Well, not to diminish their efforts, but becoming a rifleman is hardly a
career choice. It's a young, single man's field.

Promotions and bonuses tied to the "needs of the service" are used to
overcome shortages in the skilled fields, as well as lowering the testing
threshold for entry into them. This almost guarantees an ebb and flow as
incentives fill a field at a certain level, then shed personnel at the next
level because it is overmanned. The service has an up or out policy which
denies reenlistment to those who fail promotion, even though it will not
promote unless the position exists.

Add the outside world into the equation, and it becomes even more
complicated.

Then there are the purely bone-headed policies which drive people out. One
of the best co-pilots I even had was an EE by training. As the end of his
commitment approached, the Air Force was offering bonuses for EEs, since
there was a shortage. Long story short, the wings he wore were more
important than the "needs" of the service. With no shortage of UPT grads to
take his place, he could not work in his preferred field, but left the
service. Even happened to a navigator I flew with. All he wanted to do was
change aircraft, not "waste his expensive training."

I, for one, am amazed at the levels they're able to maintain with long
unaccompanied tours and more in the offing.

"Doug Winterburn" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 21:05:33 +0000, Scott Lurndal wrote:

Yet another:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2004/040614-army-re-enlistment.htm

...and a few counters:

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/wars/a/draft.htm
http://usmilitary.about.com/b/a/067605.htm