Missing the Mark: A Study of US Marine Corps Aviation Talent Management and Retention
Abstract
The United States military is facing a crisis in pilot retention, and the Marine Corps is no exception. This crisis is occurring during a time when worldwide demand for pilots is increasing, and it has become exponentially easier and more desirable for military pilots to transition to a career in the commercial aviation industry. Concerns over a hindered aviation training pipeline, degraded aircraft readiness, minimal flight time, and poor quality of life exacerbate the problem. Independently, each of the Marine Corps sister services have recognized the problem and implemented solutions to increase training throughput and provide varied incentives to retain aviators. Conversely, the Marine Corps approach to closing the inventory gap addresses retention and not training or accessions. Thus far, the Marine Corps has limited its primary retention efforts to continuing captains that have been twice passed for promotion on active duty and offering blanket bonuses to pilots at the end of their service contract. With no end in sight to the global pilot demand, the Marine Corps cannot only throw money at the problem or the pilot deficit will continue to grow. The Marine Corps must acknowledge the underlying culture issues that have led to an increasingly gapped pilot inventory and consider the diverse programs enacted by sister services to resolve the pilot retention crisis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 17, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1177653
Entities
People
- Kyleigh M Cullen
Organizations
- Marine Corps University