Military Retirement and Personnel Management: Should Active Duty Military Careers be Lengthened?
Abstract
This report discusses whether the current average active duty military career should be lengthened. Proponents argue it could lead to cost savings resulting from more efficient personnel management, and would provide more scope for military career members to obtain more training and experience. Opponents tend to believe that lengthening average careers could result in career retention problems, and could lead to career personnel who were unfit to perform their military duties due to age and consequent lack of physical and mental vigor. Modifications of the current average active duty military career length could thus have substantial implications for the overall defense budget and the military effectiveness of the armed forces. The role of the Congress in these matters is crucial, as overall retirement criteria and retired pay computation formulae for all military members, and detailed personnel management policies for officers, are established by statute. The dominant rationale for shorter careers has been the need to prevent the military effectiveness of the armed forces from being impaired by the presence, on active duty, of people physically incapable -- because of age -- of performing their military duties. A major secondary rationale for allowing, and requiring, retirement at comparatively earlier ages than most civilian retirement systems is providing a strong career retention incentive.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 14, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA303749
Entities
People
- Robert L. Goldich
Organizations
- Library of Congress