited into the Army as a couple, and she was recruited on contract for a special forced unit with me. She became the TRUE GI-Jane, as the only woman ever to be permanently assigned to the Army Special Forces.

• Different recruiting strategies were initiated to match a QMP (quality management program). The QMP was designed to eliminate people from service who did not measure up to certain qualities and ideals based on performance, competence, education, skill, abilities, and professional demeanor. People who did not measure up were kicked out through a UCMJ procedures, administrative procedures, or were not allowed to reenlist (barred from reenlistment). The recruiting strategy was to seek out the quality soldiers and entice them to reenlist by giving them promotion, bonuses, choices of duty assignment, choices of jobs, and military educational opportunities. Starting in 74 until present, you see the following:

a) A professional career path tied to promotion and longevity

b) A career path for education from basic training to Primary leadership school to Basic NCO School, to Advanced NCO School, to First Sergeant and operations school, and finally to Sergeants Major Academy.

c) There are several opportunities to cross over from enlisted to officer ranks (executive management) through the west point cadet program; OCS; Physician Assistance School; Medical School; and Direct Commission, and flight school.

(d) As the years have grown, so have the bonuses. In the 70's 10,000 dollar bonuses were rare, but became popular in shortage skills in the 80's and 90's. Now during the Gulf war there are some 100,000 dollar bonuses. so we now see a heavy use of bonuses, not for first time recruitment, but for retaining people in critical skills and to meet reenlistment recruiting goals during the IRAQ war.

(E) Because of social conditions, the military became ethnically unbalanced. African American soldiers were disproportionately represented at the high end, while Hispanic solders were disproportionately under represented. With the appointment of the Army's first Hispanic Secretary, Louis Caldera, we see new legal programs and laws passed to change the recruiting strategy to increase the representation of Hispanics, reduce the African American presence, and inject more freedoms for women in the military workforce.

ONE of the biggest recruiting and retention outcomes is the reorganization and structure of the military culture that now allows women in combat roles, and a more ethnically balance d environment. If you can imagine the social change....WOW!

4. There were some law changes, and there were some military program changes, that have also affected retention and recruiting in the military. One challenge was to change the image of the military so that we would appear employable and entrepreneurial. Some laws and changes that started during the Vietnam ERA and have been strengthened and change today, contribute to retention and recruitment, because the military is once again, a valued source of experience, and helps to shape leadership and management skills. These programs and laws are:

• Drug and Alcohol programs supported by changes in the law. Military commanders now have the authority to have programs that help soldiers to get clean and stay clean. However, for those that cannot rehabilitate, they are out. The idea, is to provide a drug free work place. Frequent urinalysis, drug and alcohol awareness training, and heavy recreational opportunities help to maintain drug use in the army at the lowest levels. We no longer "shove" our addicts on to the street without a support system.
• GI BILL, we have already mentioned. The benefits and eligibility continue to grow and expand.
• THE SBA (Small Business Administration), a government agency has GI Bill guaranteed loans for businesses since Vietnam, that continue to grow and expand.
• Military Transition Assistance Programs for military people returning to the work force.
• Changes to the Equal Employment Opportunity act to add Veterans and disable veterans as a disadvantaged group with other minorities.
• Adding Alcohol and drug addictin to the ADA
• The most recent changes to military funding to extend Post exchange and commissary shoping privileges to reservists helps to keep reserves enlisted and on the roles.
• The Sailors and soldier' relief Act allows soldiers called to duty to hold debts and other obligations in abeyance.
• The most recent Federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act ("USERRA"), which applies to all employers, regardless of size, employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees in hiring, retention, promotion or employment benefits based on past, present or future membership in, or application for membership in, any branch of the armed services (or other "uniformed services").
• Military programs like Family Support Groups, Golf Courses, Gymnasiums, Relocation benefits, and Army Community services programs, as well as spouse priority for hiring go a long way with providing a quality of life that keeps soldiers coming back.
• Medical benefits for life and life time use of military facilities, including free air transportation anywhere in the world for military retirees and their spouses.

OK, that about does it. Let me know if you need anymore.