Is it time for a change in personnel management from recruitment to retirement?

2016-01-26T18:25:00-05:00

It occurs to me that we are not preparing service members for success from recruitment throughout their career. Should a career model be mandatory as a pre-enlistment counseling requirement.

Service members join up to shore up their future in some way shape or form and after enlistment, what guides their civilian and military development (i.e. what expectations should a recruit have post-army as a petroleum supply specialist, armormen, or horizontal construction engineer)?

Response by MCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 26 at 2016 7:13 PM

2016-01-26T19:13:47-05:00

This would require a significant change in attitude from the norm. After you are retired, the "company" no longer cares about you because you aren't THEIR responsibility. No matter what you do as a retiree, you can't impact Unit XXX or mission accomplishment of Unit YYY.

Personal development should be on the individual. If you feel you HAVE to get a degree, you'll find a way - even if it takes 15 years to get an AA. Most don't feel that way - and their decision is on them.

Response by CPT Mark Gonzalez made Jan 26 at 2016 7:23 PM

2016-01-26T19:23:30-05:00

I appreciate the idea of taking care of people, but in an organization as large as ours it would just be another program and we long passed the point of diminishing return on new programs. The army may be headed in this direction regardless with the army career tracker. ACT is being utilized for such things as mandatory IDP's and now sponsorship. I am sure all of us have enjoyed or will enjoy mandatory TASP training soon enough.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 27 at 2016 2:26 AM

2016-01-27T02:26:02-05:00

I in my opinion as a private, think that we should have a class so to speak on things we should start doing. "Start em' young". Fresh outta basic. Tell them about things you start doing. Starting a savings and have X% taken each check and directed to that account. Set up TSPs, start IRAs. After so many months/years have another class. To continue to build on it.

Response by SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 27 at 2016 11:13 AM

2016-01-27T11:13:54-05:00

LTC Yinon Weiss first introduced me to the concept that a member's entire career should be viewed as a transition period about one year ago and I have taken it to heart. I share that mindset with all airmen I come into contact now and try to stress the fact that you WILL take the uniform off some day so you need to treat your entire career as a transition and not wait for TAPS. SFC Private RallyPoint Member I like the idea of taking it one step further and showing them possibilities at the recruiting office on where their career might end up taking them. I am actually going to take this idea up the chain and see if we can add certifications that are available in my AFS to our enlisted classification directory.