The Army Can Improve Peacetime Use of Deployable Enlisted Personnel

Although its combat mission has priority, the Army's peacetime role and demands on personnel are important. Army headquarters has not officially recognized its peacetime needs and incorporated them into its personnel management policies and instructions. A study was conducted to determine whether deployable Army enlisted military personnel were or could be used effectively and productively to accomplish work needed to maintain garrisons and, at the same time, enhance proficiency in their basic skills.

Army headquarters does not provide adequately for using combat personnel for meeting peacetime needs. It staffs its deployable units and develops personnel management policies and instructions on the basis of combat requirements, and it gives no substantive recognition of the need to use deployable personnel for garrison work. Commanders' and individuals' perceptions of special duty in the garrison and how to use it effectively need to change. Most of those contacted had negative perceptions of special duty; these perceptions are demoralizing and not conducive to good performance. The Army would benefit from more constructive attitudes toward special duty. Special duty could be used as a reward for good performance and, by using high achievers in special duty, the required work could be accomplished with fewer people.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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