Retention and Reality

The end of your first contract of service approaches in a matter of a short few months. Those years of your life you signed over to serve your country faithfully are now reaching their endpoint. Congratulations you made it! The decision you are faced with now: Do I stay or do I go?

Often, service members join with a mindset of whether they will or will not make the Armed Forces a career they retire from. The majority of recruits are trenchant on their reasons for joining. The vast majority of enticing motives are college tuition, student loan repayment, adventure, and a sense of self-purpose. Although these seem logical points, they are not the key reasons and factors that Soldiers debate whether to stay or leave.

Soldiers are given a twelve-month window in which to decide if they are or are not going to remain in the service. Many factors play into a decision a Soldier has to make. Leadership and how a person is and has been, treated is the major indicator for the Soldier when they begin to think about the possibility of re-enlisting. Leadership breakdown of understanding, care, coordination, and communication about, and to, their Soldiers devours three-fourths of a Soldier’s morale and respect for the organization as a whole. I have seen Soldiers who had the life goal of climbing the ranks and making positive change as they follow their career to retire from the service, suddenly become so disheartened with the leadership they were under to where they looked forward to the end of their service contract. Unfortunately, this happens more often than not.

Another important factor that Soldiers consider for reenlisting is the incentives. Reenlistments sometimes come with a monetary bonus in some form up to a specified amount in exchange for additional years of service. The number of years a Soldier has already served does negate the incentives as there is a cutoff point. Recently, the National Guard removed those monetary incentives that the vast majority were considering. In doing so, retention took a major hit. However, the National Guard bounced back with their monetary incentives after the new fiscal year began. This relieved some tension and frustration Soldiers harbored the months before.

I gathered comments and concerns from personnel in the Armed Forces that totaled over 75 years collectively. Many have seen the curvature and decline of retention in the Armed Forces firsthand. I asked, “In your opinion, what is the turning point for people not wanting to stay in the service?” I was met with an ambiguous statement, “The turning point I have noticed for retention is how politically minded the service has become. Removing the politicizing mindsets from leadership roles would not only increase retention but correct the leadership disconnects to their Soldiers. The majority of issues that arise in the realm of retention are steamed from a Soldier’s Chain of Command that ranges from the squad leader and platoon sergeants to the First Sergeant and Commander.”

When leaders put themselves in the political focal point instead of standing by their people appropriately, they demonstrate to their entire unit that they do not matter. This parallels closely with the fight to humanize the rank concept that many do not acknowledge. Another toxic leadership mannerism often felt among Soldiers is the good are held back in their career while the disruptive, disrespectful, and troubled Soldiers are rewarded with career progression in a fast-track approach. Disintegration erodes the foundation that was built on the strong, career-driven Soldiers because the overall morale becomes disgruntled and soured.

Additional retention boosting points made were about schools and incentives. According to one personnel (who wished to not be named), “The lack of school opportunities for the Soldiers who are so amped up to make the Military a career for them devastates their morale resulting in the Soldier opting to not reenlist when the time comes. Schools are not made a priority for those who want and are biting at the bit to enhance their Military career. Especially in the National Guard.”

Military schools are not easy to attend for Reserve components as they are the dual persona of a Military member and a civilian. Although they hold both identities, Soldiers prioritize their military schooling opportunities when offered. However, unambitious Soldiers clog the process for those who want to attend schools due to the seniority they hold over the newer career-focused recruits.

Lastly, a major impact on the retention decline comes in a wave of Soldiers feeling no purpose, undervalued, disrespected, and degraded constantly. Soldiers are skilled in a specialized section or duty. When the Soldier reaches their units from Advanced Individual Training, they are often eager, amped, and determined to be a success with a love and drive for the service uniform they wear. However, this often does not last very long. Seasoned Soldiers often complain they have no purpose when attending unit functions. This is more accurate for the reserve components who only meet monthly. Soldiers are left sitting around waiting to do something more than just preventative maintenance, pushing brooms, and filling out administrative forms. Soldiers have the thirst and hunger to participate in their specialized fields, cross-train to learn more, and be involved productively.

Soldiers are degraded on a daily by their direct chain of command. They are told they have no value to add to the organization as a whole, cannot function normally, and many other disrespectful comments. Soldiers are talked negatively about among the full-time staff that does reach Soldier's ears. The embers of hope that burned deep within that Soldier are now snuffed out due to the realization of how bad the leadership is.

Overall retention can be improved by facing the reality of what is being projected loudly from the decline in retention numbers, the dissatisfaction from Soldiers, and accepting responsibility to correct the issue. A reality the Armed Forces retention faces is the chain of command is a poisoned counterproductive pit in which lower Soldiers must endure until that endpoint is reached on their service obligations. Openly hold those accountable for counterproductive actions to hopefully begin to rebuild the retention numbers. The time is ticking on many service contracts currently. To retain as many Soldiers as possible, action sooner, rather than later, will be beneficial to the organization overall. Practice putting your PEOPLE FIRST. Taking care of them will result in them taking care of you.