Recruiting, Readiness, and the All-Volunteer Force

The health of the Joint Force depends on attracting and retaining the talent it needs to defend the homeland, deter strategic attacks, prevail in conflict, and build enduring advantages. As the military and DoW compete for talent and implement a “next-generation service model” for the digital age, how can the military sustain the health of the All-Volunteer Force? Within this context, how can the reserve components best adapt their approach to stationing to drive improvements in recruiting and, ultimately, readiness?

Research should assess the interconnected challenges of retaining mid-career leaders through more fluid, project-based career paths while simultaneously evolving the military’s value proposition, marketing, and recruiting strategies to successfully attract future generations (Alpha, Z, Y, and X) shaped by AI and shifting views on public service. This requires evaluating what specific skill sets and subject areas may require different approaches to recruitment, career progression, and retention. Furthermore, this research should examine potential structure modifications that support improving unit manning levels and assess how the reserve components can posture forces to support the broader military and the Joint Force.

Ultimately, this research should foster a broad discussion on personnel challenges or focused studies on specific aspects, such as nontraditional incentives or the effects of these new service models on the force. What alternative models for recruitment and career progression are available to the DoW, what are the risks of options that move away from an all-volunteer force, and what lessons can be learned from allies and partners' approaches to these human-capital challenges

• Adams, Maj. Amara, "Overcoming Barriers to the Career Intermission Program: Proposed DoD Year Group Reset Initiative as an Alternative Retention Program," ACSC elective paper, 2023, 10 pgs. 
• Anchustegui, Maj. Michael J. "Two Front War: Combating the US Manpower Shortage Facing a Great Power Competition," AF Global College thesis, 2025, 33 pgs. 
• Anthony, Justin, "The Human Capital War: The Race to Attract a Civilian Workforce with Competitive Pay," AFGC thesis, 2025.
  • Anthony answers this by detailing the specific recruitment and retention challenges the Department of the Air Force (DAF) faces regarding highly technical STEM skill sets, specifically computer scientists, operations research analysts, and electronics engineers. He argues that the DAF's reliance on the rigid General Schedule (GS) pay system puts it at a severe disadvantage against the private sector and other federal agencies because it lacks flexible career progression and competitive entry-level pay. To solve this, Anthony proposes an alternative model: phasing out the GS and Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration Project (Lab Demo) systems in favor of enterprise-wide adoption of the Acquisition Demonstration Project (AcqDemo) for all white-collar civilian positions. By shifting to AcqDemo's broadband pay structure, the DAF can offer faster, contribution-based career progression and negotiate competitive starting salaries, providing a much stronger alternative model for talent management.
• Bailey, Lt. Col. Koaalii C., "Department of War: Defining the Warrior Ethos," AWC SSP, 2026.
  • Bailey answers this by arguing that without a unified strategic definition of the "Warfighter" and a continuous developmental model for a "Warfighter Ethos," the Joint Force risks cultural drift, inconsistent standards, and degraded readiness. To build an enduring human advantage, he proposes a new approach to career progression that institutionalizes mandatory 90-minute weekly combatives training across all services. By utilizing a Kaizen (continuous improvement) philosophy for this training, he contends the Department of Defense can systematically cultivate the character, competence, and trust needed to unify the force and sustain its combat effectiveness throughout a service member's career.
• Bear, Jennifer Y., "Can the USAF Win Tomorrow's Wars with Underdeveloped Civilian Leaders: Implications of Requiring Civilian Employees to Take PME Courses," AF Global College thesis, 2024, 55 pgs. 
• Bernaola, Maj. Marby M., "Beyond a Fellowship: Building a Foundation for PACU Nurses," AFGC thesis, 2025, 51 pgs. 
  • Bernaola identifies PACU nursing as a critical skill set currently suffering from severe manning constraints and a lack of structured career progression. Currently, PACU is the only one of the Air Force's ten nursing specialties that lacks a formalized training curriculum. To combat the nursing shortage and improve long-term retention, she proposes an alternative career progression model: requiring nurses to complete a minimum of 12 months of foundational medical-surgical experience, followed by a dedicated, multi-tiered PACU fellowship prior to permanent unit assignment. Her research demonstrates that adopting this structured residency model—which has already proven successful in the civilian sector—builds clinical confidence, prevents fatal medical errors, and directly improves nursing retention rates.
• Block, Maj. Philip Z., "Lateral Thinking: Funding Military Education to STEM Success," AFGC thesis, 2024, 67 pgs.
• Boghean, Lt. Col. Lucian, "Leading the Multi-Generational Force: A Study of Leadership Dynamics in Contemporary Military Organizations," AF Global College thesis, 2024, 53 pgs. 
• Brezil, Febrizia, "Welfare or Warfare? Reassessing MWR Divestments and Military Effectiveness," AFGC thesis, 2025.
  • Bresil addresses this by highlighting how declining quality-of-life infrastructure directly threatens the military's ability to retain talent, especially when compared to civilian employers who increasingly prioritize holistic wellness and social support. She answers that to keep the All-Volunteer Force robust, the DoD must implement adaptive, data-informed MWR strategies—such as partnering with private entities or transforming failing golf courses into multi-use outdoor parks and digital gaming zones. By proactively aligning base infrastructure with actual user demand and modern wellness trends, Bresil outlines a concrete approach to safeguarding the non-monetary incentives and community cohesion that underpin the military's retention narrative.
• Bulley, John Z., "U.S. Air Force Bases in Europe: High Standards, Against All Odds," AF Global College thesis, 2024, 36 pgs. 
• Carrillo, Maj. Marlena J. Sultemeier, "Peaceful Power: Supporting U.S. Foreign Policy's Sacred Courier," AFGC thesis, 2025, 46 pgs.
  • Carrillo addresses this prompt by focusing on the highly specialized, experienced skill sets required for Executive Airlift pilots and illustrating the failure of standard aviation bonuses to solve modern retention crises. She proposes an alternative retention model inspired by the Army’s Career Satisfaction Program, recommending that the Air Force create a dedicated "Executive Airlift Pilot" (11E) specialty code or award a Special Experience Identifier (SEI). This alternative career management approach would prioritize pilot agency, career stability, and location predictability over mere financial compensation, successfully retaining the vital talent and experience needed to fly the Nation's leaders.
• Clinch, Erin, "Educational Advantages in Blue: Analyzing the Impact of Enlisted Educational Opportunities on Air Force Retention," AFGC thesis 2025, 50 pgs.
  • Clinch identifies a massive disparity in how career progression and education are handled between officers and enlisted personnel. While officers receive structured, career-aligned education, enlisted members must navigate voluntary education on their own time, which can actually increase the risk of early separation if they earn a degree without seeing a matching career opportunity inside the service. To fix this and improve retention, Clinch proposes an alternative model for enlisted career progression that explicitly integrates civilian degree completion into the enlisted career pathway. She recommends overhauling the "Informed Decision" program to counsel Airmen on the return on investment of Air Force education, granting formal promotion board recognition to Airmen who earn degrees early in their careers, and partnering with universities to establish an "Air Force Virtual University" to provide free, accredited bachelor's programs tailored to the Air Force's specific technical needs.
• Corbett, Capt. John, "BBP on Bridging the Gap: Addressing Dental Technician Training for Mission Readiness," SOS AUAR 2025, 15 pgs. 
• Cortes, Capt Cristian and Capt. Seamus Severance, "BBP on Utilizing the Career Intermission Program for Pilot Prediction," SOS AUAR 2025.
  • Cortes & Severence answer this by proposing a structured expansion of the Career Intermission Program (CIP) to serve as a vital pilot recruitment and retention tool. They point out that because military pay cannot compete with lucrative commercial airlines, experienced pilots face an agonizing choice between serving their country and providing for their young, growing families. This heavily incentivizes them to separate the moment their initial commitment ends to avoid falling behind in airline system seniority. Utilizing the CIP provides a fluid, project-based career path where pilots can be hired early by major airlines to build seniority and then return to active duty to complete their military service, establishing long-term job security and peace of mind that encourages them to serve longer.
• Dill, CDR Erik S., "Flight Plan for Full Strength: Boosting Staffing in Naval Aviation's Strike/ Fighter Communities," AFGC thesis, 2024, 43 pgs. 
• Edwards III, Capt. Henry et al, "Familiarization Initiative Team--Task Force FIT," SOS AUAR, 2024, 11 pgs.  
• Erchinger, Capt. Christian et al, "Preparing Families for Modern Conflict," SOS AUAR 2024, 17 pgs. 
• Fagot, Capt. David J., "BBP on Housing at Ramstein AB, Germany," SOS AUAR, 2025, 1 pg.
• Flick, Lt. Col. Ridge, "$10 Million to Make a Fighter Pilot, But How Do You Keep One?" AFGC 2025, 44 pgs.  
  • Flick answers this question by focusing on the critical skill set of experienced fighter pilots, noting that the Air Force faces a 2,000-pilot shortage that threatens both frontline squadrons and warfighting command capabilities. He argues that the current retention model—the aviation bonus program—fails because it offers compensation that is significantly lower than major airlines and forces pilots to trade their autonomy and agency (via Active Duty Service Commitment extensions) for money, which inherently demotivates them. To solve this, Flick proposes alternative models for both retention and career progression: increasing the maximum bonus to $125,000 per year, introducing a "true bonus" program that does not require a service commitment extension, and offering multiple career tracks that allow experienced pilots to choose between a dedicated flying track or a traditional leadership and staff track.
• Gilbert, Capt. Benjamin, et al, "BBP on Improving Mental Health Support," SOS AUAR, 2025, 3 pgs. 
• Gilkeson, Maj. Angela S., "Air Force Reserve Aircrew Travel Pay: Breaking the Cycle of Delayed Pay and Rejected Vouchers," AFGC thesis, 2024, 52 pgs. 
• Gillaspy, Capt. Jacquelyn et al, "Homesteading," SOS AUAR, 2024, 9 pgs. 
• Haynes, Capt. Allyson, "White Paper on Recruiting and Retention: GI Bill Amendment," SOS AUR, 2024, 10 pgs.
• Hlavin, Capt. Kibby S. et al, "BBP on Electronic Health Records Access for Teenage Dependents," SOS AUAR, 2025, 2 pgs. 
• Kave, Capt. Jacob et al, "Family Readiness," SOS AUAR 2025 slides.
  • Kave utilizes data from the DoD Active-Duty Spouse Survey (ADSS) to show a stark retention gap—93% of active-duty members remain in the military over a two-year period when they have spousal support, compared to a meager 44% who stay without it. Because spousal support for remaining on Active Duty has steadily declined since 2012, Kave argues that sustaining the force requires addressing the emotional and logistical barriers that prevent families from accessing care. He answers this challenge by proposing digital solutions, such as integrating resource-scheduling features into the AF Connect or Refuel mobile apps and establishing a mandatory twice-a-year face-to-face check-in with a helping agency (such as a chaplain, MFRC, or MFLC) at the service member's place of work to systematically rebuild spousal support and preserve force readiness.
• Lloyd, Maj. Jonathan, "Keep 'Em Flying: Utilizing the Total Force to Retain Pilots," AFGC thesis, 2025, 45 pgs. 
• Marietta, Maj. Kelli, "The Shrinking Pool of Recruits: The Growing National Security Crisis," AF Global College thesis, 2024, 52 pgs.  
• Martin, Maj. Meleah, "Beyond Barriers: Investigating the Impact of Limited Military Healthcare Coverage for Assisted Reproductive Technologies on Recruitment and Retention," AF Global College thesis, 2024, 43 pgs. 
• Matthews, Lt. Col. Lindsay, "Understanding Public Service Motivation in American Military Servicemembers and Government Civilians," AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2020, 30 pgs. 
• McDaniel, Lt. Col. Michael, "Building the Force: A Historical Look at the Elements of Successful Military Mobilization," AWC Strategic Studies paper, 2020, 28 pgs. 
• Miller, Maj. Rachel J., "Families in the Fight: AFFORGEN's Impact on Dual-Career Families," AFGC thesis, 2025, 37 pgs. 
  • Miller argues that the Air Force is suffering retention issues because its policies rely on an antiquated "traditional family" model (a single breadwinner with a stay-at-home spouse), ignoring the modern reality that more than half of active-duty families are dual-career. She notes that 63% of military spouses report underemployment, and dual-military couples (who make up 11.1% of the force) often separate from the service because they cannot align their career goals or face extended time apart. To retain the experienced professionals needed for strategic competition, Miller recommends overhauling Military Family Readiness (MFR) programs to actively support spouse career progression and enable "role-cycling"—a strategy that helps dual-career couples balance major career transitions without forcing one member to sacrifice their trajectory.
• Ojala, Wayne A., "Air Force Embedded Service Delivery: Reducing High Risk Behavior," AFGC thesis, 2025.
  • Ojala answers this by arguing that in an era of historic recruiting shortfalls, the military must aggressively prioritize retention by institutionalizing embedded support models that save careers. He provides qualitative evidence showing how M&FRC embedded consultants have successfully intervened to help Airmen resolve severe financial and personal crises, ultimately allowing them to maintain their security clearances and remain in the service. By demonstrating a genuine interest in Airmen's welfare, the embedded model has stabilized separation rates; for example, one high-risk maintenance squadron saw its annual separations drop from 92 prior to the program's implementation to a stabilized average of 60 afterward. Ojala concludes that the M&FRC embedded initiative successfully improves retention and force shaping without requiring any additional funding or manpower, making it a sustainable blueprint for the broader military.
• Pazak, Col. Stephen M., "The Recipe for Sustaining the All Volunteer Army," AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2020, 29 pgs. 
• Phelps, Sally A., "The Art of Improving Low-Level Conflict Resolution," AFGC thesis, 2025.
  • Phelps answers this question by arguing that conflict resolution and mediation are critical, value-added skill sets that must be systematically incorporated into the career progression and development of all first-line supervisors. She notes that while the Air Force has successfully applied continuous process improvement frameworks (such as Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century) to its production and business practices, it has significantly neglected to apply these same improvement techniques to personnel practices. To improve workforce retention and efficiency, Phelps recommends equipping first-line supervisors with managerial and team mediation skills, which would enable them to resolve destructive interpersonal disputes at the lowest possible level. This proactive approach would prevent conflicts from escalating into costly, time-consuming external interventions—such as formal equal opportunity complaints—and foster a more resilient, mission-focused workforce.
• Raymond, Lt. Col. Anthony, "Improving Air Force Commander Training for Effective Talent Management," AWC paper, 2025, 36 pgs.
• Robertson, Maj. Jordan K., "Timing the Test: An Alternative Timeline for the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test for Accessions through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps," AFGC thesis, 2025.
  • The AUTL asks what alternative models for recruitment, career progression, and retention are available to the Department of Defense. Robertson answers this by proposing an alternative talent management model for Air Force officer accessions, specifically recommending that the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) be removed as an Enrollment Allocation filter for Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) cadets. She argues that the current system administers the test too early in the cadet lifecycle, risking the elimination of otherwise highly qualified candidates who possess strong moral character, leadership skills, and passing fitness scores. To resolve this, she outlines courses of action—such as shifting the test to a junior-year commissioning requirement or replacing it with the SAT/ACT—to create a more accurate, effective, and fiscally responsible recruitment and screening process for the future officer corps.
• Rybar, CDR Aaron, "Naval Aviation Retention & The Cost of Retaining Tomorrow's Senior Leaders," AWC Strategic Studies Paper, 2019, 27 pgs.
• Scott, Lt. Col. Jarrod, "Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5: The Pilot, The Formal Training Unit, and the Operational Squadron," AF Global College, 2024, 43 pgs.  
• Sliger, Lt. Col. Jill N., "Airline Pilot or Air Reserve Technician? The Impact of the Mobility Pilot Retention Crisis on the Department of the Air Force," AFGC thesis, 2026.
  • Sliger answers this by examining the severe retention crisis among Air Reserve Technician (ART) mobility pilots—a highly specialized skill set constantly targeted by aggressive commercial airline hiring. To better recruit and retain this talent, Sliger proposes alternative models for career progression, arguing that the Air Force must create formalized programs (similar to the Weapons School) that value and reward technical flying expertise, rather than strictly pushing pilots toward command-track roles. Additionally, she suggests altering recruitment approaches by granting dual-status ARTs the same Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protections as Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) members, which would remove the legal and financial employment risks for civilian airline pilots who want to serve in temporary full-time Reserve roles.
• SOS AUAR Team (Furlong et al), "Bullet Background Paper on Constructive Credit," SOS AUAR, 2024, 2 pgs. 
• Spiro, Maj. Trevor, "Reshaping Talent Management in the USAF to Develop Better Leaders," AF Global College thesis, 2025, 39 pgs. 
• Stanley III, Lt. Col. Dale W., "Changing the Paradigm: Developing an Aviator Technical Track," AWC Strategic Studies paper, 2018, 30 pgs.
• Stewart, Melissa, "The Military's Recruitment Crisis: Insufficient Interest from America's Youth and Young Adults," AF Global College thesis, 2024, 43 pgs. 
• Taboada, Maj. Raymond, "Blind Spots: Systemic Issues within the Security Forces Enterprise," AF Global College thesis, 2024, 33 pgs.
• Vidt, Courtney M., "The Quiet Crisis: An Institutional Analysis of Squadron Commander Selection in Air Mobility Command," SAASS thesis, 2025, 117 pgs.   
• Weekes, Maj. Mycheal R., "Multi-Capable Airmen in a Contested Environment: Soft Skills for Agile Combat Employment in the 21st Century," AFGC 2025.
  • Weekes directly answers this by identifying a critical misalignment in current Air Force force development doctrine (DAFI 36-2670), which currently prioritizes technical skills and functional expertise for career progression rather than the interpersonal abilities most correlated with highly successful officers. To adapt, Weekes argues the Air Force must shift its career progression approach to formally prioritize and assess soft skills like perseverance, initiative, and results-focused behavior. He recommends revising force development publications to explicitly empower Career Field Managers and Developmental Teams to weigh these foundational competencies in their personnel decisions, ensuring Airmen are evaluated and positioned for leadership based on a holistic assessment rather than just technical capability.