Motivation in the Grade of Colonel, US Army
Abstract
To be successful, any organization must instill and maintain a high degree of motivation at all levels, but most especially at the executive level. This essay suggests special attention in that almost one-half of the colonels on active duty did not attend a senior service college (SSC), yet almost all (99%) of the general officers are SSC graduates. The final year in which an active duty officer can attend a senior service college resident course is in the twenty-third year of service, yet be statute he can continue to serve until the twenty-eighth year for Regular Army lieutenant colonels and thirty years for Regular Army colonels. Motivation during this five to seven year period of service with extremely limited or almost no promotion potential is the thesis of this essay. The data was collected by literature search and personal interviews. The motivational challenge is addressed from four viewpoints: the officer himself; other officers; his employer (the US Army); and Congress who must legislate both pay and length of service. A brief review of the history of military retirement and its rapidly growing costs (benefits) is included. The essay concludes that if the Secretary of the Army modifies instructions to selection boards, then officers in the grade of colonel will be more highly motivated toward performance of duty rather than motivated to service for enhanced retirement benefits.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 19, 1975
- Accession Number
- ADA024944
Entities
People
- George E. Taylor
Organizations
- United States Army War College