Blunting the Spear: Why Good People Get Out

Abstract

This study analyzes the United States Air Force s retention of the best rated officers from the Combat Air Force. Specifically, it addresses the retention of pilots from the fighter, bomber and RPA communities, and highlights the need for more focused retention methods based on the contextual differences that exist amongst these communities. This study shows that each rated community within the Air Force has different contextual definitions of those variables deemed most influential for retention. Further, the author argues that a failure to address these contextual differences at keys points throughout an officer s career will lead to decreased retention of the best, regardless of monetary payout made available at the completion of an Active Duty Service Commitment. As such, the author proposes several methods the Air Force can use to address retention contextually, starting at the Air Force level, and progressing to individual Major Weapons System Communities.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA617204

Entities

People

  • Brian T. Stahl

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Commercial Aviation
  • Commercial Pilots
  • Employment
  • Flight Training
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Education
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Students
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Economics
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.