[Senate Hearing 118-662]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 118-662
THE STATUS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
RECRUITING EFFORTS AND PLANS FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2024
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HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
PERSONNEL
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
DECEMBER 6, 2023
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via: http: //www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
60-431 PDF WASHINGTON : 2025
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COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
JACK REED, Rhode Island, Chairman
JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi
KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut TOM COTTON, Arkansas
MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota
TIM KAINE, Virginia JONI ERNST, Iowa
ANGUS S. KING, Jr., Maine DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
GARY C. PETERS, Michigan RICK SCOTT, Florida
JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada TED BUDD, North Carolina
MARK KELLY, Arizona ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri
Elizabeth L. King, Staff Director
John P. Keast, Minority Staff Director
_________________________________________________________________
Subcommittee on Personnel
ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts,
Chairman
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut RICK SCOTT, Florida
MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota
TIM KAINE, Virginia DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois TED BUDD, North Carolina
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
_________________________________________________________________
December 6, 2023
Page
The Status of Department of Defense Recruiting Efforts and Plans 1
for Fiscal Year 2024.
Members Statements
Statement of Senator Elizabeth Warren............................ 1
Statement of Senator Rick Scott.................................. 3
Witness Statements
Amrhein, Brigadier General Christopher R., USAF, Commander, Air 5
Force Recruiting Service.
Bowers, Major General William J., USMC, Commanding General, 11
Marine Corps Recruiting Command.
Walker, Rear Admiral Alexis T., USN, Commander, Navy Recruiting 14
Command.
Davis, Major General Johnny K., USA, Commanding General, United 19
States Army RecruitingCommand.
Questions for the Record......................................... 48
Appendix--Reference to Rear Admiral Walker QFR#48................
Recruiter Training on Fraternization Topics 96
(iii)
THE STATUS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RECRUITING EFFORTS AND PLANS FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2024
----------
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2023
United States Senate,
Subcommittee on Personnel,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 3 p.m., in
room 222, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Elizabeth
Warren (Chairwoman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
Subcommittee Members Present: Senators Warren, Blumenthal,
Hirono, Kaine, Duckworth, King, Scott, Sullivan, and Budd.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN
Senator Warren. This hearing will come to order. Please be
seated. I am pleased to welcome you all to today's hearing to
receive testimony on the military's recruiting challenges. The
United States has the strongest and most capable military in
the world because of the people who volunteer to serve in its
ranks.
To maintain that advantage, we must continue to attract the
best and the brightest America has to offer. This is the second
hearing in 2023 alone that this Committee has held on the
military's recruiting challenges.
During our hearing last March, we heard from the Under
Secretaries of each of the military services. Today's
subcommittee hearing includes the directors of recruiting from
each of the military services to learn more about the
challenges they face to attract the people we need to keep
America safe.
We are holding today's hearing at Senator Scott's request,
but make no mistake, there is strong bipartisan concern that
the military services continue to struggle to meet their
recruiting goals. This year, the Marine Corps and the Space
Force, the two services with the lowest recruitment goals, were
the only services that met their recruiting targets.
If we were assigning grades, those two services got an A,
while the Air Force earned a B+, The Army got a B-, and the
Navy a C+, and I think that's grade inflation. This track
record would be worrisome on its own, but it is even more
troubling because it appears to be part of a long term trend
that shows that for years now the military has failed to
connect with young people that we need to keep this country
safe.
The military is in a war for talent in a period of low
unemployment. If we want a strong, vibrant military, and if we
want to attract the best and the brightest, then we need to
acknowledge the importance of making certain that all young
people are welcomed and that those who serve in the military,
all of those who serve in the military, will be treated with
dignity and respect.
Diversity matters and protection for those who serve
matters. In February, this committee heard testimony from Dr.
Bonnie Lynn, who served as a Senior Advisor for the Department
of Defense in both the Obama and Trump administrations. She
explained that cutting programs that support our military,
including violence prevention programs ``would definitely hurt
us.''
We also heard from all of the services that programs to
address racism and sexual assault are not a barrier to
recruitment and retention. In fact, it is when those programs
fail that young people question whether the military really
will have their backs.
Servicemembers and their families give up a lot to serve
their country, including enduring constant moves and
uncertainty. How we treat those who volunteer to serve has a
direct impact on our ability to attract the next generation.
In too many cases, servicemembers have felt ignored or
taken advantage of when they have come forward to report
problems. All three of my brothers served in the military, so I
know firsthand both the benefits and the sacrifices of everyone
who serves.
In today's hearing, I look forward to hearing our
witnesses' perspective on both recruiting and rebuilding public
confidence in the military. First, I want to hear their
perspective on red tape and the recruiting process.
Second, public polling continues to show public confidence
in the military is on the decline, and I want to hear our
witnesses' perspective on how we can demonstrate to young
people that the military is an institution worthy of their
trust. Then third, I want to hear more about military housing.
Several years ago, this Committee held hearings on
shortfalls in military housing, including families being forced
to live with mold, collapsed roofs, or exposed electrical
wires. We changed the laws, putting in place a number of
reforms to address these shortfalls. But here we are, several
years later, and these reforms are still not fully implemented.
In fact, families continue to report they feel like they
are being silenced. Meanwhile, the GAO details military
barracks also have problems with sewage overflow, mold and
mildew, and broken windows and locks.
I have run out of patience with military leaders who come
before this Committee and promise that they will prioritize
living conditions for servicemembers but somehow never managed
to deliver.
One last note. I do not wish to make this a focus of this
hearing, but I want to make it clear that it was a grave
mistake for one Senator to hold our military promotion system
hostage over his personal disagreement with the Department of
Defense policy.
We need our commanders in the Pacific to deter China and
our service vice chiefs to lead the military. I am relieved
that he has released most of his holds, but he is weakening
military readiness and undermining both recruiting and
retention.
The Senate should not go home for the holidays until we
confirm the remaining nominees. Now, this year marks the 50th
year of the All-Volunteer Force, so I look forward to hearing
from our witnesses how the military can continue to adapt and
evolve to keep us all safe. To our witnesses, welcome. Thank
you for appearing.
As I mentioned earlier, we are just going to have the one
panel today composed of military service directors of
recruiting. Brigadier General Christopher Amrhein, the
Commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service, Major General
William J. Bowers, the Commanding general for the Marine Corps
Recruiting Command, Major General Johnny Davis, the Commanding
General of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, and Rear Admiral
Alexis T. Walker, the Commander of Navy Recruiting Command.
I will now turn to Ranking Member Scott for his comments to
open this hearing.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICK SCOTT
Senator Scott. Thanks. First, I want to thank the
chairwoman for holding this hearing. I appreciate her focus on
the quality of our military and trying to solve this problem
with regard to recruiting. Before I get into this with regard
to the nominees, I hope that--virtually it is resolved, except
for, I guess, the four stars.
I hope that what will happen is we will go through this
process quickly, and I know some people have some concerns and
let's go through them. Let's do cloture. Let's get a vote on
them, and so, we can get these done as quickly as possible.
I agree with you, if we can get it done before we go off on
holidays, we should go.
Senator Warren. Good.
Senator Scott. I think it is right----
Senator Warren. That is bipartisan. We just want to get
this done. Our military deserves it.
Senator Scott. Yes. Just to give you guys perspective, this
is my first time actually to be a ranking, and the reason I am
doing this is because we have agreed we are going to work on
these issues together.
Because there is not an issue in the military that I can
find as a partisan issue. I served in the military. I never
thought it was a partisan job. I--you know, whoever the person
was, that is who I worked for, so. As I said in our first
subcommittee hearing here, I believe ending the military
recruiting crisis should be our top priority.
I don't know how we can expect to have a military if we
can't solve this recruiting issue. I hope to use this hearing
to better understand the scale of the problem and learn what
our senior recruiting leadership is doing to improve the
situation.
I am a business guy. What you did is you find out what was
the best thing working someplace and you--whether it was at
your competitor, whether you or somebody you worked with, you
took the best ideas and you implemented them, whatever you were
doing. In fiscal year 2023, we know that three of our four
largest military services failed to achieve their recruiting
goals, as we talked about, by large margins.
The Active Duty military force missed their goal by 15
percent. That's 27,000 servicemembers. If you include Reserve
forces, the shortage increases to nearly 40,000 troops, and if
you look at what we have done now over the years, over the last
few decades, our Reserve force, our National Guards are almost
Active Duty now.
So, they are really important. For context, this amounts to
more troops than we currently have stationed in Germany or on
the Korean Peninsula. The Army and Navy are in the worst
position.
Active Army is 30,000 soldiers smaller than it was just 2
years ago. Navy is 12,000 fewer sailors today than it had last
year. The only reason these numbers are not worse is because
the services are doing everything they possibly can to retain,
and they are doing a good job if you retain currently serving
military personnel, but as we all know, that is not
sustainable.
These changes to the size of our military were not the
result of a deliberate reduction in force plan. It is
completely recruiting. Our smaller military is causing serious
readiness concerns. To avoid creating a hollow force, the Army
is beginning to implement force structure reductions that will
affect the Army's ability to respond to the full spectrum of
armed conflict.
The world is not getting safer right now, as we all know.
The Secretary of the Army has admitted that these force
structure decisions are at least in part caused by a recruiting
crisis. The shortage of sailors is making it harder for the
Navy to adequately man our ships. We are 9,000 sea duty
positions short.
Ships routinely train for deployment with less than 100
percent of the manning that they need. Ships without enough
sailors are less effective and increase the danger to our own
ships, as well as those around them.
I don't know what it is like now, but when I was in, you
actually didn't just work an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. You are
already working long hours. I mean, when I was there, the only
time we were actually off, you either head off 7 to 12 at
night, or 12 to 5 in the morning. You were on the rest of the
time.
So, if you now have--if you have fewer people, I don't know
how you are going to solve that problem. If that is not a risk
to readiness, I don't know what it is, giving. We have got lots
of dangers in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, I think it is
imperative that the Department of Defense (DOD) figures this
out.
Some senior leaders seem to be unwilling to acknowledge the
severity of the problem. A year ago, the Secretary of Defense
said it is, ``a priority for me.'' Yet in his posture statement
to Congress last spring, the Secretary devoted an entire
section to meeting climate crisis, which we, and let's all
agree, we want take care of our climate, but he left the
recruiting crisis--he didn't even acknowledge it.
So, we have got to--we have to figure this out. You guys
are the key to doing this. I think the Army has to be commended
for its initiatives to rapidly implement innovative ideas to
attract more Americans to serve their country. Thanks for your
time yesterday. The Marines continue to prove that it is not
impossible to achieve recruiting goals because you have been
doing it all along.
I am a business guy, so in business, every environment is
challenging. I mean, I have never had somebody say, oh, it is
an easy time to make money, easy time to recruit, easier time
to do anything. But it is never--in my opinion, it is never
impossible to figure this out. So, Marines have figured it out.
We all have to figure it out. So, I want to thank everybody
for being here. I want to underscore that, you know, first off,
I still don't get this, 8,500 servicemembers were involuntarily
separated for refusing the COVID vaccine. I hope everybody is
going after trying to get these wonderful men and women back in
and treating them fairly, given them the proper--if they don't
want to come back, making sure you give them the proper
discharge orders.
If you can, they ought to come back with pay, back pay
because I think it was completely unfair. So, let me talk about
one of my experiences. We get to, all of us--I don't know how
many of you have already done in yours, but we get a lot of
people nominated for these--we get 10, each of us get 10
nominations for the Academies.
We saw our numbers. My first year--I have been up here 5
years. My first year was pretty good numbers and it started
going down. So, we put a lot of effort into it this year and we
had a 25 percent increase.
We did it because we went around--we went around to the
schools, and we pushed our way in to tell people what the
opportunities were. It is probably the nicest thing I get to do
up here. We get to pick, and I wish I could pick 100 people,
but these kids that want to come serve, just wonderful
individuals, all across this country.
I know everybody is proud of the ones that are in their
States, but I think everybody loves that opportunity to give
these kids the opportunity. So, thank you for being here. I
want to thank the Chairwoman again for hosting this meeting
with me.
Senator Warren. Thank you very much. Appreciate it, Senator
Scott. So, if we could start with you, please, Brigadier
General Amrhein. You are recognized--[technical problems].
STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL CHRISTOPHER R. AMRHEIN, USAF,
COMMANDER, AIR FORCE RECRUITING SERVICE
Brigadier General Amrhein. Thank you. Chairwoman Warren,
Ranking Member Scott, and distinguished members of the
committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear to discuss
the recruiting efforts of the Department of the Air Force.
At the end of fiscal year 2023, our Active Duty Air Force
did not make a goal for the first time in 24 years. Several
factors contributed to this, a lingering lack of access during
COVID, a declining propensity to serve, intense competition for
talent in a surplus U.S. job market, and a lack of familiarity
of the civilian population to the U.S. military.
All of these issues culminated to create a very challenging
recruiting environment for all services. We have seen a steady
decline in the military even being an option for our youth as
they contemplate the future with propensity dropping from 13
percent 4 years ago to 10 percent now.
Only 12 percent of youth currently have a parent who
served, compared to 40 percent in 1995. The DOD's Joint
Advertising and Marketing Research Service Studies Organization
characterized the youth market as having transitioned from
being disconnected with the military to mostly disinterested
with it.
Reconnecting with our youth and breaking down unnecessary
barriers to serve in our Air Force and Space Force is our
priority over the next several years. This past year, we missed
our enlisted recession recruiting goals by just under 11
percent for the Active Duty, 31 percent for the Reserve.
We did exceed the Space Force enlisted this session by
nearly 10 percent. While the overall goals were missed, there
were positive strides made throughout talent focused Air Force
policy changes and robust Air Force recruiting service summer
surge efforts. The Department of the Air Force immediately
began evaluating ways to help our overburdened recruiting
force.
Overall, the Air Force began a transformation of the
accession enterprise, and our Vice Chief of Staff led a cross-
functional team to conduct a comprehensive review of our
policies and requirements with focus on removing unnecessary
barriers and joining--in joining and developing effective
incentives to attract talent.
The team synchronized Department of the Air Force, DOD
accession requirements, as well as sister service requirements
where possible to expand the reach for talent across the
Nation. With these policy challenges expanded upon my written
statement, we have changed the lives of individuals who would
have otherwise been prevented from service in the Air or Space
Force.
It is important to note the caliber of our recruits remains
the same. We have not and will not compromise on quality. In
addition to the policy change initiatives, Air Force recruiting
also implemented a command wide summer surge, focused on
increasing recruiter presence within the community equal to a
deployed operations tempo.
These efforts built applicant leads and the delayed entry
program, both of which helped us prepare for a healthy start to
fiscal year 2024. There were lessons learned from the surge
that are enduring and remain in place.
Most notably, a more robust training program for our first
level supervisors, as well as a maximized push of recruiter
presence within the community. For fiscal year 2024, we are
cautiously optimistic as the gains from the summer surge and
the cross-functional team policy changes were substantial and
have built solid momentum.
We started with 32 percent of our Active Duty goal already
identified and in the bank, compared to just 16 percent last
year. That 32 percent is a little higher than what we typically
try to have identified to begin each year, which brings that
positive momentum.
The cross-functional team initiatives continue to bear
fruit as we have produced an additional 850 recruits who have
shipped already in the delayed entry program for this year.
However, we are rapidly approaching the winter months, which is
the most difficult time.
In keeping with the transformational changes needed to
accomplish our recruiting mission, we stood up a strategy
division and revamped that long term strategic plan for the
organization within lines of effort along elevating favorable
brand relevance, driving smart operations, bolstering force and
families, and transforming and expanding the total force
recruiting network.
There will be continued challenges in fiscal year 2024 and
beyond, which includes working medical accession processes, as
well as increasing the connection with the American population
for military service.
We applaud the Deputy Secretary of Defense initiatives to
resource USMEPCOM at levels needed to process applicants in a
timely manner. In addition to OSD [Office of the Secretary of
Defense] level initiatives, Air Force recruiting Service has
increased the manning to our medical waiver division to tackle
the large increase in medical waiver requests and also just
went under contract to add medical administrators to our team
who can take the burden of tracking down medical paperwork,
giving back critical time to each recruiter.
With regard to increasing with the American society, this
challenge fuels our need for consistent capabilities to tell
our story to the public through a number of avenues. In fiscal
year 2023, our marketing program focused on the value of
service in the Air and Space Force. With the funding, our
marketing division leaned into both lead generation in the
current fiscal year, but also postured for the out years.
We increased the investment levels in our existing
partnerships like Drone Racing League eSports and increased the
total number of partnerships that explore new ways to connect
with the public, as we launched a Woman in Sports campaign in
partnership with Ultimate Fighter Championship League. Through
these partnerships and more than 300 events, our recruiters
were able to engage with the public.
Our Air Force Chief of Staff tasked installation leadership
to develop a more robust community relations that includes
expanding in access, and we developed a Go Blue, Stay Blue
campaign designed to give our wing commanders a toolbox to
spread the message within the community.
The Stay Blue arm of the campaign is designed to
communicate early and often to our airmen the value of our
Reserve components and the opportunities for continued service
for the Force. Close relationships with our civic partners and
community members are paramount to our Air Force recruiting
mission and have provided increased opportunities to connect.
In conclusion, I want to thank you once again for the
opportunity to speak with you today. We are cautiously
optimistic with the actions we have taken over the past year
that have put us on the path to achieve our goal in fiscal year
2024 for the Air and Space Force.
While this momentum and early goal attainment proves
promising, we must keep our hand on the throttle to continue to
work challenge areas of medical processing, predictable
resourcing, community involvement, and breaking barriers to
service, all while we transform how we recruit in an era of
great power competition. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Brigadier General Christopher R.
Amrhein follows:]
Prepared Statement by Brigadier General Christopher R. Amrhein
state of air force recruiting: efforts to innovate and expand interest
Chairwoman Warren, Ranking Member Scott, and distinguished Members
of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you to
discuss the recruiting efforts of the Department of the Air Force.
At the end of fiscal year 2023, our Active Duty Air Force did not
make goal for the first time in 24 years. Several factors contributed
to this; a lingering lack of access during COVID, a declining
propensity to serve, intense competition for talent in a surplus US job
market and a lack of familiarity of the civilian population with the US
military. All of these issues culminated to create a very challenging
recruiting environment for all services. These factors are complex,
with layer upon layer of cause and effect, but I would like to expand
on the declining propensity to serve. We have seen a steady decline in
the military even being an option for our youth as they contemplate
their future with propensity dropping from 13 percent 4 years ago to 10
percent now. Only 12 percent of youth have a parent who served,
compared to 40 percent in 1995. DOD's Joint Advertising and Market
Research Studies organization characterized the youth market as
``having transitioned from being disconnected from the military to
mostly disinterested with it.'' Reconnecting with our youth and
breaking down unnecessary barriers to serve in our Air Force and Space
Force is our priority over the next several years.
fiscal year 2023
This past year, we missed our enlisted accession recruiting goals
by just under 11 percent for the Active Duty and 31 percent by the
Reserve. We did exceed the Space Force enlisted accession goal by
nearly 10 percent.
While the overall goals were missed, there were positive strides
made through talent-focused Air Force policy changes and a robust Air
Force Recruiting Service summer surge effort. The Department of the Air
Force immediately began evaluating ways to help our over-burdened
recruiting force. The Department of the Air Force reevaluated societal
norms, in certain areas, and adjusted some of our antiquated
requirements to build a stronger relationship with this new generation
of youth who have a much more limited understanding of opportunities,
community and purpose our service provides. Overall, the Air Force
began a transformation of the accession enterprise as our Vice Chief of
Staff led a cross functional team to conduct a comprehensive review of
our policies and requirements with a focus on removing unnecessary
barriers to joining and developing effective incentives to attract
talent. The team synchronized Department of the Air Force and DOD
accession requirements as well as sister service requirements, where
possible, to expand the reach for talent across the Nation. We have
implemented a 2-year pilot program to authorize THC waivers which has
already allowed us to access 181 new recruits since its implementation
last spring and we expect approximately 200 additional accessions each
year. We updated our Body Composition requirements to mirror the DOD
requirement which brought us another 1,265 accessions with only one
fitness failure at basic training. We also amended our tattoo policy to
allow for small tattoos at the back of the neck and hands which brought
us 176 recruits since we implemented the change last March.
Additionally, we funded an Enlisted College Loan Repayment Program to
attract even more talent and vector those talents to the needs of the
Air Force. Since implementation this summer, 223 new recruits have
qualified for this program, and we estimate 500 recruits may qualify
annually. Finally, the Department of the Air Force implemented a
referral program, which allows our airmen and Delayed Entry Program
(DEP) members to refer contacts to our recruiters. When these contacts
complete the accessions process and fully enter the Air Force or Space
Force, our DEP members are eligible to enter the service up to the
grade of E-3, and our currently serving members are eligible to receive
a medal for a similar process. So far, we received nearly 600 referrals
with almost 200 in the Delayed Entry Program. With each of these policy
changes, we have changed the lives of individuals who would have
otherwise been prevented from service in the Air Force or Space Force.
It is important to note the caliber of our recruits remains the same;
we have not and will not compromise on quality.
In addition to the policy change initiatives, Air Force recruiting
also implemented a command-wide summer surge focused on increasing
recruiter presence in the community. Equal to a deployed operations
tempo, this provided critical in-the-field training, incentivized
short-notice shipment to basic training, and refined our processes to
minimize timelines to the fullest extent possible. These efforts built
applicant leads and the Delayed Entry Program, both of which prepared
us for a healthy start to fiscal year 2024. Air Force recruiting surged
and personnel extended duty hours for several months. Continued surge
operations are not sustainable as an enduring effort as it will result
in an eventual breakdown in the effectiveness, morale, and well-being
of our recruiters. There were lessons learned from this surge that are
enduring and remain in place, most notably, a more robust training
program for our first level supervisors as well as a push to maximize
recruiter presence within their communities.
fiscal year 2024
We are cautiously optimistic heading into fiscal year 2024, as the
gains from the summer surge and cross functional team policy changes
were substantial and built solid momentum. We started with 32 percent
of our Active Duty goal already identified and banked, compared to just
16 percent last year. That 32 percent is a little higher than what we
typically try to have identified to begin each year, which brings us
positive momentum. For the Reserve, we are slightly behind our target,
but the miss has been small enough thus far that we expect to be able
to overcome the delta later in the fiscal year. The cross-functional
team initiatives continue to bear fruit as we have produced an
additional 850 recruits who have shipped or are in the Delayed Entry
Program this fiscal year. However, we are rapidly approaching the most
difficult recruiting months of the year, February through May.
In keeping with the transformational changes needed to accomplish
our recruiting mission, we stood up a Strategy Division and revamped a
long-term strategic plan for the organization. Our lines of effort
within this strategy are to:
Elevate favorable brand relevance for the Air Force and
build brand awareness for the Space Force
Drive smart operations
Bolster force & families
Transform & Expand the Total Force Recruiting network
There will be continued challenges as we move through fiscal year
2024 and beyond however the most disruptive in the recent past has
undoubtedly been the Health Information Exchange and implementation of
Military Health System (MHS) GENESIS. The Health Information Exchange
associated with MHS-GENESIS continues to bring challenges by uncovering
more initial potential disqualifying conditions requiring extended and
substantial records requests, and subsequently more records to review.
To illustrate this issue, in fiscal year 2021, 81 percent of all Air
Force applicants going to MEPS were qualified on their initial
processing visit. In fiscal year 2022 (the start of MHS-GENESIS and
HIE), this initial qualification rate dropped to 69 percent and ended
fiscal year 2023 with a 58 percent initial qualification rate. This led
to an increase of nearly 20 percent more waiver requests in fiscal year
2023 than in the previous 2 years. Our accession waiver rates, to the
retention standards, remain high at nearly 70 percent, and we estimate
that we lost more than 5,000 recruits who walked away from this
cumbersome process without even pursuing a waiver due to the delays.
Additionally, we have not seen a difference in our medical removal
rates at basic training with the implementation of MHS-GENESIS. We
applaud the Deputy Secretary of Defense's initiative to resource
USMEPCOM at the levels needed to process applicants in a timely manner.
In addition to OSD-level initiatives, Air Force Recruiting Service has
increased manning in our Medical Waiver Division to tackle the large
increase in waiver requests and we also just went under contract to add
medical administrators to our team who can take the burden of tracking
down medical paperwork away from our recruiters. This will give three
to 4 hours a week back to each recruiter to engage with their
communities and potential applicants.
We believe our biggest challenge going into 2024 is connecting with
an American society that, as I mentioned earlier, has had a steady
decline in the knowledge and propensity to serve in our military. This
challenge fuels our need for consistent capabilities to tell our story
to the public through a number of avenues. We are using the funding
Congress provided for our marketing program in fiscal year 2023 to
highlight the value of serving in our Air Force and Space Force. With
the funding, our marketing division leaned into both lead generation in
the current fiscal year and postured for future year recruiting
success. The funds paid for a website, customer relations management
system updates, and built an e-Recruiter program. This virtual
interfacing program produced compelling accession rates, which gives
our field recruiters additional bandwidth for more high-impact
activities such as community engagements and to work more complex
applications. We increased the investment levels in our existing
partnerships, organizations like Drone Racing League and eSports, and
increased the total number of partnerships that explore new ways to
connect with the public. Through these partnerships, we added more than
300 events for our recruiters to engage with the public. These efforts
led to a 16 percent increase in new contacts, and a 9.5 percent
increase in leads in the first 6 months alone.
Additionally, these funds helped us launch a ``Women in Sports''
campaign with the aim of establishing the Air Force as a champion for
female athletics at all levels. It started with ads during the FIFA
Women's World Cup and continues through partnership with organizations
like the Supergirl Gamer Pro Series, Sorensen Motorsports, Women's
Sports Foundation, and Play Like a Girl. Perhaps most importantly, the
funds allowed us to set conditions for future year recruiting through
large-scale media purchases, targeting prospects and their influencers
alike. These campaigns are airing now and will continue into April
2024.
Air Force Recruiting Service also executes marketing for our Total
Force partners. The marketing initiatives implemented by the Air
National Guard (ANG) in fiscal year 2023 aided in increased brand
awareness among the target audience by 8 percent. The marketing funding
allotted to the ANG enabled ground-breaking partnerships in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Major and Minor League Baseball
and select college athletic markets. Combined with other digital
campaigns such as ``Serve Your Way'' and ``My Home Base,'' ANG
marketing garnered more than 1.3 billion impressions. Signage at major
UFC and MLB events will be viewed on video clips for years to come,
resulting in an immeasurable positive awareness over the long term.
The Air Force Chief of Staff tasked installation leadership to
develop a more robust community relations outreach effort that includes
expanding access to their bases. Over past twenty-plus years, the
communities around our installations have lost an awareness of the
military mission and people who are so vital to their community. We
developed a ``Go Blue/Stay Blue'' campaign designed to give our Wing
Commanders a toolbox of resources to spread the message of serving in
the Air Force and Space Force when they communicate with their local
communities. In addition, the Stay Blue arm of the campaign is designed
to communicate early and often to our airmen on the value of our
Reserve components and the opportunities to continue to serve in our
Air Force, even after they complete their Active Duty commitments.
Close relationships with our civic partners and community members are
paramount to our AF recruiting mission by providing a familiarity of
our mission and influencing our target demographic to consider serving
in the Air Force or Space Force. We are currently partnering with the
Air and Space Force Association as well as Secretary of the Air Force's
civic leaders and local civic leader programs to expand our messaging
of the Air Force and Space Force culture and what it means to serve.
Air Force Recruiting's Detachment 1 operates in the pre-accessions
space to inform, influence, and inspire youth through awareness. Our
Det 1 recruiters focus on youth with an interest in aviation and hosts
events which educate and illuminate a pathway from a notional dream to
reality. In fiscal year 2023, they hosted more than 600 aviation-themed
events reaching more than one hundred thousand youth. Det 1's notable
partnerships include the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals,
Women in Aviation International, the Dee Howard Foundation and Space
Camp. A few of Det 1's programs include their Aviation Inspiration
Mentorship, what we call ``AIM.'' These AIM mentors are diverse airmen
in the flying community who interact with underserved youth and tell
their story of being an Airman. Det 1 also works with our flying wings
to help them become ``AIM Wings,'' allowing them to conduct Inspiration
Flights for youth and their influencers. Det 1, in partnership with
university flight schools, hosts multiple AIM High Flight Academy
events each year helping young men and women experience the thrill of
flight for the first time and culminating with the opportunity to solo.
conclusion
I want to thank you once again for the opportunity to speak with
you today. We are cautiously optimistic that the actions we have taken
over the last year have put us on the path to achieve our fiscal year
2024 accession goals for the Air Force and Space Force. While this
momentum and early goal attainment proves promising, we must keep our
hand on the throttle and continue to work the challenge areas of
medical processing, predictable resourcing, community involvement,
breaking barriers to service--all while we transform how we recruit in
an era of great power competition.
Senator Warren. Thank you, General Amrhein. General Bowers.
STATEMENT OF MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM J. BOWERS, USMC, COMMANDING
GENERAL, MARINE CORPS RECRUITING COMMAND
Major General Bowers. Chairwoman Warren, Ranking Member
Scott, distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, it is a
privilege to appear before you to provide you an update on your
Marine Corps' recruiting efforts. Your Marine Corps exists to
fight and win our Nation's battles.
Our performance in recruiting speaks for us. Our combat
heritage is embedded within Marine Corps Recruiting Command's
DNA, and we share the same fierce competitive spirit to win no
matter the challenge. Over the past generations, the Marine
Corps has made institutional investments into recruiting to
ensure that we are resourced with the very best commanders and
the very best marine recruiters to accomplish this demanding
mission.
This has been and will continue to be our greatest source
of strength as we face what some have called the most
challenging recruiting environment since the inception of the
All-Volunteer Force. Marine recruiters will continue to meet
the expectations of our Nation by holding true to our warriors'
ethos and our core values of honor, courage, and commitment. We
compete for the best people in every zip code in our Nation.
Our marine recruiters actively attract and inspire those
young men and women of character to take up the challenge of
earning the title, marine. We welcome all qualified and
motivated applicants to take up the challenge of earning the
title marine, but we refuse to lower standards.
We understand that to meet the high, almost mystical
expectations the American people have of their Marine Corps,
that we must invest in attracting and inspiring the very best
people our Nation has to offer to become marines. Despite our
success in fiscal year 2023, the Marine Corps continues to face
the same challenges as the other services.
These are historic lows in qualification rates, low
propensity to serve, labor market challenges, and a fragmented
media landscape. These have all had a compounding effect on the
recruiting environment. To combat these, Marine Corps
Recruiting Command will do what marines have always done,
innovate, adapt, and win.
As such, we are focused on my top four priorities of
quality training, improve manning, securing resources, and
adapting our structure, and we are moving at speed to make
these organizational changes.
With your continued support, we will continue to, one,
reinforce and expand the trust of the American people. Two,
positively shape the future of the Marine Corps, and three,
enable our marines and their families to be happy and
successful. I look forward to answering your questions. Thank
you for the opportunity. Semper fidelis.
[The prepared statement of Major General William J. Bowers
follows:]
Prepared Statement by Major General William J. Bowers
introduction
Chair Warren, Ranking Member Scott, and distinguished Members of
the Subcommittee, it is a privilege to appear before you today to
provide an overview of your Marine Corps' recruiting efforts. We
continue to be fortunate to serve in a Marine Corps comprised of tough,
smart, elite, and ethical warriors who have volunteered to serve their
county as the world's premiere crisis response force--your United
States Marine Corps. Our screened, selected, and well-trained
recruiters cover every zip code of America, and in the hallways of our
High Schools. We are in a constant search to attract and inspire the
most talented individuals within our Nation who can live up to the high
standards that your Marine Corps demands. We refuse to lower our
standards, because ultimately, we understand the price of long-term
success in both peace and war.
We are making mission, sustaining our high standards, and, in fact,
increasing quality.
Your marines achieved their fiscal year 2023 mission despite
significant headwinds. Our success can largely be attributed to the
individual marine recruiter, and their unrelenting drive to accomplish
the mission--we select our best to find the next generation of marines.
Marine Corps Recruiting Command's focus on training, manning,
structure, and resources have served to enable and reinforce their
success. Today, I hope to provide a deeper understanding of the
recruiting environment and its challenges.
history of marine corps recruiting
As we celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the All-Volunteer
Force, or more accurately the All-Recruited Force, the United States
Marine Corps continues to evolve and prepare to meet the requirements
of its Nation. Marine Corps Recruiting has evolved for mission success
over the past 50 years and continues to adapt to ensure mission
accomplishment.
To fully understand Marine Corps Recruiting, you must first realize
that it was born on the battlefield. When General Wilson was appointed
as the 26th Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1975, we were facing
enormous challenges both internally and externally--including the
critical requirements of recruiting, recruit training, and discipline.
Led by General Wilson and his Manpower Chief, Lieutenant General Robert
Barrow, the marines attacked the bureaucratic status-quo in a ``quality
war'' with the same gusto that they took to the enemy on the
battlefields of World War II and Korea, and implemented rapid change to
recruiting. Recruiting commanders would now report directly to the
Commanding Generals of the recruit depots, three out of four marines
would have high school diplomas, and they would aggressively remove
marines from the ranks those who demonstrated an inability or
unwillingness to meet the standards of the Marine Corps. Under General
Wilson's leadership, marines developed and installed ``systematic
recruiting'' across the recruiting force to standardize actions and
results, which marine recruiters still practice to this day.
With continued emphasis on systematic recruiting and quality within
Marine Corps Recruiting, the demographic challenges of the 1990's were
still another hill that needed to be taken. An overall decrease in the
population between 18 and 22 years old, coupled with declining
education and propensity rates proved challenging for Marine Corps
Recruiting. The 30th Commandant, General Carl Mundy, recognized the
need to improve the organizational approach to recruiting; Recruit
Depot Commanders, the Personnel Procurement Director, and the Deputy
Chief of Staff for Manpower and Reserve Affairs reported in a variety
of lines regarding recruiting matters. This dilution of command was the
antithesis to the unity the Marine Corps strives to achieve. General
Mundy would facilitate a ``one Corps' approach to recruiting'' through
the creation of Marine Corps Recruiting Command; which he would say is
``the only regiment in the Corps that is in constant contact with its
objective 30 days a month, without let up.'' The 31st Commandant,
General Charles Krulak, would reinforce recruiting success through
competitive screening and selection of Recruiting Station Commanders
(Majors in command of our Recruiting Stations), and incentivize the
successful accomplishment of a recruiting tour with choice follow-on
assignments.
In the years since, marines have always risen to the recruiting
mission each year through strict adherence to systematic recruiting,
upholding high standards, and an unrelenting dedication to mission
accomplishment. The Marine Corps continues to put our best marines onto
recruiting duty to emphasize the intangibles of service in the Corps;
our comradery, teamwork, ethos, and core values. Holding true to these
intangible benefits of being a United States Marine, the individual
marine has and always will be our greatest weapon against a changing
recruiting environment.
In summary: We continue to achieve success by:
Assigning our best to recruiting, and rewarding them for
success;
Structuring our Recruiting Command directly underneath
the Commandant;
Applying a Systematic Approach to recruiting; and
Keeping our standards high.
the recruiting environment
Despite our success in fiscal year 2023, the Marine Corps continues
to face the same enlisted recruiting challenges as the other services.
Historic lows in qualification rates, propensity to serve, public
perception of the military, labor market challenges, a fragmented
advertising environment, and policy changes with second-and third-order
effects have all compounded to make this the most challenging
recruiting environment since the inception of the All-Volunteer Force.
Numerically, our recruiters are simply at a disadvantage.
Generation ``Z'' is not only over five million people smaller than the
previous ``Millennial'' generation, but we also continue to see a
decline in Qualified Military Available (QMA) populations within the
same group. The most recent statistics show that only 23 percent of
current 17 to 24 year olds are qualified for military service without a
waiver (down from 29 percent in 2013). We have also observed a
reduction in male propensity to serve, down from 23 percent in 2001, to
10 percent based on 2022 data.
Our Commandant remains committed to providing adequate resources
and the highest quality marines to make the accession mission while
sustaining quality standards, but bottom-line, our recruiters must work
harder while prospecting out of a smaller, less qualified, and less-
propensed population. We continue to work with the Department of
Defense on policies and resourcing of our United States Military
Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM) to achieve the goals within the
Military Health System GENESIS and the Health Information Exchange.
The headwinds ahead of us are strong. We began fiscal year 2024
with a historically low start pool of 22.5 percent, when our average is
normally above 50 percent. Our pool is where our recruiters prepare
candidates for the rigors of recruit training. This reduced start pool
means our marine recruiters must focus on a finding individuals to ship
in the near-term, thus reducing their time to physically and mentally
prepare them for the rigors of recruit training and the transformation
process from civilian to marine.
marine corps recruiting efforts
Marine Corps Recruiting Command continues to address the challenges
of recruiting head on. We remain laser focused on my priorities of
training, manning, resources, and structure.
Training. Over the last year, we have reinvigorated pre-COVID
training that lapsed over the past years. As part of our Systematic
Approach to Recruiting, we updated multiple training courses and
increased emphasis within the high school and community college
programs, which represent the lifeblood and bedrock of recruiting
success. We fundamentally believe that a well-trained recruiting force
breeds confidence, which ultimately leads to victory.
Support for our Recruiting Force. We have further incentivized the
career enhancing benefits of recruiting duty--and, despite the rigorous
nature of the assignment, we have dramatically increased the number of
volunteers seeking this challenging assignment. Additionally, we have
been able to retain some of our most well-trained and dedicated
recruiters through short term voluntary extensions, while sustaining
the scheduled new joins to the force, thus increasing our overall
number. We continue to reward those who undertake the challenge of
recruiting. The Corps recognizes recruiting as a challenging and career
enhancing assignment.
Advertising and IT Support. We have resourced near-term increases
to our advertising / modernization budgets, executed a technical
refresh to our IT system and computers, and are coordinating budgetary
increases for facility improvements and upgrades with OSD.
Results and Quality. The quality of your enlisted marines remains
exceptionally high. The Department of Defense (DOD) requires 90 percent
of enlistees to have a high school diploma or equivalent (Education
Tier 1), and 60 percent of enlistees to score in the Mental Groups I-
IIIA (mental aptitude). In fiscal year 2023, the Marine Corps achieved
99 percent for Education Tier 1 and over 65 percent for Mental Group I-
IIIA--with no Mental Group IV.
Recruiting is one of our Commandant's top priorities and Recruiting
Command is getting the Corps' full support. We aim to achieve mission
success in fiscal year 2024 through shared trust, accountability to one
another, and a fierce competitive desire to win.
ways to improve recruiting
Aggressive Resourcing. For future recruiting success, we must
continue to adequately fund recruiting operations and advertising. Our
Marine Corps advertising program is vital to building awareness among
high-quality, diverse populations that are increasingly disconnected
from military service. A strong advertising program enables our
recruiting command to attract and recruit the highest quality accession
cohorts. Advertising funds repay many times over, as they produce lower
first-term attrition, higher quality marines, and increased readiness.
However, an increasingly fragmented media environment and media
inflation rates approaching 20 percent in many cases have made
maintaining success significantly more difficult.
Modernization of our Advertising Tools. We thank Congress for
provisions in the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act
that enable the DOD to develop a 3-year pilot program for the
collection of Prospective Recruit Information (PRI). We are working
with the DOD and our advertising agency to test and pilot a platform
that capitalizes on this authority granted by the Congress and enables
the ability to segment and reach prospects. These efforts could help
identify prospective recruits, tailor marketing efforts, and better
measure return on investment, while putting the Department on a level-
playing field with the rest of the labor market who routinely use this
capability.
Access to High Schools. We also thank Congress for its continued
support of legislation that provides recruiters access to high schools
and student directory lists. This access remains critical to recruiting
quality applicants. Without it, our marine recruiters would lose the
most efficient and productive means of conveying the opportunities
military service provides to young Americans. Maintaining access to
high schools and student directories remains a top priority for
ensuring continued success.
National Call to Service. In order to ensure recruiting success, we
need your help. We need to continue to fund recruiting advertising and
facilities, appropriately support Military Entrance Processing
Stations, ensure school access, and bolster a whole-of-government
national dialog on military and public service. Our veterans serve ably
in industries, commercial sectors, and government across our Nation,
bringing enhanced leadership and an exceptional work ethos back to
their communities. We must converge at the highest levels to inform
young men and women, and their parents and influencers, about the value
of honorable service in uniform.
conclusion
The United States Marine Corps' highest priority and objective
remains the recruitment, development, and retention of elite warriors
in the highest State of combat readiness to support and defend our
great Nation, now and into the future. We currently find ourselves in
the most challenging recruiting environment since the inception of the
All-Volunteer Force. We cannot wish this away, but must instead
innovate, adapt, and take deliberate action across the Joint Force to
win. Within Marine Corps Recruiting, we will continue to ensure our
team of professionals is well-trained, well-led, manned, resourced, and
structured to recruit the next generation of marines. We know that if
we don't ``Make Marines,'' our Nation will not have a Marine Corps--and
that is not acceptable. We will continue to recruit the very best of
our Nation to ensure the future health and success of your Marine
Corps.
Semper Fidelis!
Senator Warren. Thank you. Admiral Walker.
STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL ALEXIS T. WALKER, USN, COMMANDER,
NAVY RECRUITING COMMAND
Rear Admiral Walker. Good afternoon, Chairwoman Warren,
Ranking Member Scott, and distinguished Members of the
Personnel Subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to appear
before you today to discuss the United States Navy's recruiting
efforts.
Our nationwide team of dedicated Navy recruiters is focused
on attracting the highest quality candidates to sustain
America's maritime strength worldwide. While the Navy did not
meet its recruitment goal for fiscal year 2023, we continuously
adapted our processes to reduce an initially forecasted gap by
50 percent.
As we begin fiscal year 2024, we are again faced with a
challenging environment and continue to scrub our processes to
remove inefficiency, add recruiters, and expand the pool of
qualified and interested candidates.
Some of our most important initiatives for fiscal year 2024
include a dramatic increase in the number of recruiters in the
field, the establishment of a national recruiting operations
center, and a new marketing campaign to reach the adult
influencers in young people's lives. We will also expand our
future Sailor Prep course at Recruit Training Command to
broaden the talent pool through physical fitness and academic
enhancement ahead of recruit training.
In partnership with Congress, the Navy's monetary
incentives have enabled us to influence the placement of
shippers and remain competitive within the civilian market.
Within marketing and advertising, our Forts by the Sea campaign
allows us to reach every zip code to access previously
undiscovered talent.
Today, our advertising remains nearly 100 percent digital,
resulting in a 30 percent increase in national leads and taking
the message to where our future sailors are operating, which is
online.
Despite the recent and future challenges, our Navy team
stands ready to take advantage of the opportunity to share
positive military service experiences with future recruits and
their influencers. We are grateful for this Committee's
continued support and ask that each member consider personally
engaging with their constituents and the media in a national
call to service.
Your public support for military recruiting will make a
positive difference. We remain committed to working with
Congress to recruit, develop, and retain a ready and lethal
force. On behalf of the men and women of the United States Navy
and their families, thank you for your sustained commitment and
unwavering support.
I stand ready to answer your questions.
[The prepared statement of Admiral Walker follows:]
Prepared Statement by Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Alexis T. Walker
introduction
Chairwoman Warren, Ranking Member Scott, and distinguished Members
of the Personnel Subcommittee thank you for the opportunity to discuss
the Navy's most important strategic asset--our people. The health,
lethality, and capability of America's Navy are critical; the linchpin
remains access to high-quality and motivated future sailors to meet the
current and future mission of your United States Navy. With a
competitive labor market, a shrinking pool of eligible candidates, and
a low propensity to serve, recruiting future sailors has become
increasingly difficult. Despite the challenges, our nationwide team of
dedicated recruiters remains focused on attracting the best quality
candidates from every zip code to sustain America's maritime strength
worldwide, and our Navy continues to develop and implement innovative
initiatives to build our force.
fiscal year 2023 navy recruiting performance
The U.S. Navy's fiscal year 2023 recruitment goals were 37,700 for
Active Duty enlisted sailors and 8,390 for Reserve enlisted sailors. As
of Sept. 30, 2023, the Navy recruited 30,236 (80.2 percent) Active Duty
sailors and 6,342 (75.5 percent) Reserve sailors. The U.S Navy's fiscal
year 2023 recruitment goals were 2,532 for Active Duty officers and
1,940 for Reserve officers. As of Sept. 30, 2023, the Navy recruited
2,080 (82.1 percent) Active Duty officers and 1,167 (60.2 percent)
Reserve officers.
Despite a challenging and competitive environment, our talented
recruiters made tremendous efforts in fiscal year 2023. These efforts
resulted in 6,000 more contracted future sailors than the previous
year, and helped us close the gap on our forecasted miss by 40 percent.
We are pleased with the quality of recruits who joined the Navy, and
these future sailors share our core values of honor, courage, and
commitment.
status of meeting navy recruiting goals
Initiatives that began in fiscal year 2023 have carried into fiscal
year 2024 as the Navy builds more pathways of opportunity for all
qualified individuals who choose to serve. The complexity of our
current environment forced us to think creatively and challenge
assumptions. Outreach and engagement opportunities continue to increase
awareness about the Navy, its people, and its mission, while Navy
recruiters and sailors across the Fleet continue to connect with
qualified future sailors who desire to join the Navy and are motivated
to serve in defense of our Nation.
The Navy entered fiscal year 2024 in a similar posture to fiscal
year 2023, with approximately 12 percent Delayed Entry Program(DEP) and
a recruiting goal of 40,600 for Active Duty enlisted sailors and 7,619
for Reserve enlisted sailors. The Navy's fiscal year 2024 recruiting
goals for officers are 2,807 for Active Duty and 1,785 for Reserve
officers. As of November 20th, the Navy recruited 9,044 Active Duty
enlisted sailors, 870 Reserve enlisted sailors, 520 Active Duty
officers and 133 Reserve officers.
factors impacting recruiting efforts
The unemployment rate has remained near historic lows through 2022
and 2023. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows unemployment at 3.9
percent in October 2023. Persistent labor shortages in some industries
and an aging population are likely to continue to contribute to a
relatively tight labor market. Therefore, we do not anticipate much
relief regarding recruiting challenges.
Like fiscal year 2022, the fiscal year 2023 recruiting environment
was one of the toughest in recent history. The propensity to serve
remains low. According to a Department of Defense Youth Poll from the
Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Joint Advertising Market
Research & Studies (JAMRS), the propensity to serve among youth in our
primary target demographic (16 to 21 years old) has been declining
since the fall of 2018, decreasing from 13 percent in fall 2018 to 9
percent in fall 2022. The decline from summer 2022 to fall 2022 was
primarily driven by a decrease in male youth propensity from 17 percent
to 10 percent in fall 2022. Additionally, the proportion of youth who
reported never having considered serving in the military increased from
49 percent to 54 percent between summer 2022 and fall 2022, consistent
with recent historic highs for this metric.
Of note, of the 33 million personnel in the 17 to 24-year old
population, 16.5 million are considered high academic quality, meaning
that they have As or Bs, with an estimated 50 or higher on the Armed
Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) and only 4.6 million (14 percent) are
considered high academic quality and eligible for service, which means
that these individuals have no disqualifying medical or legal issue.
Finally, 300,000 have a propensity to serve (1 percent of the total
population). Aggregate military propensity is lower today than it has
been since 2007. Additionally, the latest from JAMRS ``State of the
Market'' study (released October 2023), shows the proportion of youth
(ages 16 to 24) with a parent who has served in the military decreased
from 40 percent in 1995 to 12 percent in 2022. Furthermore, the 2022
College Market Study (released September 2023) shows that a plurality
of college market youth perceive that the benefits of college outweigh
the costs despite the financial burden of attending college.
initiatives in navy recruiting
Navy recruiting is a priority for senior leadership and is an all-
hands effort throughout the Service. Last month, the Chief of Naval
Operations (CNO) released a message to the Fleet, specifically for
command leadership, regarding the continued war for talent. She charged
every command in the Navy with finding, coaching, and mentoring at
least one quality recruit candidate this fiscal year. Additionally, the
Secretary of the Navy sent more than 2,000 letters to high school
principals to encourage recruiter collaboration and promote a positive
view of military service.
Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) continues to emphasize updating
recruitment policies and expanding the eligible population by opening
the aperture of qualified individuals without lowering standards. By
carefully evaluating individual circumstances and granting waivers
where appropriate, we have been able to tap into a broader talent pool,
including individuals who may have previously been disqualified due to
minor infractions or medical conditions. This flexibility has also
helped increase our recruiting attainment and allowed us to consider
candidates with unique skills and experiences that greatly benefit the
Navy. The expanded policies, waivers, new initiatives, and pilot
programs have been instrumental in increasing our pool of eligible
candidates.
Policy and Waiver Initiatives:
Category IV: Allows for up to 20 percent of total
accessions who attain an Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score
of 10-30 but have qualifying line scores to join the Navy Delayed Entry
Program (DEP).
Positive Drug and Alcohol Tests (PosDATs): Expanded
PosDAT waiver authority by changing the wait window for retesting from
90 days down to 60 days for marijuana and THC. Applicants were only
allowed to retest on the 91st day after failing the DAT/receiving a
PosDAT; however, they can now retest on the 61st day after receiving
the PosDAT.
Tattoos: Allows applicants to enter and serve in the Navy
with tattoos on the body including the neck and ears, regardless of
location or size (on a case-by-case basis), except the head, face, and
scalp.
Age: Increased age for Active and Reserve accessions, who
must now report to Recruit Training Command prior to their 42d birthday
(an increase from 39).
Single Parent Policy: Allows for waivers for dependency
status for Active and Reserve enlistment of unmarried individuals with
custody of dependents under the age of 18.
Tier II: Authorized the contracting and accessing of Tier
II applicants with an AFQT score of 31 or above. Tier II applicants are
non-high school graduates with a GED and previously were only accessed
with a 50 or greater AFQT.
Recruiting Initiatives:
Recruiting Operations Center (ROC): Launched at the
beginning of this fiscal year, the ROC oversees daily visualization and
management of recruiting operations across the recruiting enterprise.
The ROC was established to elevate barriers and efficiently reallocate
resources to points and times of need through daily visualization and
management of production that results in increased Net Contracts
Attained (NCA).
Every Sailor a Recruiter (ESaR): A program for currently
serving sailors to share their experience and provide leads of
interested applicants to Navy recruiting.
Navy Recruiting Reserve Command (NRRC): Established to
focus specific recruiting efforts on the prior service mission.
Increased Marketing and Advertising (M&A): Increased
budget to improve positive public perception of Navy service in the
long term.
Increased Recruiter Manning: Enables the Navy to have a
greater reach and engagement with the youth population across the
recruiting Nation.
Enlistment Bonus: Leveraged to attract high-quality
recruits to fill high demand rates. Future sailors can earn up to
$140,000 in incentives (by completing requirements for critical jobs in
the Navy).
In addition to the policy levers and initiatives, the Navy's
monetary incentives have enabled us to influence the placement of
shippers and remain in contention with other Services and the civilian
market. Current bonuses offered to candidates include:
Up to $140,000 in combined enlistment incentives:
$75,000 Enlistment Bonus Ceiling--Expanded opportunities
for future sailors to reach or get close to the ceiling
$65,000 Loan Repayment Program
Currently offering $35,000/$25,000/$10,000 for Active
component (AC) Future Sailors (FS)
$25,000 for select Training and Administration of Reserve
(TAR) FS.
recruiting modernization
The Navy continues to employ the Forged by the Sea digital M&A
campaign with success in reaching all demographics. In fiscal year
2023, NRC communicated this value proposition via its latest
advertising campaigns, including ``Never,'' the newest iteration of the
Forged by the Sea campaign. With just 2 percent of eligible prospects
indicating their motivation to serve, the remaining 98 percent say
``never'' to a Navy career before exploring the possibilities. This
iteration addresses propensity directly by highlighting all the things
sailors never thought they would do or achieve if they had not joined
the Navy. It shows the breadth and depth of opportunities in the Navy
while speaking directly to our target audience's common reservations
about the Navy. The campaign captures authentic, relevant, and
compelling content featuring real sailors while emphasizing inclusion
and diversity.
We use specific targeting and content strategies to appeal to a
diversity of demographics and demonstrate what a Navy career can do for
them. For example, the ``Make Your Name'' video series, which
highlights empowering stories of female sailors and a YouTube masthead
takeover during Women's History Month, reached nearly half of all women
aged 18 to 24 in the United States.
A focused budget has immediately impacted recruiting efforts by
generating interest and online activity via digital advertisements.
Additionally, Navy leveraged additional M&A resources to purchase media
that speaks to our target audience and talks to the influencers who can
provide added value by reinforcing potential candidates' career
decisions. Specific examples include:
They executed 30-second broadcast TV commercial during
the Super Bowl in 16 major markets throughout the U.S., when viewers
were expected to watch and talk about ads.
Streaming platforms: Hulu, YouTube TV, and Sling, to
include ads during peak viewing times, such as March Madness.
In fiscal year 2023, we continued cultivating relationships and
connections with professional organizations whose members share an
aligned interest with the Navy. Additionally, the Navy ensures we are
listening to feedback, identifying blind spots in our outreach
initiatives, and continuing to penetrate markets that may have gone
untapped in the past. The Navy also strives to serve multicultural
students and communities through programs like Promotional Days, Junior
Officer Diversity Outreach, and ``Divine Nine'' Ambassador Program,
leveraging the Navy's built-in community of Active Duty fraternity and
sorority members.
accessions supply chain
The persistent recruiting challenges make exploring creative
solutions to reduce attrition in Navy accession training more
important. In response, the Naval Service Training Command (NSTC)
domain created initiatives to give recruits more training opportunities
while broadening the Navy's talent pool. An expanded
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) waiver policy, the use of alternate cardio
during physical fitness tests, receptive acclimation at Recruit
Training Command (RTC), and the newly created Future Sailor Preparatory
Course (FSPC) (Physical and Academic) have demonstrated positive
results in production of enlisted accessions to the Fleet.
Expanded THC Waiver Policy The expanded THC waiver policy
significantly diminished the number of THC positive attrites while
meeting changing societal norms. Previously, only recruits who admitted
use of THC could receive a waiver for a positive drug test. In
contrast, recruits who tested positive but failed to admit did not
receive a waiver and were separated. The expanded THC waiver process
includes recruits who test positive for THC, admit to such usage, and
then obtain a waiver prior to graduation once they go through a
rigorous medical dependency screening process. Recruits only attrite
due to a positive THC test if they are medically deemed to be
dependent. As a result, only 31 recruits attrited in fiscal year 2023,
compared to 450 in fiscal year 2022.
Alternate Cardio The utilization of alternate cardio at RTC, which
aligned policy with Fleet cardio options, minimized Physical Readiness
Test (PRT) failures at RTC, yielding more sailors to the Fleet.
Historically, recruits were required to complete the 1.5 mile run
modality for the cardio portion of their official Physical Fitness
Assessment (PFA). Recruits who failed the PRT entered a remedial
fitness program and would retake the PRT, including the 1.5 mile run.
In fiscal year 2022, 302 recruits attrited due to PRT failures. Under
the new policy, recruits who fail their initial attempt of the run
portion of the PRT can now utilize the bike for their second attempt
and receive three additional opportunities to meet PRT standards before
graduation. As a result, in fiscal year 2023, only one recruit attrited
due to PRT failure.
Receptive Acclimation at RTC Attrition due to psychological reasons
was the leading cause of attrition in fiscal year 2023. RTC is looking
at methods to further reduce this type of attrition at the early stages
of training. A redesign of training during Processing Days (P-Days)
aims to increase teamwork and cultural acclimation. Instead of the
shock and awe approach, recruits experience a steady increase in
training intensity throughout their 10-week training. In this process,
the stress level is tailored to the specific training phase,
establishing a setting where recruits can thrive. RTC emphasizes
physical safety, opportunities, and skills to excel, associating
setbacks with long-term growth. Early analysis has demonstrated that
the approach has positively impacted early attrition.
Future Sailor Prep Course One of the most notable new programs
implemented at RTC is the FSPC. Modeled off the Army's Future Soldier
Prep Course program, FSPC was created to broaden the recruitment talent
pool of future sailors through fitness and academic remediation. FSPC
provides more recruits opportunities to serve and become eligible for
an expanded number of ratings.
Recruits in the fitness track endure an initial 3-week fitness and
nutrition curriculum to meet Navy body fat standards. After the initial
3 weeks, FSPC-Physical Fitness Skills Development (FSPC-FSD) recruits
have up to 90 days on a 3-week rolling basis to meet RTC standards. As
of 20 November, 370 recruits have been enrolled in FSPC-Fitness, and
280 have graduated from RTC.
The academic track is in its pre-pilot Beta phase, with a pilot set
to start in January 2024. Recruits participating in the FSPC-Academic
Beta go through a 3-week Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
(ASVAB) tutoring curriculum. The early stages of the Beta testing (103
students enrolled; 58 completed the program) shown promising results
with recruits increasing their ASVAB score by an average of 10 points,
allowing for expanded job opportunities in critically needed rates to
reduce gaps at sea.
conclusion
Attracting quality future sailors is the key to maintaining our
advantage at sea. Despite the recent and future challenges, your Navy
team stands ready to take advantage of the opportunity to share
positive military service experiences with future recruits and those
who influence them. We are grateful for this committee's partnership in
helping to address these challenges. We remain committed to working
with the Congress to recruit, develop and retain a ready and lethal
force. On behalf of the men and women of the United States Navy and
their families, thank you for your sustained commitment and unwavering
support.
Senator Warren. Thank you, Admiral Walker. Mr. Davis.
STATEMENT OF MAJOR GENERAL JOHNNY K. DAVIS, USA, COMMANDING
GENERAL, UNITED STATES ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND
Major General Davis. Thank you, Chairwoman Warren, Ranking
Member Scott, and fellow distinguished Members of the
Subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss Army
recruiting efforts. I am honored to be here today to represent
Army leadership and U.S. Army Recruiting Command.
We are competing in one of the toughest recruiting
landscapes I have seen in over 33 years of service. This
recruiting crisis certainly did not appear overnight and cannot
be repaired overnight, but our superstar recruiters work hard
every single day to recruit the best and brightest volunteers
who can deploy, fight, and win in a multi-domain environment
worldwide, and I think about them constantly.
This fiscal year, our recruiting team, with support of the
entire Army, is working to achieve a mission of 55,000 regular
Army sessions, plus a delayed entry pool of 5,000 plus, to
14,600 Army Reserve accessions. As our recruiters manage
current operations, we are continuously evaluating areas where
we need to improve to overcome challenges presented by this
current recruiting crisis.
We are grateful to have the entire Army support, from Army
senior leaders to our most junior soldiers, in our efforts to
transform recruiting operations, as well as build relationships
with today's generations and share the benefits of military
service. The Army is an organization that teaches valuable
skills and provides exceptional benefits.
I want our Nation's youth to know the Army is a career
accelerator, and I need them to lead us into the future. The
personal benefits to service extend far beyond cash bonuses,
health care, and housing allowances.
The recruiting crisis we are experiencing today is a very
complex problem with many variables, awareness, declining
eligibility, medical, academic, physical, competitive job
market. So, there is no one and done solution that will fix it.
That is why we must transform the Army recruiting enterprise.
The Secretary of the Army recently announced a
comprehensive transformation to our recruiting enterprise,
which will relook how we prospect, transform our workforce,
establish an experimentation capability, improve capability for
data analytics, and restructure our organization.
This will be one of the biggest efforts in the command's
history and will be implemented in a phased approach. Right
now, the most important factor is ensuring we keep this year's
mission in the forefront. Our efforts are geared toward
attracting young talent and reintroducing the Army to the
American public.
We need your help to be successful in this effort. We will
not lower our standards. We will not sacrifice quality for the
sake of quantity. Army initiatives over the past year have
shown real promise, such as the Future Soldier Prep course,
transformational, 14,000 graduates, 95 percent success rate,
both physical and academic.
This would not be possible without support of Army senior
leaders and Congress. We are still in the first quarter of the
fiscal year and too early to estimate where we will finish in
10 months, but I will say we are seeing momentum, and we will
continue to build upon it. We will get this right because like
my wife and I, we have skin in the game. We have two daughters
that joined.
One joined the United States Army. The other joined the
Marine Corps. Your continued support helps us gain the
necessary tools to attract and retain the soldiers that serve
our great Nation. It is always an honor to come together with
our sister services.
We are grateful to this Committee for their continued
support. I look forward to your questions. Thank you, ma'am.
[The prepared statement of Major General Johnny Davis
follows:]
Prepared Statement by Major General Johnny Davis
Chairwoman Warren, Ranking Member Scott, and fellow distinguished
Members of the Subcommittee on Personnel, I appreciate the opportunity
to discuss Army recruiting efforts. I am honored to represent the Army
leadership, the military and civilian professionals, and the courageous
men and women in uniform who serve our great Nation.
The U.S. Army has come a long way in the last year. Our Army is the
greatest Army in the world, but to maintain a competitive edge over our
adversaries, we must ensure that our Army has the people with the right
skills and talents to accomplish our mission. To that end and based on
guidance from the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army,
we have begun a transformation of the Army's recruiting enterprise. We
continue to follow the Secretary of the Army's directive to
strategically adapt the way we recruit and retain our Nation's best
talent to sustain the All-Volunteer force. While in a volume fight, we
are undergoing a historical transformation. We are building
relationships with a new generation whose understanding and perception
of what the military's role in society is different than previous
generations.
We generated positive momentum from fiscal year 2023 initiatives
including the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, Soldier Referral
Program, and our refreshed advertising campaign: ``Be All You Can Be.''
Our efforts center around one focus: re-introducing the Army to the
American public and inspiring a renewed call to service to rebuild
trust among influencer and more importantly our youth. To ensure the
Army has the soldiers necessary to meet the National Defense Strategy
today and tomorrow, we have five recruiting enterprise transformation
focus areas: Transforming how the Army Prospects, Transforming the
Army's Recruiting Workforce, Creating an Experimentation Capability,
Enhancing the Evidence Base for Recruiting Policy, and Aligning
Leadership and Structure. Transformation activities will be executed
across a span of several years in three phases: accomplish the fiscal
year 2024 Mission, near-term, and long-term transformation initiatives.
Transformation will consist of a wholesale change in who, how, and with
whom the Army recruits.
In line with the guidance from our Army senior leaders, I have
established the following fiscal year 2024 priorities for U.S. Army
Recruiting Command (USAREC).
1) Accomplish the Army's fiscal year 2024 recruiting mission.
2) Transform the Army Recruiting Enterprise.
3) As part of the Transformation, Realign Recruiting Enterprise
Structure.
accomplish the fiscal year 2024 mission
As the Commander of USAREC, my number one priority is to accomplish
the Army's fiscal year 2024 recruiting mission. The competition for
talent is fierce, and we must leverage the momentum we built in fiscal
year 2023 as we continue building in fiscal year 2024. Recruiting will
continue to focus on People, Mission, Training, Facilities, and
Transformation. We are in a volume fight every day to accomplish our
goal of 55,000 accessions and to place 5,000 contracts in our delayed-
entry pool. Fiscal year 2024 will be challenging as we enter the fiscal
year with a Delayed Entry Pool that is 8.4 percent of our accession
mission, well below the target of 25 to 35 percent. It's not just
volume. It's the right volume. It's talent and precision to address the
present global challenges with talented men and women to command our
modernized systems capable of overmatch in a multi-domain environment
worldwide.
To accomplish our fiscal year 2024 mission, there are three lines
of efforts: building a positive command climate, taking care of our
people, and making history! The key is Driving Positive Change--we
cannot be comfortable with the same industrial process of the past. We
must adapt the way we recruit, structure the force, solicit workforce
feedback, train the force, incentivize enlistments, provide behavioral
health support, reduce out-of-pocket costs on the recruiting force
(parking fees and tolls), and foster innovative initiatives.
In our geographically dispersed organization, our recruiters
operate throughout the world, representing the Army and enlisting
future soldiers. Military representation in communities throughout the
country is vital, but it means our soldiers and their families are
separated from the resources provided on military bases (military
healthcare facilities, housing, childcare, etc.). Living in areas
without a military presence can present challenges for recruiters and
their families, and living in high cost of living area presents
additional financial burdens. Our goal is to provide every recruiter
the same level of support our soldiers receive on a military
installation.
The Army continues to improve how we select, incentivize, and train
our recruiters as well as introduce new technologies that give us the
competitive edge on the war for talent. Recruiting Command has already
started a new Recruiter Selection Initiative that will better
incentivize and select recruiters based on the following criteria: a
Personality and Motivation Test, an Attentional & Interpersonal Style
Inventory, and a Medical Screening.
Fiscal year 2024 mission achievement will set the conditions for a
successful enterprise transformation. The Army is cognizant that
transformation activities need to be thoughtfully calculated and
executed to ensure implementation does not have any negative impact on
the fiscal year 2024 recruiting mission.
army recruiting enterprise transformation
Transform How the Army Prospects
We need to evaluate new methods, skills, messaging, tools/
technology, and research to appeal to a broader swath of young
Americans with the talents and skills the Army needs. We must take
advantage of social media, text, and digital marketing tools to enhance
our lead generation and conversion rates. We will work with industry
and influencers to capitalize on technology and vehicles to drive
awareness of and interest in the U.S. Army and the benefits of service.
Initial areas we will address are impacts of our GoArmy website,
advertising, and virtual recruiting operations.
Today's youth are far more likely to pursue education beyond high
school. Currently, high school seniors and recent graduates account for
more than 50 percent of our annual contracts. However, they only
represent 15 to 20 percent of the labor market. We will transform our
prospecting to expand into a greater representation of the labor market
and enter the larger prospect pool. In addition to the high school
market, we will target those with more than a high school diploma, this
includes a college degree, some college, or a technical certification.
By fiscal year 2028, it is our goal for one third of new recruits to
have more than a high school diploma.
We are growing our analytical capability to incentivize and
position our recruiting force, tailor marketing based on segmentation,
and place our recruiters in the right place with the right training,
products, and tools. Our quarterly Industry Engagement Program allows
us to identify new tools to improve operations across the enterprise.
As we transform how the Army prospects for talent, we will continue
to innovate and leverage data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI),
and machine learning (ML) to quickly identify the right talent and
provide tailored messaging to potential talent. We are expanding our
presence on both social media and digital job boards to communicate the
Army's Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Expanding our market is
critical to accomplishing the mission today and in the future.
Transform the Army's Recruiting Workforce
To recruit the best, it takes the best. Recruiting is no easy task,
especially given the competitive job market. Selecting the right talent
is the first critical task to create a professional workforce that can
convey the Army's value proposition and benefits of service. The
talents required of our recruiters in the modern labor market are very
specific--we need to find the soldiers in our ranks who have those
skills.
We are incentivizing volunteering to serve in the USAREC. Not only
does our target market need a value proposition but so does our
recruiting force. The Army is introducing multiple initiatives to
increase volunteer rates and make the assignment more career enhancing.
Some of the incentives include:
$5 thousand incentive for any volunteer who completes the
recruiting assessment program and Army Recruiting Course until February
2024
Accelerated promotion for high-performing recruiters (250
meritorious promotions per fiscal year, up to Sergeant First Class)
Promote Department of the Army Select Recruiters (DASRs)
one grade who produce 24 accessions (``shippers'') in a fiscal year
Make company command positions multi-branch/branch
immaterial to expand command opportunities to more officers.
In the long term, we will examine transitioning from a borrowed and
generalist recruiting workforce (DASRs) to a permanent and specialized
talent acquisition workforce. Currently, enlisted personnel are
selected from across the Army to complete a 3-year tour of recruiting
duty as a DASR, during which they have the option to become a fulltime
recruiter (79R) or return to their previous Military Occupational
Specialty upon completion of their recruiting tour. As part of our
efforts to transform the workforce, we are undertaking a detailed
review of how both our current and future recruiting force are
identified and sourced to ensure we leverage the widest pool of
talented soldiers.
Our recruiting workforce is a valued participant in a larger Human
Resources community of practice. Specific tasks include developing the
process to select, train, educate, employ, and manage an enlisted
talent acquisition specialist MOS (42T/Recruiter) and talent
acquisition warrant officer (420T). We will also conduct research into
the development of a more specialized officer workforce.
Initial areas of focus could also include modifying Army policy and
practices to garner efficiencies and establishing partnerships with
industry/associations/higher education organizations to establish best
practices in career development, management, and curriculum. Our
strategic focus is to enhance the culture, attract and retain top
talent, and make USAREC an organization to which every soldier and
civilian wants to belong.
Create Experimentation Capability
We will create an experimentation capability within USAREC to build
a culture of innovation, generate evidence-based insights, and scale
successes. We cannot expect the same success when relying on the same
techniques and technology that bred success 10, 20, 30 plus years ago.
Our experimentation element will initially be focused on expanding
the prospect market. The Secretary of the Army has directed Army
recruiting to devote additional effort to recruiting in the broader
labor market. To reach these markets, one tool we will utilize is
online job boards. With the experimentation capability, we will be able
to test the effectiveness and efficiencies of new techniques, beginning
with our prospecting operations. This operational element will comprise
recruiters who will continue to recruit while testing new technologies
and methods. We will account for potential risks to normal production
caused by experimentation--recruiters performing `off mission' may be
missioned for fewer than their peers due to assumption of innovation-
related risk.
The intent is for an `off mission' talent / team who can test and
prototype novel but unproven techniques, programs, methods, markets,
technologies and incentives. The team can and will question the status
quo while trying new innovative ideas without the fear of failure. They
will embrace change that can be implemented by our `on mission'
recruiting force to improve success. This agile team will operate
autonomously and will minimize impact on our recruiters who are focused
on driving and delivering volume fight for fiscal year 2024 mission.
One might say, this experimentation team can ``fail fast and fail
forward.''
Enhance the Evidence Base for Recruiting Policy
Historically, the Army has reacted to recruiting challenges by
implementing policies uniformly. This has largely precluded our ability
to learn the precise effects of our policies. This initiative aims to
solve this problem. It is critical to create an evidence-based learning
and informed decision capability that will allow leadership to assess
effectiveness of our accession efforts, including strategy, target
markets, initiatives, and overall productivity using quantitative and
qualitative data.
Army Senior Leaders have directed an evidence-based learning
capability in Headquarters, Department of the Army to determine policy
effectiveness. The goal is to establish in-house analytics capabilities
to better see ourselves. Utilization of Operations Research and Systems
Analysts (ORSAs), economists, data scientists, and think tanks will
ensure accessions policies are implemented in a way that the Army can
learn what does or does not work. Innovation efforts must be
synchronized with enterprise learning, and we must have the ability to
implement best practices.
Align Leadership and Structure
Our objective is to formulate an organization that achieves greater
efficiencies and synergies to optimize our marketing and recruiting
outcomes. The new recruiting structure will allow us to realize
enhanced productivity and success. In addition, I want to ensure our
leaders' focus is on prioritizing people and organizational fusion over
process and structure, cultivating trust and respect. In the end, we
must integrate and link our strategy, goals, and execution to deliver
consistent outcomes.
The recruiting mission is vital to the Army's mission readiness and
is a top priority for Army Senior Leaders. To ensure strength in
communication and support between the Army Recruiting Enterprise and
Army Senior Leaders, USAREC will be aligned as a Direct Reporting Unit
to the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army.
To align all Army accessions equities, U.S. Army Cadet Command and
the Army Enterprise Marketing Office will be realigned under USAREC.
This will enable a better synchronization of efforts to support Army
recruiting for both enlisted and officers.
closing
50 Years of the All-Volunteer Force
Men and Women from all states and territories have joined our
military out of conviction, not compulsion. The members of our All-
Volunteer Force are motivated by patriotism, pride, and principle--by
the desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and by
their love for our exceptional Nation.
Over the past 50 years, our Army has recruited and retained
patriotic and talented personnel from all walks of life. Those who have
chosen to serve, enhance their skills, develop resiliency, and grow
into leaders in their communities. They hone their skills as soldiers,
but also as doctors, mechanics, teachers, data scientists, pilots,
cyber warriors, astronauts, and Olympic athletes in our ranks. There
are over 150 occupational specialties that provide opportunity to BE
ALL YOU CAN BE! I encourage our youth to consider the Army and serve
something greater than themselves. We also need your help--Members of
Congress and your State and district staffs are among the influencers
who can help us connect with young people in your communities, and
share with them the value of service. No organization can bring out the
best in people like the U.S. Army can. The strength of the Army is its
people. I am proud of the commitment and proudly salute each American
who selflessly raises their hand to serve our country and defend
democracy.
Senator Warren. Thank you very much. Appreciate it, General
Davis. So, I will do the first round of questions and I will
get started. When potential recruits apply to the military,
they have to pass through several screens to actually enlist,
including a medical screening to make sure that they are
healthy enough to serve.
Last year, the Department of Defense launched a new
electronic health record system named MHS Genesis that is now
used in the screening process. The screen is supposed to
identify conditions that disqualify people from serving
completely.
But the MHS Genesis system appears also to be flagging
applicants with manageable or long healed injuries, triggering
the requirement for the recruit to obtain a medical waiver
before they can actually join the military.
One otherwise healthy applicant had to wait an extra 2
months to enlist while she proved that a childhood wrist sprain
was not a disqualifying medical condition, and this is not a
one off problem.
Data from the military services shows that in fiscal year
2022, one out of every six recruits needed medical waivers, the
highest proportion any time in the last 10 years. Now,
obviously, we want a screening process that catches
disqualifying medical conditions. But do each of you agree that
it is a problem if our process is creating unnecessary barriers
to enrollment? Can I just have a yes from everybody on that?
Well, good, a thumbs up. I have got that from General
Bowers. Everybody is good on this. Okay. I think this is where
I want to start this conversation, because recruiters have told
the press that this process is making their job a lot harder,
and the data seem to back that up.
The Navy saw an average time between an applicant's final
interview until their first recorded contact nearly double.
Army Recruiting Command found that wading through these waivers
could add up to 70 days or longer to the application process.
The Department of Defense Inspector General verified these
delays. Look, it is a problem if it is taking healthy
applicants longer to get through a bureaucratic screening
process, but it is an even bigger problem if all of that red
tape is causing some healthy applicants to drop out of the
recruitment process altogether.
The Department of Defense Inspector General also
recommended that each of the services track medically
disqualified applicants to ensure that they are notified if
there are options to pursue a medical waiver and to better
understand the reasons why they may choose not to request a
waiver.
Each of your commands agreed with this recommendation, but
it is not in place for most of the systems. So, my question is
when will that happen? How about we will go backward this time?
General Davis, you want to start?
Major General Davis. Thanks, ma'am. The current Army senior
leaders are very aware of this and are currently working on it.
I don't have the exact date, but they are absolutely working on
it.
Senator Warren. That is not my question, are you working on
it. My question is, can you give us an estimate on when we can
expect that this will be done?
I mean, I hope you notice the irony that I am asking for
questions about delays and what I am getting back are delays in
answers. Got anything for me, General Davis? Okay. Admiral
Walker, how about you?
Rear Admiral Walker. Ma'am, thank you for the question. I
do not have a specific date on when this will be implemented.
We continue to look at inefficiencies in our process to try to
wring out those inefficiencies so that we can bring more people
into the Navy.
Senator Warren. You don't have to go find this
inefficiency. This one is big, and they are flashing lights all
around it. I just want to know when you are going to get us see
information, just the information so we can start fixing it.
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, ma'am. I will take that back,
ma'am.
Senator Warren. Okay. Gerald Bowers, I think you have a
better answer.
Major General Bowers. Yes, ma'am. So, we actively track our
waiver process. All of our marines are trained how to submit a
waiver, how to inform an applicant to go through the waiver
process.
More broadly, to your question on MHS Genesis and the
accompanying health information exchange, the Deputy Secretary
of Defense has recently stood up a task force to look at the
challenges of implementation.
We are all very encouraged by this. We look forward to this
task force being completed in February 2024, and we look
forward to the results because we need to see action in the
field.
Senator Warren. Okay. So, you have shown us it can be done.
You have gotten this part done, right? You are telling me the
marines have?
Major General Bowers. Yes, ma'am. We aggressively track
waivers. Have a waivers section in our operations section,
Marine Corps Recruiting Command. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Warren. Okay. All right, and General Amrhein.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Ma'am, thank you for the
opportunity. As far as the process to inform everyone that is
initially medically disqualified from MEPS, our recruiters
inform them of the opportunity for a waiver so that there is a
formalized process to get through and into our waivers division
within the Air Force, off of the DOD standard.
The formal IT system, I think you are--from the IG report,
we will have in place by January 2021 with specificity on why
someone----
Senator Warren. January 2024----
Brigadier General Amrhein. 2024. Thank you, ma'am, for the
correction. With specificity on why a member specifically
disengage from the recruiting process. Having that said, our
Surgeon General within recruiting service keep--has kept a
track of those that left the service or left the process during
the medical accessions process writ large.
From that, we were able to track the numbers of people that
essentially walked away from the process. We don't know exactly
at what point they walked away, but we know they did not
complete through a full disqualification process, which only
the Surgeon General within the Air Force can authorize.
Senator Warren. Okay. Look, I appreciate that it takes time
to set this up, but we cannot afford to lose people who have
already demonstrated a willingness to serve. These are the
people who say, I want to do this, especially if the only
barrier is something that would be quickly dismissed by a
medical review.
Senator Blumenthal and I sent a letter to DOD about these
concerns and the impact on recruiting. We requested answers by
October, but DOD claims they can't get answers to our questions
for months because they are waiting on information from each of
the four of you.
So, to each of our four witnesses, do you commit to working
with DOD to get us these answers by the end of the year?
General Amrhein.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Yes, ma'am. Absolutely.
Senator Warren. All right. I like that. General Bowers.
Major General Bowers. Yes, ma'am. Absolutely.
Senator Warren. All right. Good. Good. Admiral Walker.
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, ma'am. Absolutely.
Senator Warren. All right, and General Davis.
Major General Davis. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Warren. Okay. We are going to hold you to this.
There is a real disconnect between the perspective of
recruiters on the ground, seeing how this electronic health
record system is undermining their efforts to meet our
recruiting goals, and DOD's willingness to fix this problem.
So, if we are going to fix this problem, we need to make
sure we are all rowing in the same direction. That was a Navy
allusion. All right. Thank you. Senator Scott, up to you.
Senator Scott. Thank you, Chairwoman. First off, thanks,
everybody, for your willingness to serve. Thank you for the
sacrifice you have given and your families.
You know, when I joined at 18, when I joined the Navy. I,
if I think back, I think the President was--but I never thought
about that. I never thought about the politics of being in the
service. I went in because I wanted to serve, and there is a
perception now that the military has become political.
It is, you know, for whoever is the Commander-in-Chief. The
Reagan Institute survey found, say--they say that the public's
confidence in the military is dropping. Yes, fortunately, it is
not the level of Congress or the media, but slower than it has
been.
So, they say the rate--they say that the primary
influencers like military parents or relatives, teachers,
coaches are less likely to encourage young people to go into
the military because of, the military has become political.
So, can each of you talk about, do you believe that is
true? Is that what you are hearing? What if it is, you know,
how are you dealing with it? Do you want to start, General
Davis.
Major General Davis. Yes. Thank you, sir. If I can add, and
I have talked to many applicants, families, influencers across
the Nation, and I will tell you, one of the major things that
comes up is really awareness.
I think this awareness is very critical as this
population--so I will provide two examples. You know, first, we
have in certain high schools during COVID without recruiters,
so that's an entire, you know, two really, you know, coming of
age generations without information to really understand the
power of service.
The other population of influencers, and I use always my
own example. When I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my
grandfather was a World War II vet. I spent a lot of time with
him. But many of the homeowners on the North side of Milwaukee
were also World War II or Korea war vets.
Now, they were the ones that really answered my questions
as a young 10 or 11 year old whenever I had an idea of service
because they all spoke of it whenever they came together and I
was always intrigued and had many, many questions. That is not
the same today as in terms of that population.
So, I mean, I have served, and I have moved all over the
world with my family and we have been sometimes the only Army
family in a neighborhood off post. So, I think this is--
awareness is a key category. Again, sir, that is one of the
things that really come up.
Senator Scott. So, that makes sense. What do you think of
this polarization? You know, there is this perception now that
the military is a political part of whoever is in the White
House. So, are you not hearing that? So, you think this is----
Major General Davis. That is--and sir, I have talked to
many families. I am not hearing that certainly at the level
that it is what is----
Senator Scott. Have you seen that report that they----
Major General Davis. Negative, sir.
Senator Scott. Yes, okay, and you just don't--it doesn't
make sense to you? Okay. Admiral.
Rear Admiral Walker. Sir, thank you. Likewise, we are not
seeing that in the young women and men that we are recruiting.
Through our marketing and advertising, we want to show the
ability for every American to be successful and those are the
stories that we share through authentic experiences and
relating with the American public that we serve.
As you have mentioned, 40 years ago, if you had 10 dinner
tables, 4 in 10 of those dinner tables would have had a parent,
a teacher who served. Today, it is roughly 1 in 10. So, we are
trying to fill that narrative space about the positivity and
benefits of service that isn't happening around the dinner
table.
Senator Scott. General.
Major General Bowers. Senator, thank you for the question.
We aggressively compete for the best talent in every gender and
demographic group in the country, period.
We do this by projecting our ethos and core values of
honor, courage, commitment. We find that young men and women of
character who want to be part of something bigger than
themselves are responding to that call.
Senator Scott. So, you are not hearing from your potential
recruits that the military has become political?
Major General Bowers. Senator, we are not hearing that.
That is not a part of the recruiting pitch. That is not part of
who we are.
Senator Scott. That is how--you are not getting ask, so.
Major General Bowers. Senator, no.
Senator Scott. Okay. General.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Senator, like my joint
colleagues here, I think the story is very similar. That does
not resonate with the issues that are on the minds of the
recruits from a recruiting force.
I think General Davis captured it as well as the others, I
think this is about awareness and telling our story, and making
sure that, you know, that that divide that Admiral Walker
brought out about how many have that common understanding of
military service is very, very important.
That is on me to be able to do to ensure that our
recruiters, every airman and guardian in our Air and Space
Forces are charged to be recruiters and tell that story. Within
that story, we are an apolitical entity by nature.
Senator Scott. So, you are not hearing it either?
Brigadier General Amrhein. No, sir.
Senator Scott. Good. Thanks.
Senator Warren. All right. Thank you. Senator Kaine.
Senator Kaine. Thank you, Madam Chair, and to the
witnesses, thank you for your service. Just to level set here,
General, I think you indicated that the Air Force did not meet
its recruiting guidelines for the first time in 23 years. Is
that correct?
Brigadier General Amrhein. That is correct, sir. Since
1999.
Senator Kaine. General Bowers, you indicated the marines
did meet their recruiting guidelines, correct?
Major General Bowers. Yes, Senator.
Senator Kaine. Admiral Walker, for how many years has the
Navy not met its recruiting guidelines?
Rear Admiral Walker. Fiscal year 2022 was the--our first
time, fiscal year 2023, excuse me, was the first time we hadn't
made it.
Senator Kaine. Okay, and then General Davis, how about for
the Army?
Major General Davis. Last 2022 and 2023.
Senator Kaine. Okay. So, relatively recent phenomenon.
Marines haven't experienced it yet, but you are wary, and you
are not complacent. I thought it was interesting, the Air Force
recent phenomenon. Space Force doing okay. General Bowers, you
used a word we don't hear in the committee room a lot,
mystical.
We don't hear that in a lot of testimony. But I do think
there may be a bit of a mystique about both the marines and
Space Force that can help, so we might think about, is there a
way to replicate that more broadly? I will admit some bias as
the father of a marine, but I do think that sort of mystique as
an issue.
We had testimony at a hearing earlier this year before the
full committee where the Army presented results of a survey
about this propensity to serve question. I thought it was
interesting because what we heard, and I think that this could
be generalized potentially to other service branches beyond the
Army, is the top reason that people expressed an unwillingness
was a belief that they would fall behind their colleagues.
So, I am going through high school. I have some talent. I
have colleagues who are thinking about going to college. There
is a belief among those, and it may be those who don't have
military members in their families, but the stories that they
are hearing or maybe the stories that they are not hearing,
lead them to conclude that if they serve in the military, yes,
they can be some--part of something greater than themselves.
That is a plus, and they are not overly worried about their
physical safety. That was not one of the top issues. But they
worry that if they serve in the military, they are going to
fall behind so that at 4 years or 8, or 20, or 30, when they
leave, those who didn't serve in the military will have moved
ahead of them in terms of opportunities.
I think that is a really key issue. So, talk about how you
are trying to solve that issue to convince young people that
service in the military, in addition to having patriotic
benefits, is something that with tuition assistance and the
leadership training you get, as well as the technical training,
you are not falling behind anybody.
In fact, you are getting the ability to trampoline to
higher and higher levels of success. Talk about how you make
that pitch to young people.
Rear Admiral Walker. Thank you for the question. I believe
that individuals join the Navy for one of three reasons, to get
away from something, to get to something, or to change
something about themselves, all with the idea of becoming a
better version of themselves.
To a young woman or man who would say, I am delaying. I
would say, absolutely not. If you are coming out of high
school, as you mentioned, we will train you in a skill set and
give you that experience there.
If you are already in service or in industry and not ready
to commit full time, you can join us as part of the Reserves.
You mentioned tuition assistance and a robust GI bill that will
enable you to further your education as well.
So, all of these--you build leadership skills, you build
teamwork skills, enable you to either develop or continue with
the career path and a lifestyle. So, I would tell them that the
Navy offers every opportunity to be successful, however they
define it.
Major General Davis. Sir, thanks. The fall behind, the
leaving the family, deploying, I have seen that, sir. You know,
I also thought about the same things, about the--you know, as
an 18 year old in Wisconsin.
But what I have learned and what I share is, I first of all
share my Army story that this is certainly a life accelerator.
We are, you know, acting on this with our future, just current
generation. I use that example as the Future Soldier Prep
Course, those that would not otherwise qualify.
We have said, no, they are fully qualified, Let's bring
them in and invest in them. The success of that, as I have--and
I would offer everyone to take the opportunity to visit, is
transformational because those young men and women that are
now--we are investing in, they see the acceleration in their
careers and their lives and now are going on to basic combat
training and serving in leadership positions. That confidence
continues to go.
Senator Kaine. My time is almost expiring--[technical
problems]. We are facing similar recruiting challenges in the
military industrial base. Hiring people in to be shipbuilders,
sub-builders, etcetera.
The Navy has stood up a training facility in Danville,
Virginia to train the submarine base of the future that is
really interesting, and my staff and I have been visiting and
watching it in action. One of the speakers at a recent
graduation was there training to be a shipbuilder and had been
referred there by a recruiter.
Some of the people who may not meet all of your
qualifications, and please keep your standards high, they still
want to serve the country. Just because they may not meet the
qualification to come into one of the service branches, there
are other ways they can serve the defense mission of this
country.
In this instance, this individual had been told, hey, here
is a program where you can train to be a shipbuilder. You can
train to build subs, and the person was doing it with a real
patriotic sense of duty and service to the country, even though
they weren't going to be wearing the U.S. uniform.
So, I hope we might combine the recruiting challenges both
for our Active Duty and Reservist, and our industrial base.
Maybe share best practices and even refer back and forth,
because all aspects of this spectrum of defense right now need
some help in the workforce side in a tight labor market, and I
think we can help each other out. With that, I will yield back,
Madam Chair.
Senator Warren. Thank you. Senator Budd.
Senator Budd. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks for
hosting this to my colleague from Virginia, Danville, Virginia.
Virginia is awfully close to North Carolina, so perhaps we
could learn what you are learning up there. Absolutely.
So, the services, most of the services are facing the most
difficult recruiting environment since the inception of an All-
Volunteer Force. As we heard in the opening statements, Air
Force, Navy, Army all failed to reach their recruiting goals
this year. General Bowers, congratulations. Appreciate your
work.
To address the recruiting crisis, I believe we must focus
on increasing the number of Americans eligible to serve and to
seek ways to increase the propensity to serve. So, I would like
to ask each of you, if you would, to talk about--and it is a
four part question, if you will. Talk about one, the ways that
the service is working to expand the pool of eligible
applicants.
Second, without lowering standards, and I think in some
opening statements you all mention about not lowering
standards. Three, increasing propensity to serve.
Four, what can't the services do that you all need help
from us on? If we begin with Air Force and work our way across.
Just brief answers, if you would. I have got a couple of other
questions.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Okay, sir. Thank you. From a
ways to expand the pool, again, we have used our rebuilt
strategic plan to really get after this, sir. Some of this is
in marketing, being able to get into places and spaces we have
not explored before.
Some of the partnerships that are discussed, all with
identifying the aim to identify talent. Additionally, we have
developed an e-recruiter program that actually has the ability
to take what we call national leads and continue to work them
through the process. So, that gets us into spaces that we may
have not been able to work before and gives us capacity within
the line recruiter force to maybe work some of the more direct
or lengthy session pieces on that.
So, our e-recruiter works a lot where the medical process
or other is what we call a simple screen. That is into
opportunity that then gives bandwidth for our recruiters to be
out and about and in spaces that are not. Additionally, we do
have a detachment within the headquarters.
It is called Detachment One, and its aim is to bolster
aviation opportunities in underrepresented areas for those that
have never had the opportunity maybe to fly or even see an
airplane, or what it does, as well as marry that up with our
wings.
We have several wings that fall under that or inspire wings
to do that in that capacity. So those are a few of the ways
across the spectrum of what we aim to do that expand to be able
to have opportunities for folks of quality to come into our
force.
Senator Budd. Thank you.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Yes, sir.
Senator Budd. General Bowers.
Major General Bowers. Thank you, Senator.
Senator Budd. Well done on hitting your goals.
Major General Bowers. Thank you, Senator. In the Marine
Corps, we like to replace propensed with inspired. So, to say
only 9 percent of the youth are propensed, that means there is
91 percent waiting to be inspired.
By our best marines, with our best commanders, projecting
our ethos and core values the chance to be part of something
larger than themselves, to truly make history, we find that it
is working, attracting and inspiring the right young men and
women of character to become marines.
Major General Bowers. Thank you. Admiral Walker.
Rear Admiral Walker. Expanding the pool, we have
established, in mirroring what the Army did with their Future
Soldier Prep Course, the Navy has instituted a Future Sailor
Prep Course, both physical and academic, to allow as many
people who are eligible and capable and meet our standards to
join the Navy. We are adamant about not lowering our standards.
We want people to meet them. In terms of increasing the
population, our marketing and advertising campaign, we are able
to communicate to our target demographic to share the full
experience of what it means to be a sailor so that we can
dispel any of the myths about service that concern them, and
for help needed, a national call to service.
When I say that I mean a conversation from public leaders
about the benefits of service and how those--how sailors can
use their service to further their lives. Those are the things
that would help.
Senator Budd. Thank you. General Davis, I want to ask you,
in addition to that, in the limited time that I have, in your
written testimony, you highlight the Army's recruiting
enterprise transformation plan.
So, what benefits does the Army anticipate achieving from
these new reforms, and when does the Army expect these to be
finalized?
Major General Davis. Thank you, Senator, for that question.
Some of these will occur right away, Senator. So example, how
we prospect may--the techniques that we train our recruiters on
how to do this may change quickly.
Because I believe some of the techniques by which we are
using, or our recruiters are connecting with the current
generation, is really unchanged from when they contacted me in
high school.
So, that is one area--that some of the things that we may
change very quickly. In terms of the workforce, that is another
area, Senator, that may take a little bit longer because now we
have got to look at each, how we train, how we select, and what
is the particular knowledge, skills, and behaviors we want from
future recruiters.
That is different than from what it is right now. So, all
of these are being looked at right now from our operational
planning teams. They are briefing--I mean, the briefs are going
directly to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff
for the Army for approval.
But these are actively ongoing, in addition to, hey, what
can we do right now to, hey, do we need to expand, you know,
Future Soldier Prep Course? What additional structure do we
need to act on a particular initiative?
Senator Budd. General, as this rolls out, will you commit
to keeping us informed about developments on this?
Major General Davis. Yes, Senator.
Senator Budd. Thank you. I yield back.
Senator Warren. Thank you, Senator Budd. Senator Hirono.
Senator Hirono. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Thank you
all for coming to testify. I know that you all are facing major
challenges because private sector is very busy trying to entice
people to join up with them, and so, you know, you are facing a
lot of those kinds of challenges.
I have to assume that you are wanting to attract people
from all backgrounds, all racial backgrounds, et cetera, et
cetera. I am wondering whether, as we have an awareness of some
realities such as the barracks that are uninhabitable and there
are these quality of life issues, I am wondering in your
recruitment efforts, do your potential recruits ask about
things like, where do I get to live?
You know, what is the quality of life conditions? So, do
you get those kinds of questions, and are those barriers to
people signing up with you all? Any of you. No? It is not a
problem?
Major General Davis. Yes. So, the questions we get for many
of our applicants, two things, hey, do I have an opportunity to
select duty--station of choice. That is a big one, and so, that
is really connected with the current population.
In terms of quality of life, we tell our--you know, we
train our recruiters share your story because quality of life
is a huge decision factor in terms of service to the country.
Barracks, you know, it has not come up, but from parents that I
speak with, ma'am, yes, it does come up. Hey, I want to make
sure quality of life is in place.
I will tell you all, this is a priority for the Secretary
and the Chief of Staff of the Army. We are just--they just
spoke about that earlier today.
Senator Hirono. I mean, really when--let's say that you are
successful in recruiting and then they show up at their
barracks and it is really bad condition, mold, etcetera.
So, we do need to improve those elements of service. That
is why there is a program, pilot program to give military
secretaries greater authority to replace substandard barracks
and standardize barrier requirements.
So, that is something that some--that I have certainly
pushed for. Now, you mentioned, you agree that diversity is
important. You need to attract all kinds of people. I know
that, for example, and this is for General Bowers, there was a
report that there were only five African American marine
fighter pilots, which is not even 1 percent of the marine
fighter force.
General Bowers, the results of an independent study
regarding the lack of diversity in pilots concluded the Marine
Corps cannot overcome generations of discrimination and
mistrust merely by removing barriers to participation in top
tier jobs, such as fighter pilots.
Instead, it must establish new pathways to reach and
recruit African Americans and entrust the role of, ``chief
diversity officer'' to the commandant himself. General Bowers,
what is the Marine Corps doing to address these concerns?
Major General Bowers. Yes, Senator. Thank you for the
question. As noted, the Marine Corps is aggressively competing
for the best talent in every gender and demographic group in
the country.
For our officer recruiting mission for fiscal year 2023
just concluded, we had the highest diversity percentage we have
ever had. So, it is working. Our message is resonating with
young men and women of character out there. We will continue to
aggressively compete in every--for every market.
I think the issue becomes also one of retention and how we
retain our best marines, which is a priority of our commandant.
Senator Hirono. Well, that is another issue. So, can we
look forward to having more than five African American fighter
pilots at some point?
Major General Bowers. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Hirono. How long do you think that would take?
Major General Bowers. Ma'am, I am not the Deputy Commandant
for marine aviation. I know that we are assessing African
American officers. They are doing well. I can take that one for
the record and get back to you, ma'am.
Senator Hirono. We want them to succeed. I am not talking
about fast tracking, but some of these things have to be done
in an intentional way. I would like it to be noted that we pay
attention to the kind of opportunities that are created for our
people. There is just one more thing, ma'am.
Oh, well, is it okay--I just want to. You are going to stop
me? If you don't mind, there was a time where single parents
could not join without requiring them to resign custody of
their children.
I believe that that is something that is being changed. Is
that limitation being changed in terms of your recruiting?
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, ma'am. One of the initiatives
that we put in place in fiscal year 2023 is a single parent
waiver that allows a single parent to have up to two dependents
under the age of 18, but no younger than one, and join our Navy
and continue to serve.
Senator Hirono. So, do the rest of you allow single parents
to join?
Major General Bowers. We have a process whereby they can
join, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Hirono. Okay.
Major General Davis. Same, ma'am.
Brigadier General Amrhein. We do as well, ma'am.
Senator Hirono. Yes. I think you also should think about
cryopreservation as a way to help, especially women, but men
too, in terms of family planning. It would enable, I think,
more of them to contemplate joining because of that option.
Thank you.
Senator Scott. Thanks, Senator Hirono. Senator Sullivan.
Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and gentlemen,
thank you for your testimony on a really important topic. I
wanted to ask all four of you very quickly, first question is,
in terms of access.
I read somewhere that over 5,000 high schools don't allow
recruiters on their campus. Maybe that is wrong. Maybe that is
right. But what is your experience in that regard? Are there
any high schools in America who are saying to you all, hey,
sorry, we don't want you here?
My view is, we shouldn't allow that, right, that high
school doesn't want the Navy to come recruit and whatever
Federal funds that high school is begging for, they don't get a
dime. Similarly with universities. I went to a university that
banned ROTC [Reserve Officer Training Corps] for over half
century. Pathetic, in my view.
They are talking about leadership and then they kick off
ROTC. When I went, I went to Harvard, they had a club called
the Spartacus Youth Club on campus. It was a club dedicated to
young communists, but they didn't allow Army, Air Force, Navy,
ROTC on campus. Shows Harvard's values.
But again, under Federal law, universities are not allowed
to ban ROTC on campus, or they lose Federal dollars. So, my
first question to all of you is, is there anywhere you have
seen problems with access, either universities or high schools,
where they just tell you, hey, sorry, you are not welcome here?
Because, and maybe we take it for the record. I would like
a list. I would like a list, right. Defending the Nation is
everybody's job, and if we have high schools or universities
who are saying, sorry, Army, you are not good enough for us,
the Congress of the United States, the Senate should know.
So, just very quickly, are there--have you run into that?
Are you hearing about that? Somewhere I read about 5,000 high
schools, which to me seem like a lot.
Major General Davis. Sir, that is a--that seems like a lot.
That is not what we are seeing in the Army. It is not so much
that access is a problem.
What I would offer is, I think, meaningful access, wherever
a young recruiter shows up to a particular school, they will
say, absolutely, you are welcome, but we would like you to set
up your recruiting table let's say in the cafeteria 16 on
Friday.
So meaningful access we can get your help in terms of
having our young recruiters share their story across all of the
U.S.
Senator Sullivan. Okay. Any other thoughts on that? Then
again, I would like, if you don't mind all of you to take that
for the record and maybe a little bit more of a deep dive,
because it is really important. If there is a couple high
schools and universities who are banning you guys, I would like
to know.
Rear Admiral Walker. Likewise, meaningful access, and what
we notice is inconsistency in that access where one school will
allow you to come in on a weekly basis, but another maybe only
on a monthly basis. So that is the access challenge. But
broadly speaking, we are not seeing any denial of access.
Senator Sullivan. Okay. General.
Major General Bowers. Senator, thank you for the question.
What we did see in school years 2021 and 2022 where recruiters
basically lost the ability to run a yearlong high school
program due to the shutdowns due to COVID.
Senator Sullivan. Right.
Major General Bowers. So, what we have done in the Marine
Corps is an aggressive training program for our marine
recruiters to run an effective high school program with
periodic access. We are seeing this is working. It is really
getting that muscle memory back where recruiters are frequently
visiting all their high schools.
Senator Sullivan. Okay.
Major General Bowers. Thank you, sir.
Senator Sullivan. General.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Senator, thank you for that. I
would agree with my colleagues across the board here. COVID did
put a natural hindrance, I think, in access to schools writ
large.
We are not seeing systemic any schools, but I will take the
point for the record to get precision back to you. But to their
point, it is conditional access rather than full fettered in
certain aspects.
I think that aspect is what is very critical, is to be able
to do that. Like General Bowers, we have also--coming out of
COVID, part of our training program was to reinforce the
operations to get into the schools so we could reconnect with
them.
But I think that--so you have that piece of it. But very
much so, I have not seen systemic denials. Just qualified
access.
Senator Sullivan. Great. Let me, Mr. Chairman, I will wrap
up with just two questions. General Davis, you talked about
this issue, which I think is a really big one, how the number
of people who are serving has diminished so you don't have the
connection that you would normally.
Are you working at all with veterans service organizations
or groups like that? That is one question, and then just trying
to get these under the timeline so the chairman doesn't gavel
me out here.
General Bowers, I know I am a little biased here, but I do
know a lot about--a little bit more than some about Marine
Corps recruiting. I know that in the Marine Corps, and your bio
is a good testament to this, there has been a tradition for
decades to put the top marines in recruiting. It is tough duty
because you have got to make your mission every month. But it
also kind of helps you in terms of promotion, right.
So, at the end, it is not unusual at all to see several
general officers and even Commandant of the Marine Corps who
are--who had done recruiting before. So, that is an ethos that
I think has been healthy, where it brings the top military
officers and enlisted marines to do recruiting.
So, do you think that is a model that is helping with
regard to the numbers that the marines are meeting? I would be
interested in the other services looking at that model. But
General, can we start with you?
Major General Davis. Yes, sir. So, absolutely. I am
actively engaged with the VSOs. I have traveled extensively to
speak at their conferences, either VFW, you name it, Foreign
Legion.
Just recently, I have sent a letter to every retiree in the
United States Army through the Echoes to ask all of them for
a--to really call to service to help us out there get the word
out as influencers.
Senator Sullivan. Great. So that is a good partnership.
Major General Davis. Yes, sir.
Senator Sullivan. Excellent. General Bowers.
Major General Bowers. Senator, thank you for the question.
It absolutely is a factor in the Marine Corps. It absolutely
helps our culture, the ethos of Marine Corps recruiting, having
our best marines, our best commanders out there on recruiting
duty to attract and inspire the youth of America.
Major General Bowers. All right. Any other, General,
Admiral, do you want to comment on either of those two
questions?
Rear Admiral Walker. Absolutely. We are engaged with our
veteran population, and it is part of a broader effort for our
war on talent and call to service by the entire fleet.
What we know from our historical data is this, is that if a
recruiter walks out of his or her front door, it typically
takes 10 individuals for that recruiter to garner one contract.
If they walk out of that door with a referral from anyone, that
ratio drops to 7 to 1.
But if they walk out the door with a referral from anyone
in the Navy, Active, enlisted, or Active Duty Reserve, retired
or civilian, that ratio drops to 5 to 1. So, capitalizing on
folks who have experience helps the recruiting effort.
Senator Sullivan. Right. General, do you have any last
comments on this?
Brigadier General Amrhein. Yes, sir. Thank you for that as
well. We have bolstered our partnership with veterans
organizations and other civic leadership organizations that are
out there. Most specifically and most recently, Air and Space
Forces Association, the AFA, has stood up its own recruiting
task force as well, and so we partnered with them.
Many of them have served before, and so, part of this is
telling our story. If somebody is there to be able to tell the
story, the Air Force or Space Force story, then that is a
multiplier, a force multiplier, and falls into our total force
recruiting network.
We are looking to expand that with Civil Air Patrol in the
near horizon and develop the TTPs, tactics, techniques, and
procedures for them. We don't need them necessarily to be
specific recruiters, but we need them to be able to be there,
be present, be in the spaces, and inform what our Air and Space
service is about.
Senator Sullivan. Great. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman. Madam Chair.
Senator Warren. Thank you. Senator Blumenthal.
Senator Blumenthal. Thanks very much. Thanks for being
here. The reason I came to this hearing was to ask the two
questions that Senator Sullivan has just asked you.
[Laughter.]
Senator Blumenthal. So, it just shows marines think alike.
But what I would like to do is work with Senator Sullivan to
submit more detailed questions on this access to educational
institutions, because I have just discovered when I went to
recruiters around Connecticut that in fact, the access is very
diverse.
When you talk about meaningful access, a couple of
recruiters have told me, well, you know, they have career days
at high schools. We are not permitted to come to the career
days. They say to us, okay, you can come on Tuesday morning
between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., just as students are working--
have you ever been in a high school at these moments when the
halls are filled with students rushing to their classes?
You can have this corner over here. So, we are not denying
access. We are going to give you this opportunity to be here.
But not when it's career day, and they are booths, and
everybody is going from one booth to another.
So, I would like to explore in greater detail with Senator
Sullivan. Maybe we will write you something or do something a
little bit more formal. But I think this is really an important
topic because it shows, going to your--you use this nice word,
a euphemism, awareness.
I just think there are a lot of parents who do not
understand how good this would be for their kids as a career.
You know, the skills they are going to learn, the discipline,
all the stuff that you know very well. It is your selling
point.
To go to something, to get away from something, or to do a
better version of yourself. Much better version of themselves
coming out of the military. I would also like to explore as
best we can this second question of, is the military devoting
its ablest to recruiting? It doesn't have to be to the
exclusion of everyone else.
But you are presiding over a force. It should be a force of
people. I want to make sure that we do as private industry
does, and they focus on recruiting with their best people,
putting their best foot forward as role models for those people
who are out there trying to enlist people. We have an All-
Volunteer--so, All-Volunteer Military.
So, I want to drill down on that, not necessarily here,
because it is probably a question that you want to answer--
well, maybe we can explore it off the record rather than in the
formality of an on the record proceeding where everything is
taken down. Let me come back to this question of medical
waivers, and I want to second what Senator--what you have heard
from Senator Warren so powerfully.
You know, the simple fact is that young people today just
aren't as healthy as they were a decade ago, two decades ago.
We see that in your numbers. I believe that is correct. You can
say I am wrong in a couple of minutes when I give you the
chance to say something.
When I enlisted, when I went to Parris Island, even then, I
don't know what the proportion was, I lost count, but a major
number of recruits couldn't make it through 11 weeks at Parris
Island.
I don't know how many weeks it is now, and that is not a
bad thing. You know, the fact that there are demands. My son,
who was a Navy Seal, he went through BUD/S. He was, I think,
one of--part of 10 percent that actually made it. Not a bad
thing that people want to be a Navy Seal and maybe they can't
make it.
So, I am wondering whether we can--we should and can modify
the medical requirements in a way that gives you the chance to
shape young people who are probably overweight, a lot of them.
Maybe not as sharp as they should be.
Again, I, since I am out of time, unfortunately, I will
have to beg the indulgence of the chairwoman for you to answer,
but is that something that you think should be pursued? Admiral
Walker.
[The information referred to follows:]
Brigadier General Amrhein. To overcome continued impacts of
fitness shortfalls, the Army implemented the Future Soldier
Preparatory Course (FSPC) program in August 2022. This program
includes a fitness component to help recruits who are otherwise
qualified for service to meet the Army's desired accession
standards for body fat composition prior to basic training.
3,893 recruits have graduated from the fitness component and
moved on to basic training. This component of the FSPC has
proven successful in unlocking potential within new recruits
and demonstrates the continued Army investment in the youth of
America without lowering accessions standards. The investment
in these soldiers is resulting in a higher commitment to the
Army.
Rear Admiral Walker. Thank you. So, CNO recently signed out
a personal forward message on the war for talent, and
capitalizing on every sailor recruiter, because we do believe
that every sailor, and that includes our civilians as well, is
a recruiter.
In that initiative, we have tasked all 5,000 commands in
the Navy to identify and nurture an applicant through the
process to bring them into the Navy. So, we are capitalizing on
the full strength and full force of the Navy to help us bring
in talented individuals into service.
With regard to expanding the pool or improving performance,
our Future Sailor Prep Course is we have a physical fitness one
and an academic one. We stood up physical fitness in April
2023.
Our academic is in pilot right now. In full disclosure, we
looked at the Army as a learning organization and said they are
doing something really good there and we should do that too. On
the physical fitness side, since that program has been and run,
we have taken individuals who are outside of Navy physical
fitness standards and through a 3-week course, enrollable up to
90 days, have brought 95 percent of them within standards so
that they could class up and participate in our basic military
training.
Our academic side is still in pilot right now, but we are
seeing early successes where we are teaching individuals more
problem solving skills and giving them the tools to improve
performance so that they can move from one category of the
ASVAB to a higher category, expanding the range of jobs
available to them.
But both of these initiatives are helping us to expand the
pool and be more accessible to young women and men who want to
serve.
Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. In deference to my
colleagues, I am going to ask that you respond in writing
because two of my colleagues are here. But I really appreciate
your very thoughtful and insightful testimony today. It is
very, very important. Thank you.
Senator Warren. Thank you, and thank you, Senator
Blumenthal. Senator King.
Senator King. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for
welcoming me to the committee, even though I am an interloper.
A couple of questions for the record. Thank you. I would
appreciate it if you all could give me some research on the
relationship between the unemployment rate and recruiting. My
sense is that one of the reasons we are having problems with
recruiting is that we have probably--I can't remember a lower
unemployment rate. In other words, young people have so many
job options today.
It would be interesting to see whether what we are seeing
is some kind of structural problem or whether it is in major
part a reflection of the State of the economy. So, perhaps
someone at the Pentagon could look into that research. Second,
I would be interested in some data on geographic diversity.
In other words, where are your recruits coming from? I am
concerned, I have seen data in the past, that our All-Volunteer
Army and Navy and Marines and Coast Guard are turning in, and
Air Force are turning into a geographically limited body. In
other words, more recruiting from the South and Southwest, or
more people coming in rather than from the North and the
Northeast.
So, I would be interested in that data. One of the
problems--I am from Maine. One of the problems is we have lost
Active Duty military bases in the Northeast almost entirely, so
our young people don't ever see anybody in uniform.
We had a naval air station in Brunswick for 60 years, and
kids grew up in Brunswick seeing the Navy on the street. They
were their coaches and their friends and their schoolteachers,
and that is something we have to sort of actively overcome.
There is a lack of exposure to the military among young
people. So, those are some general observations. Senator Mike
Rounds and I have a bill that I think is common sense, that if
you are a dreamer, if you are a DACA recipient and you join the
military and you serve for 5 years, you then have a pathway to
citizenship.
I hope you agree with me that that would be a potent
incentive for quality recruits. Admiral, do you think that
would work for you?
Rear Admiral Walker. Thank you. We are open to any tool
that will expand the pool of eligibles to serve.
Senator King. That is a bill that that we have that is
active now, and I am hoping it is something that we can get
general agreement on. It is just, again, it is common sense. If
you have served your country for 5 years, then maybe a path to
citizenship makes some sense. Marijuana.
Forty-seven percent of America is now in a State where
marijuana is legal. The question is, to what extent is that a
barrier to recruitment? Is it a, you know, it is a question,
have you ever used marijuana? Is that a box that if it is
checked, they are out?
If so, I think that is something we are going to--you are
going to have to revisit simply because a lot of these young
people are growing up in States where it is perfectly legal.
You or I may not agree with that, but that is the reality.
General, what are your thoughts?
Major General Bowers. Thank you for the question, Senator.
There is a process for those who have used marijuana before to
access into the Marine Corps. But the Marine Corps is a drug
free organization.
Senator King. I get that. No--I am not suggesting that at
all. I am just suggesting not being a disqualification if it is
in your past.
Major General Bowers. Yes, sir. There is a process where
young men and women who have used marijuana before can become
marines.
Senator King. All of you have that policy?
Brigadier General Amrhein. Yes, Senator.
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes----
Major General Davis. Yes----
Senator King. Thank you. This is a marketing advice, as I
mentioned with Senator Kaine. There are few jobs in our society
where a young person can have as much responsibility and access
to training as in the military.
You should sell that. I seriously think, I would like to
see an ad in the Super Bowl that says, you want to get a head
start? Join the Army, join the Navy. It is an opportunity that
young people have that I don't think is marketed as much. I
mean, I see the ads and, you know, a few good men and they are
good--they are good.
But one of your selling points is that you are giving
people an opportunity at training that they would have to pay
thousands of dollars for if they were going to a community
college, or an access to leadership that they would never get
at the age of 22, or 23, or 24.
So that is free advice for what it is worth. One objection
I have heard on the recruiting process is paperwork. That it is
too slow. One of my constituents was trying to sign up and they
asked him for his fax number. Come on.
[Laughter.]
Senator King. We got to--and he kept getting forms that he
had to fill out, and it was often the same information, what is
your Social Security number? So, I think you ought to look at--
pretend you are an applicant and see what you are given for
paperwork and whether it is efficient, whether it is needed, or
whether it is a barrier.
I would urge you to take a look at that, and the final
question or comment is retention. One way to alleviate the
recruiting problem is to have people stay longer. Is that a
focus of your services, General?
Brigadier General Amrhein. Sir, retention is a focus for, I
think, all the services, and for the Air and Space Force as
well. What I can say is right now in our Air Force, our
retention rates are unbelievably high.
I can get you--I can followup with specificity on the
actual numbers. But to your point, those retention rates to
retain have actually have trickle on effects with the ability
within the Guard and Reserve because normally people would
choose to complete their Active Duty service and choose to go
do anything else.
I do agree that retention is directly connected to a
recruiting requirement. I can take any specifics back to the
Air Force. I have a one that manages our retention, as far as
if you would like specifics on retention initiatives. But those
two are interconnected, sir.
Senator King. I would assume in your jobs you would want to
be pushing on other folks about retention because it takes the
pressure off recruiting. General.
Major General Bowers. Yes, Senator, thank you for the
question. Retention is absolutely important to the Marine
Corps. Our former commandant made it a top priority and we
exceeded our retention goals. Our current commandant has it a
priority and we are already well ahead of our retention goals.
Senator King. Thank you. Admiral.
Rear Admiral Walker. Likewise, Navy enjoyed really healthy
retention goals in fiscal year 2023, and not only for the
Active Duty, but we use retention in terms of Active Duty
transitioning to the Reserves because the Reserves are as
important a mission as is our Active component force.
Senator King. Great. General.
Major General Davis. Yes, sir. High--I mean, historically
high retention rates lately. In addition to that, we have
turned to these soldiers who have determined--you know, I am
having--quality life. I am doing a lot of great things. I want
to stay on Active Duty. We have asked them for their referrals.
So, that is what triggered us to start a soldier referral
program. Over 35,000 referrals. We have got about 1,500 in the
Army just based off of the soldier referrals.
Senator King. Well, I would love to see an ad at the Super
Bowl this year that says, get a head start, and I won't ask for
a commission even, so.
[Laughter.]
Senator King. Isn't there a football game coming up this
Saturday?
[Laughter.]
Senator King. You have got both of them here.
Senator Warren. As a fellow New Englander, I appreciate
your point, Senator King, and I want to reiterate it about the
importance----
Senator King. We see no military.
Senator Warren.--of if we don't have military bases in New
England, we will not have recruits from New England. If we
don't have recruiters in New England, we will not have recruits
from New England.
If we want to have a military that serves all of America,
we have got to be out there with our military and with our
recruiters every place, not just in the South or places where
it has been rich pickings in the past. All right. Good. Senator
Duckworth.
Senator Duckworth. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. I have
to say, you know, adding to this recruiting, I mean, only 15
percent of today's youth have a parent who served compared to
1995 when it was over 40 percent of our youth had a parent who
served. It really is important for our young people to see
people who served.
I am going to switch a little bit back to, and you talk
about the soldier referral program. At a Readiness subcommittee
hearing this spring, I heard from General Alvin and General
George, at the time the respective Vice Chiefs for the Air
Force and the Army, and I asked about issues with aviation
bonus pay.
In both instances, the services failed to process retention
pay paperwork correctly, negatively impacting its members. In
fact, in the Reserve components, among Reserve forces, we have
reports going of the services not processing bonus pay going
back to 2018, literally years behind in paying.
To all of our witnesses, do bonuses remain a key recruiting
tool? Is your service properly trained and equipped to process
these bonuses, and deliver them in a timely manner to
servicemembers?
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, ma'am. Bonuses remain an integral
part to the recruiting effort, particularly in placement in our
high demand ratings, think of nuclear, cyber warfare,
information warfare, and our services posture to administer the
bonus program.
Senator Duckworth. Are you administering them in a timely
manner? Are people getting their bonuses in time?
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, ma'am, they are.
Major General Bowers. Thank you for the question, Senator.
Bonuses really are not an important part of our recruiting
process. We do have bonuses. They are processed in a timely
manner, but they are not why young men and women choose to
become marines.
Senator Duckworth. Okay. Thank you.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Ma'am, our accession bonus
program is effective. It is timely. It similar to the Navy. It
has a weighted rating for some of the most challenged areas,
such as special warfare and certain maintenance areas.
We find--I have not gotten any feedback that the accession
bonus program has not been timely in its payout, nor the
enhanced college loan repayment program that was put in place
to assume college loan up to $65,000 for anybody wishing to
come into the service of the Air Force.
Senator Duckworth. I would take a look at the Air Guard and
the Air Force--and the Reserve forces as well. General Davis.
Major General Davis. Yes, Senator. The bonuses remain an
effective tool. What we have been able to do is align the
bonuses with the focus, you know, military occupational skills.
Right now, you know, infantry, you know, armor, field
artillery, air defense artillery.
So that is where we are aligning the--really precision with
the bonus, but no problems in terms of a payout or nor the long
repayment.
Senator Duckworth. I would ask the Army and the Air Force
specifically to go re-look, rethink your answers and look
deeper, because I think there are problems. But please go
further than that.
Obviously, we have talked already about how the Marine
Corps and the Space Force have met their recruiting goals. The
other branches haven't.
I would like to hear from each of you, what are the
recruiting challenges that are unique to your service in
particular, and what efforts are you trying to take into nest
your recruiting needs within your unique force designs? Is
there anything that we here in Congress can do to help you?
Major General Davis. For the Army, the key with us is
really getting all of the--I think, again, it goes back to the
awareness, ma'am, that not everyone understands the 150 plus
MOS [military occupational specialty].
I think as we get around, I think our youth only understand
maybe 15 or 20. But you name it from, cyber, UAS pilots, all of
the key areas that are the really moving hot career fields
right now are situated in the Army.
That is really what is unique for us. It is just so many
MOS and trying to get that word out. Then training our
recruiters to be able to share that, that is really unique to
us.
Senator Duckworth. Okay. Thank you. Admiral Walker.
Rear Admiral Walker. What we found in our analysis is that
there is awareness broadly that we have a Navy, but what that
Navy does specifically in peacetime is often not well
understood. As an example, one of our surveys, you know, asked,
which service is the most important?
The response was the Air Force and principally wrapped
around the reason, aircraft carriers. That when folks believe
that everything military aviation belongs to the Air Force,
once we are associated carriers with the Navy, the Navy became
the most important force.
So, educating our public about what the Navy does are both
in conflict and in peacetime would be helpful. This is also,
how you can help is in the narrative about service writ large,
ma'am.
Senator Duckworth. Thank you. General Bowers.
Major General Bowers. Thank you for the question, ma'am.
Our challenges in Marine Corps recruiting are the same as they
have always been. Not everybody is fit to be a marine. We are
not for everybody.
We are looking for those select few, again, young men and
women of character who, you know, are attracted to the ethos
and the core values of being part of something bigger than
themselves.
Senator Duckworth. Okay.
Major General Bowers. Thank you.
Brigadier General Amrhein. You know, thank you for the
question. Similar to General Davis, and I would say that it is
about familiarity with all of the jobs. We heard that story
on--from Admiral Walker on aircraft and aircraft carriers.
I think it is recognizable from a brand standpoint that the
Air Force has airplanes, but we also have medical
professionals, civil engineers, doctors, you know, maintainers
to be able to generate that air power and making sure that
everyone understands you over 200 different Air Force specialty
code, jobs if you will, that can come in, is a key component.
I think a very big challenge when we are maximizing our out
and about and our outreach to the communities is telling that
full story, getting every airmen and guardian to tell them what
they do for their Air and Space Force.
Senator Duckworth. Thank you. Thank you, Chairwoman.
Senator Warren. Thank you, Senator Duckworth. So, young
people who are considering joining the military place a lot of
weight on how those who are currently serving are treated, and
it makes sense, joining the military is a big honor, but it is
also a life altering commitment that requires a lot of
sacrifice.
Major General Davis, the Army has the greatest recruiting
challenges of all the services, so let me direct this question
to you. Do you think that quality of life is an important
factor for potential recruits and whether or not they decide to
enlist?
Major General Davis. Yes, Senator, quality of life is
important. I mean, I have children in uniform. I have--whenever
I have visited, I take a look at the barracks situation just
like any parent would. So, I think it is so very important. It
impacts retention and continued service. So, yes, I 100 percent
agree.
Senator Warren. Good. Very important, 100 percent. You
know, your predecessor said quality of life is, ``fundamental''
to both recruiting and retention. Now, it should be obvious,
what a way to start a question, but the way that DOD drags
their feet on some of the issues around quality of life really
makes me wonder if they get it.
I have found this particularly frustrating when it comes to
privatized military housing. For years now, at Congress's
insistence, the Department of Defense has promised to repair
substandard housing.
One of the reforms we passed into law was that the DOD
would be required to create a public complaint data base, which
would allow tenants to be able to submit their concerns about
their housing.
It would also give us a way to ensure accountability for
housing contractors and give military families information
about the quality of their housing. Three years, 3 years after
this law went into effect, DOD is only now in the initial
stages of making this happen.
Major General Davis, do you think that being responsive to
these families' concerns makes these families and their
servicemember more or less likely to recommend military service
to others in their community?
Major General Davis. Yes, ma'am. If we have the families'
back, they are more likely to recommend.
Senator Warren. Yes. Well, you know what really bothers me
here is we still don't even understand the full scope of the
problem of substandard military housing because information is
hidden from the public.
For example, it was only through a FOIA [Freedom Of
Information Act] request by a journalist that we learned that
the Army was failing to properly inspect homes with lead based
paint and asbestos containing materials just to make sure that
they were safe to live in. 41 percent of the military homes had
no survey identifying asbestos risk areas.
So, Major General Davis, do you think it is reasonable for
military families to expect the Army to do basic due diligence
to make sure that servicemembers and their families aren't
breathing in fibers that could give them cancer?
Major General Davis. Yes, Senator.
Senator Warren. I know the questions seem so obvious, but I
don't know what else to do to get the DOD to respond here.
You know, what frustrates me here is that we have these
private contractors who run much of the military housing, and
these companies refuse to provide these inspections because
they claim it costs too much.
Even some of our military leaders have dismissed concerns
about housing or actually blame the soldiers and their
families. In fact, the Army commander at Fort Bliss said, and I
quote, ``I don't have a mold problem. I have got a discipline
problem,'' and that the soldiers needed to be better at
``adulting.'' Major General Davis, do you think that remarks
like this tell soldiers or potential recruits that the Army has
their back?
Major General Davis. Senator, I won't speak for those
remarks, but I will say the Secretary, the Chief, and all of us
have these families' backs.
Senator Warren. Well, when we fail to fix obvious problems,
we will lose people's trust. Because DOD has been too little,
too late in fixing housing problems, I have turned up the heat
again.
I secured a provision in this year's National Defense
Authorization Act to create a Military Housing Readiness
Council to hold DOD and the services accountable. I will not
let this drop. DOD's negligence is shameful. Military families
deserve decent housing, and that means housing without mold,
housing without rats, housing without sewer backups--decent
basic housing.
I am sick of DOD fighting us tooth and nail on addressing
military families' legitimate concerns and then being shocked,
shocked that they have recruiting problems. It is long past
time for DOD to implement the public complaint system and make
those data available to families.
If they want to claim to put people first, then DOD and our
military leadership need to walk the walk. Thank you. Senator
Scott.
Senator Scott. So, they made it easier when I was in there,
and they didn't give us any. We didn't have any privatized
housing. I wasn't around when that happened, but it didn't seem
like the way it was set up, there was any accountability.
General Davis, can you talk about the Army Recruiting
Enterprise Transformation Initiative and how it is working, and
why you did it?
Major General Davis. Yes. Thank you, Senator. The
transformation based on the announcement about a little over 5
weeks ago is clearly underway. The operational planning team
came together, about 100 personnel with expertise across many
different areas.
From force management to personnel policy, to contracting
structure all came together and are looking at each of the
particular areas based off of the Secretary's announcement. You
know, how we prospect--what--you know, how we are changing the
workforce.
These are all huge fundamental changes that are huge for
this Command. The biggest change this Command has underwent
over the last really 20 plus years. Each one has a major set of
recommendations for the Secretary, and they just finished--
Senator, they just finished up over the last week.
That first brief to our senior leaders will really occur
next week for the Secretary and the Chief to consider.
Senator Scott. Good luck. I went over the memo the Army
recently released about COVID discharge upgrades. Can you tell
us what the Army gave to the board that is going to adjudicate
these claims? If a soldier refused a vaccine but did not ask
for a religious or medical exemption, will they--is the Army
going to upgrade their discharge?
Major General Davis. Senator, I will have to take that for
the record. I don't know all the different details, but what I
will say is there is a process for those that want to return to
the service. Matter of fact, I think as of last--a few days
ago, I think number is about 57.
That is not all back on Active Duty. That is some who are
on Active Duty and some who are awaiting their ship days to
return to the active force. So, that process is working. But in
terms of where they are discharged, the status of that, I just
got to come back and give you more----
Senator Scott. How are each of you dealing with people that
were discharged but they didn't ask for an exception?
Rear Admiral Walker. Thank you. We have contacted everyone
who provided valid contact information once the COVID vaccine
was rescinded, requirement was rescinded, and let them know
that they could petition for reinstatement through Navy
Recruiting Command. Since then, we have had two personnel
return to Active Duty.
Major General Bowers. Thank you, Senator. We contacted all
of those who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine. We
have contacted them about coming back. We have had 14 come back
and there is another one pending.
Brigadier General Amrhein. So, similarly, our Air Force
personnel, Senator, reached out to all to notify them on the
opportunities to return and the process to do so.
Senator Scott. Where are you all on having--on people that
were discharged for not taking the vaccine have to pay for
their training? Did you guys, any of you do that? Nobody did
that?
Brigadier General Amrhein. No, sir.
Senator Scott. Okay. Let's go ahead.
Senator Warren. Okay. I have got one more issue I want to
talk about. A Department of Defense survey finds that one
reason that people don't join the military is because they fear
being injured or dying. It is understandable. It is part of the
job.
But while we all accept that there are risks that come with
fighting the enemy on the battlefield, I am concerned that too
many servicemembers are receiving lasting energies--injuries or
losing their lives due to accidents. In fact, accidents have
been one of the leading causes of death for Active Duty
servicemembers.
Last week, an Osprey based in Japan crashed during an Air
Force Special Operations training accident, taking the life of
Jake Galliher, a young father from Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
He leaves behind his wife, Ivy, and two little boys. His older
son is 2 years old, and his younger child is just 6 weeks old.
The Air Force does not believe that anyone on that flight
will return home to their families. General Amrhein, does it
hurt or help recruiting to show that the Air Force is taking
safety concerns very seriously?
Brigadier General Amrhein. Senator, thank you for the
question. If I could please start by saying our hearts go out
to the eight members that were lost due to that tragic
incident, and they are in our thoughts and prayers at this
time, their family and friends.
Regarding safety, safety is at the forefront of Air Force
operations, not only from the flying aspect, from almost
everything we do, everything we do, ground safety, there is an
element of safety baked into it.
I think we take that extremely seriously, as well as you
when you marry that up with the robust training programs that
we have, that is what allows us to do our jobs to the maximum
effectiveness and to maintain the ability to say we are the
world's greatest Air and Space Force.
From a recruiting standpoint, ma'am, I think that is the
point to reemphasize, is that we have a safety culture, a
safety mindset, and that have confidence that when you come
into our Air and Space Force, you will be trained, you will be
trained very, very well to be able to execute missions, ma'am.
That is how I would answer that portion from a recruiting
standpoint.
Senator Warren. I appreciate that. In the wake of this
tragedy, Jake's family has asked the Air Force to ground these
three aircraft to prevent further loss of life. They are right
to raise the question.
The crash that killed Jake is only the latest in over a
dozen accidents in the past 3 decades, including a crash in
August that killed three marines. As Jake's father has asked,
``how many more of our servicemembers need to die on those damn
planes?'' General, I know the Air Force shares this family's
pain, and I appreciate your statement on that. But this family
also wants to see action.
The Air Force grounded the V-22 for safety issues last
year. I think it is time to seriously consider doing so again
with the Osprey until we can be confident that we won't lose
any more lives in what appears to be a preventable tragedy.
Senator Scott, do you have any more questions? All right. I
want to thank all of our witnesses for your testimony today. I
also want to thank you for the work you do every day and all
the people who are working with you to recruit the best and the
brightest.
I want to thank John Clark, Gary Leeling, Andy Scott, Sofia
Kamali, Noah Sisk, Jenny Davis, Sean O'Keefe, Katie Magnus, and
Brendan Gavin for their work in putting together today's
hearing. It takes a lot of people to make this work well.
Our people remain our greatest strength as a Nation. If we
have programs in place to support servicemembers and their
families, we can prove to the next generation that we value
their service and their sacrifice.
If we get this right, it won't just be the recruiters
convincing people to join the military, it will be everyone in
the Force. So, I look forward to working with my colleagues on
this Committee, with my Ranking Member Scott, and turning this
crisis around.
Thank you. This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 4:46 p.m., the Committee adjourned.]
[Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]
Questions Submitted by Senator Mazie K. Hirono
efforts to target diversity shortfalls in the usmc
1. Senator Hirono. Major General Bowers, the results of an
independent study regarding the lack of diversity in marine fighter
pilots concluded the Marine Corps cannot overcome generations of
discrimination and mistrust merely by removing barriers to
participation in top-tier jobs, such as fighter pilots. Instead, it
must establish new pathways to reach diverse candidates and entrust the
role of ``chief diversity officer'' to the Commandant himself. Major
General Bowers, what is the Marine Corps doing to address these
concerns?
Major General Bowers. Our Marine Corps is dedicated to attracting
the best individuals to serve our great Nation. We seek out individuals
who bring a variety of experiences and talents to the battlefield. We
want marines who process information in different ways and who,
collectively, come up with a broad array of solutions to solve complex
global problems.
We will keep faith with the American people; they need to know that
their Marine Corps reflects those that we support, that we defend. In
large part we do. No matter your race, background, gender, or
religion--there's a place for you in the Marine Corps if you aspire to
serve and can meet our rigorous standards. When you do, you will have
an equal opportunity to perform, succeed, and excel.
To cast a wide net for Student Naval Aviators (SNA), the Marine
Corps has numerous commissioning programs that allow both civilian and
military personnel to obtain a commission as a Marine Corps Second
Lieutenant and apply to become a SNA. The United States Naval Academy,
with its STEM-focused curriculum-has historically provided roughly 25
percent of the Marine Corps' aviation accessions annually.
Additionally, we have two community outreach programs that help
inform young men and women of the opportunity to become an SNA. The
Marine Corps Flight Orientation Program (MCFOP) assists in the
recruitment of highly qualified applicants and enhances public
awareness of Marine Corps aviation through connecting applicants with a
Marine Corps Pilot and allow them to fly together in a civilian
aircraft. We also use Aviation Enhanced Area Canvassing (AEAC) events,
which include Marine Corps Air Station tours and aviation focused
events that all contribute to the successful recruitment of SNAs.
Other programs, which offer a guaranteed opportunity to become a
pilot include: Officer Candidate Course (OCC)-open to college seniors
and graduates; Platoon Leader Class (PLC)-open to college freshmen,
sophomores and juniors; Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC)-
Offers 2, 3, and 4 year scholarships that lead to a commission;
Enlisted Commissioning Program (ECP)--designed to provide the
opportunity for marines who have earned a 4-year degree before joining
the Marine Corps or during Active Duty to serve as Marine Corps
officers; and Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program
(MECEP)-an enlisted-to-officer commissioning program designed to
provide outstanding enlisted marines the opportunity to serve as Marine
Corps officers.
citizenship for enlistees
2. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, despite recruiting
shortfalls, many immigrants, including over half a million DACA
recipients, are barred from joining the military. Our country has a
proud tradition of immigrants serving in the military, which we should
support. Key to this is legislation like the DREAM Act, which would
provide a pathway to citizenship for certain young people brought to
the U.S. as children who now meet some requirements, like military
service. How would legislation like this help each of your Services
meet their recruitment goals?
Major General Davis. Any legislation that opens the aperture to
allow more qualified and propensed individuals to serve in the military
will support the Army's recruiting mission.
Rear Admiral Walker. First, it would increase the number of people
eligible to pursue military service while meeting our high standards
for character and performance. Second, those who would be newly
eligible are also likely more propensed to serve, seeing military
service as a way to meaningfully give back to their adoptive country.
Finally, those brought to the U.S. as children are often ideal
candidates for future service because they have a U.S. education,
participate in ASVAB testing, and high school recruiting processes, and
have the supporting records accumulated by U.S. and state-level
government.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps is always open to new ideas
that will open the aperture for more quality recruits. We would be
interested in working with Congress, the Department, and other Services
on finding a way forward.
Brigadier General Amrhein. A legislation change to title 10 USC 504
could expand the pool of eligibles to serve by allowing immigrants a
pathway to citizenship through military service.
3. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how has the Biden
Administration's Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative
program affected your ability to reach and recruit from immigrant
communities?
Major General Davis. The Immigrant Military Members and Veterans
Initiative (IMMVI) consists primarily of a partnership between the VA
and the Department of Homeland Security. It is focused on consolidating
relevant Federal resources for noncitizen servicemembers, Veterans and
their families, caregivers and survivors. The Army does not have any
statistical data concerning how the IMMVI impacts recruitment from
immigrant communities. The Army defers to the VA and DHS concerning the
specifics of the program.
Rear Admiral Walker. As we are in a war for talent in a highly
challenging recruiting environment, we welcome any initiative that
offers opportunity to highlight military service. We always drive
toward ensuring a diverse force that is comprised of people from all
walks of life across our Nation and beyond. Specific to the Immigrant
Military Members and Veterans Initiative, we have no data to understand
its effect on our ability to reach and recruit immigrant communities.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps continues to recruit from
every zip code in the Nation. Recruiters have conversations with
prospective applicants and inform them of their ability to earn their
citizenship in accordance with current law.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The DAF has not seen a change in
recruiting policy due to this program.
mental health as barrier to recruitment
4. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, current policies
preclude some candidates from military service for what are now
generally commonplace mental health conditions that have been found to
not impact effective service. As our understanding and treatment of
mental health improves, how are each of your services re-evaluating
eligibility standards?
Major General Davis. The Army has codified guidance for the team
that reviews the waiver requests regarding Behavior Health (BH)
conditions and medications. This guidance includes flexibilities of BH
diagnosis based on history and BH meds that are older than 24 months.
Additionally, we have codified for recruiting command that no waiver is
needed for grief counseling, and ADHD without medication for over 24
months. The Army is relooking all waiverable and non-waiverable
conditions and treatments to determine what can be changed reasonably
with updated standards of care.
DOD adheres to criteria for applicants who have received mental
health treatment as outlined in DODI 6130.03 Volume 1, ``Medical
Standards for Military Service: Appointment, Enlistment, or
Induction,'' May 6, 2018, as amended. To reduce barriers to service,
DOD consults with the civilian medical community to ensure these
standards align with the needs of DOD and increase accurate suitability
determinations. Through the Accession and Retention Medical Standards
Working Group, DOD also reviews the current standards related to mental
health and completes periodic revisions, as appropriate. The DOD is
also collaborating with the Military Services to assess the potential
for relaxing several mental health standards.
Rear Admiral Walker. Accessions standards published in Department
of Defense Instruction (DODI) 6130.03 Volume 1 are regularly reviewed
by the DOD Accession and Retention Medical Standards Working Group with
periodic changes published for smaller revisions (the last was in
November 2022) and total Volume 1 revisions completed every 4-5 years.
In November 2023, the Services submitted suggestions to the Office of
the Secretary of Defense for inclusion in the next revision, which
would relax several of the mental health standards.
Since formal changes or revisions to a DODI take time, in the
interim, the Service medical waiver reviewer authorities have adjusted
their waiver criteria for many of these mental health conditions if the
individual's condition is stable and has good prognosis within the
training and operational environments. In addition, the Services have
proposed several mental health conditions be included on the Medical
Accession Records Pilot list used by the U.S. Military Entrance
Processing Command to qualify individuals who do not meet the Volume 1
accession standards, but have shown a several-year period of stability
for inclusion in the conditional Delayed Entry Program list. This
allows the individual Services to contract disqualified applicants in
advance of receiving a medical waiver.
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps Recruiting Command is working
with our recruiting and medical partners to review the current DOD
Instruction on accession medical standards with an aim at modernization
and improving opportunities for those who wish to serve their nation.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Mental Health conditions are certainly a
major concern for all recruiting services. The Air Force Recruiting
Service's Accession Medical Waiver Division (AMWD) regularly looks at
the data for all diagnoses to see where it is appropriate to take more
risk for accession. Of the top 13 medical conditions where a
disposition was provided for an accession waiver request, 6 were mental
health related. 5,360 dispositions (out of 14,080, or 38 percent) were
for mental health conditions. A waiver was provided for these members
about 60 percent of the time. The AMWD regularly provides waivers for
those with less severe mental health conditions (e.g. those who sought
counseling for stress or who were on medication treatment for short
periods of time). Those who had symptoms/needed treatment for longer
periods of time (over a year or more), or who had recurrence of
symptoms after remission, are at higher risk of having symptoms while
in the Air Force that impact mission capabilities. Decisions regarding
whether to provide a waiver are made based on whether the clinical
notes include a diagnosis of a disorder using the criteria in current
medical literature.
While it is true that public awareness of mental health issues is
increasing and there are many different effective treatments, the
impact on military readiness may still be very high. Therefore, any
adjustments to mental health accession standards need to be made only
after careful considerations. In the past few years, the AMWD has
expanded the opportunities for those with a history of mental health
problems to serve by reducing the required time of stability off
medication/treatment prior to serving. How much time off medication/
treatment is needed depends on the complexity and severity of the
condition(s). We have previously used a period of 3 years for
demonstrated stability, but we have recently reduced that time down to
2 years, assuming there are no other confounding factors.
Part of the mechanism to reevaluate standards and waiver decisions
is dependent on having the ability to study data from prior decisions.
The AF is currently working to establish a full-time capability to
conduct analytic studies on operational outcomes from prior medical
waiver decisions.
barriers to entry for single parents
5. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, for several years the military Services
(including the Coast Guard) have each enacted policy for the
recruitment of single parents which required the applicant to give
legal, physical custody of their child or children to another adult
under the argument that being the sole custodian of a minor is not
conducive with military requirements or lifestyle. For many single
parents, and potential applicants, this would mean giving custody to
the non-custodial parent, with no legal assurances they would be able
to get custody of their children back. For many applicants this is a
significant barrier to entry. However, DOD Instruction 1304.26 allows
the Service Secretary authority to waive the custody requirement. Does
new ascension policy require single parents to relinquish legal custody
of their children while they attend entry level training?
Major General Davis. The Army does not advocate relinquishing
custody of dependents to become eligible for enlistment into the
Regular Army. It is not the Army's intent or desire of the Army to
require any person to relinquish custody of their children to qualify
for enlistment. However, the Army recognizes that some persons for
personal reasons have given up custody of a child or children.
Accordingly, Army established rules so that a determination could be
made for enlistment purposes. Applicants, who on their own accord for
personal reasons have placed custody of a child or children in the
custody or guardianship of the other parent or another adult by court
order or written custody agreement between both parents that is valid
under State law, and the applicant is not required to pay support for
more than three dependents, then the applicant is eligible for
enlistment.
Notwithstanding, for several years, Army has allowed single
custodial parents that has custody of a dependent under age 18 to
enlist into its Reserve Components (US Army Reserve (USAR) and Army
National Guard (ARNG)), provided he or she has an approved Family Care
Plan (FCP) prior to enlistment.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps is governed by DOD
Instruction 1304.26 which states, ``Single parents who have sole
physical or sole legal custody of minor dependents are not eligible for
enlistment in either the Regular or Reserve establishments.'' The
Secretary of the Navy has not waived this requirement, and therefore we
remain in compliance with the Instruction. Therefore, currently, the
enlistment processing cannot begin until 90 days have elapsed from the
date of custody transfer. Questionable cases are forwarded to the
appropriate region SJA for review before enlistment.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Transferring custody of family members
to enter the Department of the Air Force (DAF) is prohibited. It is not
the intent of the DAF to require any person to relinquish custody of
their children to qualify for enlistment. Recruiting personnel must
never counsel applicants to change their marital or custodial status
for enlistment qualifications.
6. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, what is the legal definition of your
service's requirement?
Major General Davis. Applicants for the Regular Army, who for
personal reasons have placed custody of a child or children in the
custody or guardianship of the other parent or another adult by court
order or written custody agreement between both parents that is valid
under State law, and the applicant is not required to pay support for
more than three dependents, the applicant is eligible for enlistment.
Under Army Policy, an applicant for the Regular Army may enlist if
they are:
(1) Without a spouse and with no dependents.
(2) Married and, in addition to the spouse, has less than three
dependents.
(3) Without a spouse and does not have custody of dependents.
(4) Without a spouse and required to pay child support for less
than three dependents by court order.
Pursuant to AR 601-210, para. 2-10d, it is not the intent or desire
of the U.S. Army to require any person to relinquish custody of their
children to qualify for enlistment. Under no circumstances will any
Army representative advise, imply, or assist an applicant with regard
to surrender of custody for the purpose of enlistment.
Major General Bowers. Custody of minor children under the age of 18
often is determined by the State statutes where they reside. Recruiting
officials must remain familiar with the domestic relations statutes
where they recruit. Unmarried applicants who have relinquished
permanent physical custody of dependent children by court order (final
decree issued) are eligible for a Marine Corps District waiver for
enlistment once 90 days have elapsed from the date of custody transfer.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Recruitment of single parents is
authorized with an approved waiver to help establish a care plan, and
to inform the applicant that dependents are not authorized to join the
applicant until all initial training requirements are completed.
7. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, to what level of legal custody must an
applicant relinquish?
Major General Davis. The child or children must be placed in the
custody or guardianship of the other parent or another adult by court
order or written custody agreement between both parents that is valid
under State law, and the applicant is not required to pay support for
more than three dependents, the applicant is eligible for enlistment.
Major General Bowers. DOD Instruction 1304.26 requires that
applicants may not maintain sole legal or physical custody prior to
recruitment. Single parents may achieve this through dual physical
custody or dual legal custody of minor dependents for enlistment
purposes, the Marine Corps relies on a divorce decree, adoption decree,
legal separation agreement, or court-ordered custody to verify a change
in custody.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Not applicable to DAF recruits. The DAF
does not require relinquishment of custody.
8. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, is your service, as the U.S. Navy has,
issuing dependency-status waivers for this requirement as a way of
broadening the recruiting pool? If so, how many waivers have been
issued in the past 24 months?
Major General Davis. Army does not allow single parents with
dependents under age 18 to enlist into the Regular Army. Therefore,
waivers are not considered. The Army is exploring options for single
parents that would broaden the recruitment pool.
For the Army's Reserve Components (USAR and ARNG), waivers are
authorized. In fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 2023, the recruiting
commanders approved 81,854 accession waivers for single parents with
dependents under the age of 18.
In the past 24 months, USAREC approved 6 Army Reserve single parent
waivers.
Major General Bowers. Not yet, but the Marine Corps is reviewing
the policy to explore options for allowing additional waivers to the
current policy.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The DAF has allowed dependency waivers
for 15 plus years, and single parent waivers for almost 10 years. In
the last 24 months, the DAF has approved 130 dependency waivers.
9. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, if relinquishing custody is a requirement,
is the applicant able to resume legal custody while on Active or
Reserve Duty?
Major General Davis. Those applicants, for the Regular Army, who at
time of enlistment indicate they have a child or children in the
custody of the other parent, or another adult will be advised and
required to acknowledge by certification that their intent at the time
of enlistment was not to enter the Regular Army, with the express
intention of regaining custody after enlistment. All applicants will be
advised that if they regain custody during their first term of
enlistment, they are in violation of the stated intent of their
enlistment contract with annexes. They will (unless they can show
cause, such as death or incapacity of the person who has custody) be
processed for separation (involuntary) for fraudulent enlistment
pursuant to Army separation policy.
Major General Bowers. Yes, after initial training requirements are
completed.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Not applicable to DAF recruits. The DAF
does not require relinquishment of custody.
10. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, are affected applicants able to seek/resume
custody of their children once they've completed their initial
training?
Major General Davis. Those applicants, for the Regular Army, who at
time of enlistment indicate they have a child or children in the
custody of the other parent, or another adult will be advised and
required to acknowledge by certification that their intent at the time
of enlistment was not to enter the Regular Army, with the express
intention of regaining custody after enlistment. All applicants will be
advised that if they regain custody during their first term of
enlistment, they are in violation of the stated intent of their
enlistment contract with annexes. They will (unless they can show
cause, such as death or incapacity of the person who has custody) be
processed for separation (involuntary) for fraudulent enlistment
pursuant to Army separation policy.
Major General Bowers. Yes, after initial training requirements are
completed.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Not applicable to DAF recruits. The DAF
does not require relinquishment of custody.
11. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, are there limitations to the number or ages
of dependents an applicant can have?
Major General Davis. Army policy generally disallows applicants
without a spouse who either have custody of their children; single, but
responsible for providing court-ordered child support to three or more
children; or, married but with three or more other dependents under the
age of 18.Army policy provides that applicants for enlistment that are
married with two or fewer dependents may enlist into the Army's three
components (RA, USAR, and ARNG) without a waiver; and applicants for
enlistment that are married with three or more dependents under age 18,
may not enlist unless a dependent waiver is granted by General Officer
level commander of the recruiting agency.
Major General Bowers. Currently, in accordance with DODI 1304.26
applicants cannot have more than three dependents at the time of
enlistment. The service does not have a minimum age requirement for
dependents.
Brigadier General Amrhein. A waiver is required when married
applicants have 3 or more dependents under age 18 or incapable of
selfcare; a waiver is required when single parents have 1 or more
dependents under age 18 or incapable of selfcare.
12. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, is the onus, financial or otherwise, of any
legal requirements placed on the applicant, or does the service assist
with legal advice or processing?
Major General Davis. All legal requirements, financial or
otherwise, are the onus of applicants for the Army, who for personal
reasons decide to place custody of a child or children in the custody
or guardianship of the other parent or another adult.
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps recruiters are prohibited from
having any involvement in an applicant's decision to consider
relinquishing custody of a minor dependent. Recruiting personnel will
not advise, imply, or assist an applicant concerning custody of minor
dependents. The legal decisions of the applicant are their
responsibility. Servicemembers have access to the legal service support
centers to receive legal assistance.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Not applicable to DAF recruits. No legal
requirements are placed on applicants for dependency status.
13. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, does your service provide any legal
assistance once the applicant is in the military to reunite them with
their dependents?
Major General Davis. Soldiers in the regular Army and Reserve
component on orders exceeding 30 days are able to seek legal advice on
this matter or any other issue that may surface during the term of
their enlistment through their servicing legal assistance office (LAO)
. . . However, soldiers that relinquished custody of their children
prior to enlistment would face potential separation for fraudulent
enlistment during their first term of enlistment, absent the ability to
show cause for their need to reinstate custody--such as the death or
incapacity of the person who had custody of the children. While the
Army provides free legal assistance to its soldiers, Judge Advocates
are barred from appearing in State court to represent their clients and
may only provide general advice regarding these matters.
Major General Bowers. Servicemembers have access to the legal
service support centers to receive legal assistance.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Not applicable to DAF recruits. No legal
assistance is required because the DAF does not require relinquishment
of custody. Dependents will reunite with the sponsoring servicemember
in the same manner that all dependents join their sponsor post-initial
training.
14. Senator Hirono. Major General Davis, Major General Bowers, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, are applicants with joint physical custody
eligible for enlistment? If not, are waivers available for this?
Major General Davis. Applicants to the regular Army with a joint
physical custody agreement or court order requiring joint physical
custody are not eligible for enlistment. However, applicants are
eligible for enlistment if the court order allows modification of
custody by written agreement of the parents, and if the other parent
assumes full physical custody pursuant to that written agreement.
Applicants for the Reserve component may be considered eligible for
a waiver on a case-by-case basis.
Major General Bowers. Yes, they are eligible for service with the
appropriate waiver.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Yes, applicants with joint physical
custody are eligible for enlistment but may require waivers if meeting
the following criteria: when married applicants have 3 or more
dependents under age 18 or incapable of selfcare; a waiver is required
when single parents have 1 or more dependents under age 18 or incapable
of selfcare.
__________
Questions Submitted by Senator Tim Kaine
accessions information environment (aie)
15. Senator Kaine. Major General Davis, what is your assessment of
how AIE is progressing and what is needed to keep the program on track
or to accelerate the implementation of this system to all recruiters?
Major General Davis. The Army's Accessions Information Environment
(AIE) is progressing well this year as the program has refined its
agile approach to development. As of December, AIE has released 3
software previews of the enlisted recruiting tool to early adopters,
and we are receiving positive feedback providing immediate feedback and
shaping of the program. Additional funding levels will allow
acceleration of the AIE by 2 years.
16. Senator Kaine. Major General Davis, how will AIE address Army
recruiting challenges and improve the service's capabilities to process
applicants seeking to join the service?
Major General Davis. AIE will be the foundation across the Army
Accessions Enterprise. This Commercial off the Shelf based solution
will provide recruiters with industry standard software to better
identify, engage, and recruit in the current and future recruiting
environments. AIE will make the recruiter more mobile and productive
through its ability for single data entry, device, and network agnostic
approach with refined business processes. Recruiters will have the
ability to better interact with potential prospects and provide timely
and more relevant information to address their buying motives to
enlistment. Additionally, AIE provides the ability for recruiters to
remain in one system to take a lead all the way through contracting and
shipping and receiving in the training base. The system will provide
virtual, AI supported assistance and includes logic and validation
support for first time acceptance of required documentation. Currently,
recruiters are losing time in redundant data entry across multiple
antiquated systems to provide the same services.
defense industrial base workforce shortages
17. Senator Kaine. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how can military
recruiting commands be leveraged to contribute to the workforce
shortages of our defense industrial base, particularly those of our
submarine and shipbuilding industries?
Major General Davis. Our military recruiters have the ability to
tap into a potentially valuable resource of people willing to serve
their country but are unable to meet the stringent military service
criteria. The potential for serving in positions in the defense
industrial base may appeal to recruits who don't meet the physical
standards for uniformed service but still want to serve the Nation.
This is an important area in which there is real potential to improve
the Army's and DOD's talent pipeline, but we would need to do some
piloting and testing to establish a system that links our military
recruiters to our defense industrial base.
Rear Admiral Walker. As our CNO testified to, we need a National
call to service for people to support our defense industry, whether
it's in small business, big shipyards or serving in the Navy--it's all
service to our Nation. We need the capacity as a Nation to be able to
deter our adversaries. When potential recruits seek opportunities to
join the Service, but for one reason or another are not qualified,
recruiters are able to provide them recommendations for other ways to
serve our Nation, to include the defense industrial base.
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps Recruiting Command is
responsible to the Commandant of the Marine Corps for the procurement
of qualified personnel in sufficient numbers by category and component
to meet the established personnel strength levels, officer and
enlisted, of the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve. By keeping our
promise and returning quality citizens, many veterans return home with
the skills learned while serving on Active Duty. There are also
opportunities for these veterans to fill these workforce shortages
while also continuing to serve in the Reserves.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The DAF is leveraging military
recruiting commands to contribute to the workforce shortages by
recruiters providing information about DAF civilian workforce
opportunities especially to the 30 percent of Leads who are unable to
access. Additionally, the AirForce Civilian Service program capitalizes
on retired air Force Recruiting Service recruiters to serve as
recruiters for the civilian workforce.
18. Senator Kaine. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, what is the process by
which information on training programs like the Accelerated Training in
Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program and similar opportunities can be
disseminated during the Transition Assistance Program?
Major General Davis. Transitioning servicemembers receive
information for post service employment opportunities during their
Individualized Initial Counseling (IIC) which takes place NLT 365 days
prior to their transition date. Servicemembers are informed about
training opportunities provided by the DOD SkillBridge program
(SkillBridge) and the Army's Career Skills Program (CSP) that would
allow them to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to
successfully transition into a specific career field.
Servicemembers can participate in On-The-Job Training (OJT),
Employment Skills Training (EST), Pre-apprenticeships, Apprenticeships
and Internships with organizations that have a signed memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the DOD or an Army Installation. The DOD
SkillBridge program has over 2000 program opportunities with a signed
MOU for servicemembers to choose from, the Army's CSP has over 200
program opportunities with signed MOUs to operate on 31 installations
for servicemembers to choose from.
If a program like the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing
(ATDM) does not have a MOU with the DOD or the Army to provide training
opportunities for multiple servicemembers to participate in at one
time, a servicemember can request an Individual Internship with that
organization IAW policies and procedures outlined by the DOD.
Rear Admiral Walker. There are numerous ways for employers to
provide information on training programs and employment opportunities.
The Transition Assistance Program is a collaborative interagency effort
of the whole of government, co-led by the Departments of Defense,
Veterans Affairs, and Labor. I would encourage employers or training
programs to first contact the Department of Labor Veterans Employment
and Training Service. They lead the efforts to provide transition
workshops dedicated to both employment and training apprenticeship
programs.
Major General Bowers. Information on training programs and
opportunities is shared and disseminated during the Transition
Readiness Seminar (TRS) process.
Introduction to training and program opportunities begins at the
Individualized Initial Counseling (IC) based on the marines' post-
transition goals and their Individual Transition Plan (ITP).
At the Pre-Separation Counseling Brief, marines receive high-level
transition-related information on available benefits, services, and
resources.
During the DOD Day of TRS, marines receive guidance on identifying
skills, education, training, and credentials gained before and during
military Service. Through completion of a gap analysis, Marines are
assisted with identifying required education, training, and/or
credentials for their chosen career fields. Marines also conduct
research to find training, educational, and employment opportunities in
order to complete the gap analysis.
Marines receive career and training exploration guidance during the
Employment, Vocational, and Education 2-day track. They receive
valuable insights into the world of training, careers, and credentials;
they also identify and explore training opportunities during the 2-day
track.
Training opportunities that are approved by DOD as SkillBridge
Programs are listed on the DOD's website (https://skillbridge.osd.mil/
). Marines who are pursuing SkillBridge are instructed to select an
opportunity listed on this site.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Transitioning airmen and guardians are
provided information about a variety of post-separation job
opportunities and training programs, similar to the Accelerated
Training in Defense Manufacturing program, at various points during
Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Skillbridge, which provides the
opportunity to gain civilian experience and certifications through
specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during the
last 180-days of service, is one of the most popular. Through the
Skillbridge program, airmen and guardians can find opportunities
cutting across all aspects of the civilian workforce.
The Individualized Initial Counseling phase, when airmen and
guardians meet with a TAP counselor, complete a personal self-
assessment and begin developing their Individual Transition Plan, is
the first formal opportunity to learn about the various available
programs. During the next phase, pre-separation counseling, they will
cover additional topics including the variety of available employment
resources, including certification and apprenticeship programs.
Additionally, Department of Labor conducts a 1-day briefing on
employment as well as provides two additional elective days that airmen
and guardians can opt into covering topics such as the DOL Vocational
Training Track.
asvab and afqt data
19. Senator Kaine. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, have your respective
branches completed any analysis of, or are there any efforts to compare
servicemember performance outcomes with members' ASVAB or AFQT scores
as a means of substantiating their predictive value?
Major General Davis. The U.S. Army Research Institute for the
Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) conducts semi-annual analyses to
establish the relationship between the Armed Services Vocational
Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT)
composite score and performance outcomes. At the end of Initial
Military Training and in the first unit of assignment, AFQT is the
strongest predictor of several performance outcomes including
significant correlations with peer/supervisor ratings of knowledge and
skill, an Army knowledge and skills test, attrition, and other
performance outcomes.
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, Navy's Selection and Classification
office performs regular and in-depth comparisons of sailors'
performance outcomes to their ASVAB scores. All Navy ratings (jobs) are
studied on a cycle of about 3-5 years; those studies validate the ASVAB
instrument's ability to predict training success. Outcome data from
recent trainees are used to build predictive models. The objective is
to calculate ASVAB cutscores that balance the qualification ratio
(proportion of newly accessed sailors who qualify via ASVAB for the
rating being studied) against the proportion of trainees who
successfully complete the training pipeline. Use of Navy training
resources are optimized by finding a cutscore that can keep a rating
manned, while assuring that those that meet the cutscore successfully
graduate training and do not use excessive resources to do so.
AFQT is used only for the initial selection of recruits for service
and not for classification into ratings. The full ASVAB provides far
more predictive power as to which individuals will succeed in which
training paths, yet we remain beholden by law to AFQT as the standard
for initial selection. This can be a difficult situation in the current
environment as we may turn away candidates who qualify for an in demand
rating but obtain a lower AFQT score. Our recently adjusted AFQT
requirements provide an opportunity for Navy to study the success of
new sailors with lower AFQT scores, particularly in the context of the
Future Sailor Preparatory Course, which is an academic instruction
program meant to provide acadmic skills development.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps is moving forward with using
the results of the Retention Prediction Network (RPN), a family of
supervised machine-learning models, to help verify what factors
(including ASVAB/AFQT) are particularly correlated with, or predictive
of, various types of servicemember performance outcomes/successes. This
includes Delayed Entry Program completion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot
graduation, and Special Duty Assignment acceptance, with more RPN use
cases continuing to be developed.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The quality of the school system has
some impact on an applicant's ASVAB score because the test measures
what an applicant knows in addition to their ability to learn. ASVAB
scores consistently predict the ability of a recruit to be successful
in technical training and to perform successfully as an airmen. DAF has
instituted a procedure of developing predictive success models by AFSC
with cut scores tailored to an individual AFSC that uses the relevant
ASVAB subtest scores and noncognitive measures from the TAPAS to
minimize the impact of the quality of the applicant's education system.
The model assesses the applicant on a broad spectrum of abilities
relative to those who have successfully completed milestones within
their specialty.
20. Senator Kaine. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, an Army Times op-ed from
April highlighted concerns that the ASVAB is subject to bias and does
not accurately measure a recruit's aptitude to perform a job. Instead,
it measures a snapshot of learned intelligence, evidenced by a
comparison of the lowest AFQT scores by State which aligns with those
states that have the lowest school ratings. Do you share these concerns
and are you working with the Department of Defense to consider or
implement any other measurements of aptitude?
Major General Davis. Army has not conducted any individual study or
research on the ASVAB in regard to biases, therefore we defer to DOD,
the owner of the ASVAB to address those type of concerns. Army still
has confidence in the ASVAB's ability to predict academic success
during training. The Army also uses an occupational physical assessment
test (OPAT) to assess a new enlistee's ability to perform the physical
demands for specialty for which they enlist.
Rear Admiral Walker. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
(ASVAB) has been generally shown in many studies and in decades of Navy
personnel research to be a valid and reliable predictor of recruit
aptitude. This is determined with validation studies, in which ASVAB
scores are correlated with rating (job) training outcomes. In our
decades of experience with the ASVAB, we have found that it is
generally unbiased in what it does, in that ASVAB scores, when set to
minimize demographic bias as we do, end up predicting success in
training outcomes across demographic lines.
It is true that the ASVAB substantially measures learned
intelligence and other occupational skills as they are at the time of
the test, which is reflected in the correlation of AFQT scores to
school performance across states. However the ASVAB now measures skills
other than learned intelligence, and the Navy has been working to
incorporate additional ``fluid intelligence'' sub-tests such as tests
in Assembling Objects and Coding Speed, which have been shown to
increase opportunity for minority applicants without affecting training
success. In the upcoming calendar quarter, we will introduce the next
fluid intelligence sub-test, ``Mental Counters''.
Beyond aptitude testing, Navy currently uses the Job Opportunities
in the Navy (JOIN) for in-service testing, and will soon be
administering the test to new accessions. JOIN matches sailors to
ratings by interest, and research has shown that sailors who enter into
a rating that scores highly on JOIN for them promote faster compared to
their peers who do not. We have also recently begun the first phases of
data collection to validate the Tailored Adaptive Personality
Assessment System (TAPAS). If TAPAS is proven to be predictive and
useful for Navy recruits, it will be used to supplement the cognitive
aptitude assessment of ASVAB by providing a measure of personality.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps continues to align to
Department directed Accession standards for mental, moral and physical
requirements. We continue to look to ways to open the aperture of the
candidate pool of young people who desire the challenge of becoming a
United States Marine and can meet the high standards of our Corps.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The quality of the school system has
some impact on an applicant's ASVAB score because the test measures
what an applicant knows in addition to the skills and dispositions that
may impact their aptitude to perform the job. ASVAB scores consistently
predict the ability of a recruit to be successful in technical training
and to perform successfully as an airmen. DAF has instituted a
procedure of developing predictive success models by AFSC with cut
scores tailored to an individual AFSC that uses the relevant ASVAB
subtest scores and noncognitive measures from the TAPAS to minimize the
impact of the quality of the applicant's education The model assesses
the applicant on a broad spectrum of abilities.
__________
Questions Submitted by Senator Angus S. King, Jr.
marijuana precluding recruits from certain military jobs and clearances
21. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, with a shrinking pool of
volunteers, the military may need to adjust outdated entry standards.
My understanding of the current Armed forces policy on marijuana use is
it can initiate an arduous and unnecessary waiver process and raise
security concerns about an individual's reliability and trustworthiness
to access classified information, potentially even precluding them from
certain jobs. This seems outdated as marijuana is rapidly becoming
legal in in the U.S. What is your services' policy on potential
recruits and officer candidates who: (1) admit to marijuana use, (2)
with a past conviction for marijuana possession, and (3) have failed a
drug (marijuana) test during the military entrance process?
Major General Davis.
(1) Admit to marijuana use: Army has no established policy that
prohibits enlistment simply for admitted marijuana use. However, the
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at the Military Entrance Processing Station
(MEPS) may disqualify the applicant for habitual use indicating a
psychological dependence on marijuana, as soldiers with a drug
dependence are prohibited from enlisting by statute.
(2) With a past conviction for marijuana possession: Army requires
a waiver for any applicant that has two convictions for possession of
marijuana or paraphernalia. The Recruiting Brigade Commander is the
approval authority for such waiver.
(3) Have failed a drug (marijuana) test during the military
entrance process: Applicants that fail the drug test at the MEPS are
required to wait 90 days after receipt of the results. The Army
requires applicants that fail the drug test at the MEPS to wait 90 days
after receipt of the results. After 90 days, the applicant can retest
at the MEPS. If the results are negative, a waiver can be considered.
Officer candidates generally must not have any civil convictions,
adverse juvenile adjudication, pretrial diversion for felonies or past
court-martial conviction, but may request a waiver.
Any application for appointment will be disapproved if the officer
candidate applicant refuses to consent to drug or alcohol testing.
Members of ROTC will be disenrolled if they refuse to consent to
testing, are diagnosed with a drug dependency, or test positive for
marijuana.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy Recruiting Command policy is governed by
DODI 1304.26, Qualification Standards for Enlistment, Appointment, and
Induction.
(1) Navy applicants that admit to marijuana use prior to enlisting
do not require a waiver for enlistment, but may require a waiver for
certain programs. Furthermore, any marijuana use must be documented on
their medical screening, security questionnaire and a handwritten
statement regarding their drug use.
(2) Any police involvement requires a waiver and is dependent upon
the amount, type and charge.
(3) Applicants who failed a marijuana drug test during military
entrance processing cannot remain in the Navy's Delayed Entry Program
(DEP) and before reapplying they must wait 60 days from the positive
test date. On the 61st day or beyond they are eligible to retest and if
the results are negative for drugs they are allowed a one time waiver
and may enlist.
Major General Bowers.
(1) Recruiting Station Commanding Officers are required to ensure
that all marijuana usage is documented, before approving the service
level review. These reviews occur rapidly and cause virtually no delay
to the enlistment process when only marijuana usage is involved.
(2) There is a waiver process to allow enlistment for individuals
with possession of marijuana convictions.
(3) There is a waiver process to allow enlistment for individuals
that have tested positive for marijuana usage at the Military Entrance
Processing Stations.
Brigadier General Amrhein.
(1) Admission to past marijuana use must be disclosed during the
recruitment process. Past marijuana use alone is not a disqualifying
factor. Marijuana use after signing the AF Form 2030, USAF Drug and
Alcohol Abuse Certificate, requires a drug waiver.
(2) Conviction of marijuana possession is considered a Category 2
moral offense and would require a morals waiver.
(3) Applicants failing the Drug and Alcohol Test (DAT) at the
Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) may retest with a drug
waiver after 90 days post-DAT. The applicant's MEPS physical must be
fully cleared by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) with a determination
that the applicant is not drug dependent.
22. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, do all potential Marine,
Army, Navy, and Air Force recruits and officer candidates require a
drug waiver if they admit to marijuana use?
Major General Davis. Army has no established policy that prohibits
enlistment simply for admitted marijuana use. However, the Chief
Medical Officer (CMO) at the Military Entrance Processing Station
(MEPS) may disqualify the applicant for psychological drug dependence
for admitted multiple times or habitual use of marijuana. Such
disqualification would require a medical waiver for marijuana use.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy applicants that admit to marijuana use
prior to enlisting do not require a waiver for enlistment, but may
require a waiver for certain programs.
For example, Cryptologic ratings (CTI, CTR, CTM and CTT) and the
Cyber Warfare Technician (CWT) rating do not permit anything beyond
experimental use of marijuana before accession. The same is true of
Intelligence Specialist (IS) and Information Technology (IT) rating
programs. More than `experimental' use of marijuana prior to joining
would require a waiver.
Major General Bowers. Yes.
Brigadier General Amrhein. No, the DAF does not a require a drug
waiver for past marijuana use. Only marijuana use after signing the AF
Form 2030, USAF Drug and Alcohol Abuse Certificate, or testing positive
on the DAT for marijuana use requires a drug waiver.
23. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how long does this
waiver remain in their military record?
Major General Davis. Army enlistment waivers executed during the
accessioning process are part of the Army Military Human Resource
Record Official Military Personnel File and are part of a soldier's
permanent record. The Official Military Personnel File remains in Army
control for 62 years from a soldier's final separation date, then
transferred to the control of the National Archives and Records
Administration as a public record.
Army enlistment waivers executed during the accessioning process
are part of the Army Military Human Resource Record Official Military
Personnel File and are part of a soldier's permanent record. The
Official Military Personnel File remains in Army control for 62 years
from a soldier's final separation date, then transferred to the control
of the National Archives and Records Administration as a public record.
Rear Admiral Walker. A marijuana waiver remains in an applicant's
record as part of their permanent applicant record. While the marijuana
waiver remains in the sailors' permanent applicant record, it will have
no bearing on future service success or failure, although it may make
them ineligible for certain career fields.
Major General Bowers. Service level reviews are permanent within
servicemembers' military records.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Waiver types are recorded on the DD Form
1966, a standard form for every applicant joining the Armed Forces,
that typically stays with each servicemember through the remainder of
their career. The waiver type is reflected as a series of 3-letter
codes; no other details of the waivers granted become part of the
member's military record.
24. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, does this waiver
increase the average time from entry into the program to arrival to
basic training?
Major General Davis. Yes, average time for a marijuana waiver is
107 days. Applicants must wait a minimum of 90 days after testing
positive at Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) before
retesting and starting the waiver process.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy recruiting can process marijuana waivers
on a same-day basis, therefore there is no increase to average entry
time for applicants who require these waivers.
Major General Bowers. No, not significantly. From January 2019 to
December 2023, the Marine Corps adjudicated approximately 82 percent of
all marijuana waivers within the same day. Just over 5 percent took 3
weeks or longer, but those cases are generally more complex or require
additional documentation for approval/denial.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Given medical processing limitations,
drug waivers typically take less than 30 days from initial request to
final disposition and coincide with the rest of the enlistment process,
resulting in little to no delay given the other timelines for overall
accession processing which is primarily based on MEPS medical accession
process as the longest in the process to clear.
25. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, does the marijuana
waiver create unnecessary reviews and investigations for recruits and
officer candidates?
Major General Davis. If a drug waiver is required, processing time
for the waiver will be a 90-day waiting period in order to retest at
the MEPS, plus processing time to consider a waiver, which all depends
on the applicants schedule and commitments. The approval authority is
the recruiting battalion commander, which means the reviews are
minimal.
Rear Admiral Walker. Marijuana use alone does not create additional
requirements other than a handwritten statement documenting substance
use. Any police involvement resulting from marijuana use or possession
may require an additional waiver, which potentially adds several days
to the process and is dependent upon the charges and the final
adjudication from the courts.
Major General Bowers. No, MCRC has contributed to a decade-long
decline in substance abuse within the Marine Corps by documenting every
instance of admitted drug use, including one-time experimental use.
Maintaining the excellence America expects of its marines is of the
highest priority for MCRC, which is why we demand applicants meet our
stringent mental, moral, and medical requirements. An applicant's
history of drug involvement of any type is concerning, and we maintain
strict internal controls to ensure any admitted use is formally
documented and subsequently evaluated by the MEPS Chief Medical Officer
(CMO) for patterns of addiction and/or abuse.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The DAF drug waivers are necessary to
provide the armed forces with airmen and guardians who understand the
in-service policies and expectations regarding marijuana use as a
servicemember.
26. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, does a marijuana waiver
eliminate them from specific jobs?
Major General Davis. Applicants provided a drug waiver at
enlistment may not be eligible for certain jobs, such as military
police or other specialties that require access to high levels of
classified information.
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, there are specific jobs in which a waiver
for marijuana use could be a discriminator. An applicant could be
eliminated from up to 25 percent of available jobs in the application
process due to past marijuana use. Examples include Cryptologic ratings
(CTI, CTR, CTM and CTT) and the Cyber Warfare Technician (CWT) rating
do not permit anything beyond experimental use of marijuana before
accession. The same is true of Intelligence Specialist (IS) and
Information Technology (IT) rating programs. More than `experimental'
use of marijuana prior to joining would require a waiver.
Major General Bowers. Marijuana usage only eliminates applicants
from limited, specific jobs based on current DOD security clearance
requirements.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Drug waivers may limit some job
availability due to the inability to obtain a Top Secret/Sensitive
Compartmentalized Information clearance. Additionally, the adjudicating
authorities for security clearances are outside of the DAF.
reduce barriers for those with mental health
27. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, mental health issues
among young people have been increasing for a long time, and that trend
escalated greatly during the pandemic. However, many people who suffer
from depression, anxiety, and other disorders can be effectively
treated with commonly prescribed medications. The U.S. military has
long allowed those in uniform to continue serving while taking such
medications--but it continues to bar people on those medications from
joining the force. The U.S. military should not reject otherwise
qualified applicants from serving based on outdated stereotypes of
mental health treatments. What is your service doing to reduce these
barriers to entry?
Major General Davis. The Army has codified guidance for the team
that reviews the waiver requests regarding Behavior Health (BH)
conditions and medications. This guidance includes flexibilities of BH
diagnosis based on history and BH meds that are older than 24 months.
Additionally, we have codified for recruiting command that no waiver is
needed for grief counseling, and ADHD without medication for over 24
months. The Army is relooking all waiverable and non-waiverable
conditions and treatments to determine what can be changed reasonably
with updated standards of care.
Additionally, DOD adheres to criteria for applicants who have
received mental health treatment as outlined in DODI 6130.03 Volume 1,
``Medical Standards for Military Service: Appointment, Enlistment, or
Induction.'' To reduce barriers to service, DOD consults with the
civilian medical community to ensure these standards align with the
needs of DOD and increase accurate suitability determinations. Through
the Accession and Retention Medical Standards Working Group, DOD also
reviews the current standards related to mental health and completes
periodic revisions, as appropriate. The DOD is also collaborating with
the Military Services to assess the potential for relaxing several
mental health standards.
Rear Admiral Walker. Accessions standards published in Department
of Defense Instruction (DODI) 6130.03 Volume 1 are regularly reviewed
by the DOD Accession and Retention Medical Standards Working Group with
periodic changes published for smaller revisions (the last was in
November 2022) and total Volume 1 revisions completed every 4-5 years.
In November 2023, the Services submitted suggestions to the Office of
the Secretary of Defense for inclusion in the next revision, which
would relax several of the mental health standards.
Since formal changes or revisions to a DODI take time, in the
interim, the Service medical waiver reviewer authorities have adjusted
their waiver criteria for many of these mental health conditions if the
individual's condition is stable and has good prognosis within the
training and operational environments. Medication waivers take into
consideration multiple factors such as the underlying medical
condition, symption remission, medication class, duration of treatment,
level of function, and prospective duties within the military. The
Services have proposed several mental health conditions be added to the
Medical Accession Records Pilot list used by the U.S. Military Entrance
Processing Command to qualify individuals who do not meet the volume 1
accession standards, but have shown a several-year period of stability.
Furthermore, the conditional Delayed Entry Program list allows the
individual Services to contract applicants in advance of receiving a
medical waiver, including several disqualifying mental health
conditions
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps Recruiting Command is working
with our recruiting and medical partners to review the current DOD
Instruction on accession medical standards with an aim at modernization
and improving opportunities for those who wish to serve their nation.
DOD adheres to criteria for applicants who have received mental health
treatment as outlined in DOD Instruction 6130.03 Volume 1, ``Medical
Standards for Military Service: Appointment, Enlistment, or
Induction,.'' May 6, 2018, as amended. To reduce barriers to service,
DOD consults with the civilian medical community to ensure these
standards align with the needs of DOD and increase accurate suitability
determinations Through the Accession and Retention Medical Standards
Working Group, DOD reviews the current standards related to mental
health and completes periodic revisions, as appropriate.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Mental health conditions are certainly a
major concern for all recruiting services. The Air Force Recruiting
Service's Accession Medical Waiver Division (AMWD) regularly looks at
the data for all diagnoses to see where it is appropriate to take more
risk for accession. Of the top 13 medical conditions where a
disposition was provided for an accession waiver request, 6 were mental
health related. Five thousand three hundred and sixty dispositions (out
of 14,080, or 38 percent) were for mental health conditions. A waiver
was provided for these members about 60 percent of the time. The AMWD
regularly provides waivers for those with less severe mental health
conditions (e.g. those who sought counseling for stress or who were on
medication treatment for short periods of time). Those who had
symptoms/needed treatment for longer periods of time (over a year or
more), or who had recurrence of symptoms after remission, are at higher
risk of having symptoms while in the Air Force that impact mission
capabilities. Decisions to provide a waiver or not are made based on if
the clinical notes show a diagnosis of a disorder using the criteria
outlined in current medical literature.
While it is true that mental health is increasing in public
awareness and there are many different effective treatments, the impact
on military readiness is still very high. Therefore, any adjustments to
mental health standards need to be carefully thought through.
In the past few years, the AMWD has expanded the opportunities for
those with mental health histories to serve by reducing the needed
demonstrated time of stability off medication/treatment prior to
serving. Just how much time off medication/treatment is needed demands
on the complexity and severity of the condition(s). We have previously
used a period of three years for demonstrated stability, but we have
recently reduced that time down to 2 years, assuming there are no other
confounding factors.
Part of the mechanism to reevaluate standards and waiver decisions
is dependent on having the ability to study data from prior decisions.
The AF is currently working to establish a full-time capability to
conduct analytic studies on operational outcomes from prior medical
waiver decisions.
28. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, what improvements have
been made in the waiver process over the last 2 years?
Major General Davis. Army continues to look for ways to streamline
its waivers process for enlistment. Over the past 2 years, Army
delegated down maximum enlistment age waivers to the General Officer
level within the recruiting agencies; Army modified its policy on
possessions of marijuana, where a waiver was required for a single
conviction for possession of marijuana, now a waiver is only required
when the applicants has two convictions for possession of marijuana,
and Army reduced (by half) the waiting time for consideration of a
waiver by prior servicemembers that desire reentry.
Rear Admiral Walker. Applicant's safety, applicant's deployability,
and ability to function in the military are all taken into account when
considering waivers. The service medical waiver reviewer authorities
have adjusted their waiver criteria for many of these mental health
conditions if the individual's condition is stable and has good
prognosis within the training and operational environments.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps Recruiting Command in close
coordination with Bureau of Naval Medicine (BUMED), the service medical
waiver authority, has streamlined the waiver submission process
decreasing the turnaround time for BUMED review and recommendation.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Mental health conditions are certainly a
major concern for all recruiting services. The Air Force Recruiting
Service's Accession Medical Waiver Division (AMWD) regularly looks at
the data for all diagnoses to see where it is appropriate to take more
risk for accession. Of the top 13 medical conditions where a
disposition was provided for an accession waiver request, 6 were mental
health related. Five thousand three hundred and sixty dispositions (out
of 14,080, or 38 percent) were for mental health conditions. A waiver
was provided for these members about 60 percent of the time. The AMWD
regularly provides waivers for those with less severe mental health
conditions (e.g. those who sought counseling for stress or who were on
medication treatment for short periods of time). Those who had
symptoms/needed treatment for longer periods of time (over a year or
more), or who had recurrence of symptoms after remission, are at higher
risk of having symptoms while in the Air Force that impact mission
capabilities. Decisions to provide a waiver or not are made based on if
the clinical notes show a diagnosis of a disorder using the criteria
outlined in current medical literature.
While it is true that mental health is increasing in public
awareness and there are many different effective treatments, the impact
on military readiness is still very high. Therefore, any adjustments to
mental health standards need to be carefully thought through.
In the past few years, the AMWD has expanded the opportunities for
those with mental health histories to serve by reducing the needed
demonstrated time of stability off medication/treatment prior to
serving. Just how much time off medication/treatment is needed demands
on the complexity and severity of the condition(s). We have previously
used a period of three years for demonstrated stability, but we have
recently reduced that time down to 2 years, assuming there are no other
confounding factors.
Part of the mechanism to reevaluate standards and waiver decisions
is dependent on having the ability to study data from prior decisions.
The AF is currently working to establish a full-time capability to
conduct analytic studies on operational outcomes from prior medical
waiver decisions.
29. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, what plans do you have
for reducing barriers to service?
Major General Davis. The Army is in close coordination with OSD to
continually refine the Medical Accession Records Pilot (MARP) to assess
applicants for military service using a revised time limitation for
certain disqualifying conditions. The Army is collecting data on
soldiers during their first term of service to assist and inform OSD's
ability to redefine the medical standards of enlistment.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) expanded various
policies to increase the qualified applicant pool. For example:
Single Parent Policy Pilot: Pilot waives dependency
status for Active component (AC) and Reserve component (RC) enlistment
of unmarried individuals with custody of dependents under the age of
18. The program requires that applicants have no more than two
dependents under 18 and no dependents 12 months or younger.
TIER II Pilot: Authorized the contracting and accessing
of applicants with 31 and above AFQT. (Tier II applicants are non-high
school graduates who hold a GED, typically these applicants are only
accessed with a 50 or greater AFQT).
Age: AC and RC accessions must report to Recruit Training
Command prior to their 42d birthday. All enlisted sailors (AC and RC)
must be able to complete 20 years of qualifying service for retirement
before their 62d birthday.
Future Sailor Preparatory Courses (FSPC): Mirroring an
Army program, the Navy has established the FSPC with two tracks:
Physical Fitness and Academic.
o FSPC Physical Fitness first started in Spring 2023 and allows
NRC to recruit applicants with a 50 AFQT and higher, and body
compositions of 26.1-32 percent for males and 36.1-42 percent for
females. These Future Sailors will be allowed to access into Active
Duty and enter a rolling 3-week physical fitness program for up to 90-
days. Once the FS reaches 26 percent (male) or 36 percent (female)
body-fat, they will graduate the course and enter basic military
training at Recruit Training Command.
o FSPC Academic first began in Summer 2023 and allows applicants
with lower AFQT scores to train and retake the exam and reclassify into
a new rating. The academic course remains in beta phase; the first
pilot course convened January 2024.
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps Recruiting Command is working
with our recruiting and medical partners to review the current DOD
Instruction on accession medical standards with an aim at modernization
and improving opportunities for those who wish to serve their nation.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Mental health conditions are certainly a
major concern for all recruiting services. The Air Force Recruiting
Service's Accession Medical Waiver Division (AMWD) regularly looks at
the data for all diagnoses to see where it is appropriate to take more
risk for accession. Of the top 13 medical conditions where a
disposition was provided for an accession waiver request, 6 were mental
health related. Five thousand three hundred and sixty dispositions (out
of 14,080, or 38 percent) were for mental health conditions. A waiver
was provided for these members about 60 percent of the time. The AMWD
regularly provides waivers for those with less severe mental health
conditions (e.g. those who sought counseling for stress or who were on
medication treatment for short periods of time). Those who had
symptoms/needed treatment for longer periods of time (over a year or
more), or who had recurrence of symptoms after remission, are at higher
risk of having symptoms while in the Air Force that impact mission
capabilities. Decisions to provide a waiver or not are made based on if
the clinical notes show a diagnosis of a disorder using the criteria
outlined in current medical literature.
While it is true that mental health is increasing in public
awareness and there are many different effective treatments, the impact
on military readiness is still very high. Therefore, any adjustments to
mental health standards need to be carefully thought through.
In the past few years, the AMWD has expanded the opportunities for
those with mental health histories to serve by reducing the needed
demonstrated time of stability off medication/treatment prior to
serving. Just how much time off medication/treatment is needed demands
on the complexity and severity of the condition(s). We have previously
used a period of three years for demonstrated stability, but we have
recently reduced that time down to 2 years, assuming there are no other
confounding factors.
Part of the mechanism to reevaluate standards and waiver decisions
is dependent on having the ability to study data from prior decisions.
The AF is currently working to establish a full-time capability to
conduct analytic studies on operational outcomes from prior medical
waiver decisions.
expanding recruiting pool
30. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, Department of Defense
officials continue to raise concerns about the decrease in military
enlistments year over year. In fact, the number of young people who are
eligible to serve in the military dropped precipitously last year, from
29 to 23 percent, largely due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the last fiscal year, the Army missed its recruiting goal by
15,000 Active Duty soldiers, or 25 percent of its target. It is clear
that we must address this challenge and strengthen our readiness. Do
you agree that an incentive such as providing citizenship for those who
serve an honorable 5-years in uniform--including participants of the
DACA program, as well as dreamers who would have been eligible for
DACA--can strengthen our military by creating a new recruitment tool
for the Services and allow the military to retain more personnel?
Major General Davis. Any effort that opens the aperture to allow
more qualified and propensed individuals to serve in the military will
support the Army's recruiting mission.
Rear Admiral Walker. Opening more paths to a Navy career for those
eligible for military service will make the Navy stronger. The military
has long attracted servicemembers through benefits that are hard to
find in the private sector such as generous retirement benefits, world-
class healthcare, and education benefits. However, the private sector
has narrowed that gap, with entry-level jobs in some places offering
tuition assistance along with healthcare and a 401(k). A streamlined
path to citizenship, tied to military service, would be a good example
of a military-specific benefit that would help the Services further
differentiate themselves from other potential employers of our Nation's
best.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps is always open to new ideas
that will open the aperture for more quality recruits. We would be
interested in working with Congress, the Department and Interagency
partners in finding a way forward.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The DAF implemented an initiative to
expedite naturalization upon graduation at BMT. The DAF estimates that
this recruitment incentive will further improve our strong recruiting
efforts for this fiscal year by expanding our population of eligible
candidates.
streamline recruiting paperwork
31. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, the younger generation
is looking to do things online and quickly. Currently, you need to get
in touch with a local recruiter, and then spend month printing and
scanning paperwork back and forth--most of which is requires the same
information over and over and over (SSN, address, etc). In the process,
one of our constituents was asked for his fax number! We should be
making this process as easy as possible. Colleges have shifted to the
`common application' to help reduce barriers. Do you agree that
streamlining the recruiting paper work through an online portal would
be helpful to your efforts?
Major General Davis. Yes, streamlining paperwork and reducing
redundancy will improve our recruiting efforts. USAREC currently uses
Army Career Explorer (ACE), an online portal for the application, the
security questionnaire, and uploading documents.
Rear Admiral Walker. While I agree that work can still be done in
order to continue to streamline the administrative process required to
join the Navy, the above statement does not accurately reflect our
current process, and there are no instances in which an applicant would
be required to provide a fax number. NRC is committed to continuing to
reduce barriers to service by reducing redundancies in paperwork and
exploring options to work through an online portal.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps continues to refine
technologies and methods to streamline the process of applying for
service. However, we have seen significant delays to the implementation
of MHS GENESIS and the Health Information Exchange (HIE). While we are
enthusiastic to embrace new technology to achieve efficiencies, we must
ensure that all aspects of the program are properly staffed. We are
looking forward to seeing the Deputy Secretary of Defense's study on
how to improve MHS GENESIS and HIE which her office is releasing in
February, 2024.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The Air Force concurs that streamlining
the application process for our new generation of airmen and guardians
is of paramount importance. That is why in April 2020, the Air Force
launched the Air Force Commission and Enlistment Portal (AFCEP), a
feature-rich, public-facing, and secure web site which uses cloud-based
technology to stream-line the collection of applicant-required data and
enlistment application management. Instead of processing physical
paperwork in recruiting offices, recruiters send a link to the online
AFCEP where the applicant completes their accessions application from
anywhere and on any device. In the portal, the applicant securely fills
out their information, uploads necessary source documents and signs
enlistment forms all digitally. That information is then transferred to
the Air Force Recruiting Information Support System (AFRISS-TF) where
their recruiter performs quality checks and manages the recruit until
shipping to Basic Military Training. AFCEP is configured to utilize
data and information across all required forms once it has been entered
in thesystem. Applicants are never required to provide their PII data
multiple times. AFCEP saves thousands of administrative hours and
processing time annually for Air and Space Force recruiters.
32. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, are any such efforts
currently underway to develop a more Generation Z-friendly application?
Major General Davis. The Army Career Explorer (ACE) application
assists recruiters by allowing Army applicants to complete most of
their enlistment packet from the comfort of their own home. Once an
applicant is enrolled, they can upload their Social Security Card,
birth certificate, driver's license, and marriage certificate
digitally. Applicants can also complete their electronic National
Security Questionnaire (eNSQ) from this application. Additionally, a
recruiter can send enlistment processing forms to the applicant, which
they can sign and return using a touchscreen device, all within the
application.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy recruiting has been proactive over the
last decade streamlining the enlistment and commissioning processes by
reducing the administrative burden of our recruiting force. The
majority of Navy's enlistment/commissioning package can now be signed
electronically using biometric signatures and submitted electronically
via the self-service portal into the Navy's Enterprise Customer
Relationship Management (eCRM) system and Personalized Recruiting for
Immediate and Delayed Enlistment Modernization, version II (PRIDE Mod
II). There is more work to be done due to other stakeholder
requirements and policies throughout the enlistment/commissioning
process. For example, some DOD forms and documents still require
``wet'' signatures. Our eCRM self-service portal allows our recruiters
to provide the applicant an account to access the portal and
electronically upload the applicant's enlistment/commissioning package.
Additionally, via video teleconferencing capabilities, Navy recruiters
can remotely and virtually assist an applicant throughout the process,
avoiding typical accession barriers.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps consistently looks to
improve all processes across our service. We aim to improve our
visibility through marketing, advertising, and the personnel
interactions of our recruiting force with potential applicants and
influencers. While the nature of our proven systematic recruiting
process remains unchanged, the character evolves using various tools
and programs to reach each subsequent generation where they are.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The Air Force Recruiting Service is in
the process of modernizing from a legacy system implemented in 2014 to
an 11Industry Standard'' Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Platform within the Talent Acquisition space. The new solution will
increase transparency so that applicants always know where they are in
the process. Since 96 percent of Gen Z applicants own a smartphone,
AFRISS 2.0 will be a fully mobile platform which will leverage
modernized capabilities for a more customer-friendly experience. With
more self-service options, recruiters will be free to inspire and
engage prospects while personalizing the recruiting experience. AFRISS
2.0 will also produce improved data analytics while maintaining
necessary security requirements and interface flexibility. New
automation capabilities and AI-features within the CRM will drive down
risks and costs while enriching the recruitment experience for
applicants. Additionally, the current Aim High App caters to Gen Z by
simplifying the initial information-gathering process through diverse
media and interactive games that delve into prospective career options.
This initiative fosters engagement with potential candidates on a
personalized level, facilitating continuous connectivity throughout
their journey by offering recruiter messaging, events (e.g., STEM,
NASCAR, UFC, FIRST Robotics etc.), fitness/nutrition guides, and BMT
insights and preparation.
33. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, what has been done to
reduce the administrative burden on potential recruits over the last 3
years?
Major General Davis. The implementation of the Army Career Explorer
(ACE) application allows Army applicants the ability to complete most
of their enlistment packet from the comfort of their own home. Once an
applicant is enrolled, they can upload their Social Security Card,
birth certificate, driver's license, and marriage certificate.
Applicants can also complete their electronic National Security
Questionnaire (eNSQ) from this application, which is used to initiate
their background investigation. Last, a recruiter can send enlistment
processing forms to the applicant, which they can sign and return using
a touchscreen device, all within the application. Much of the
information entered into the application populates onto multiple forms,
reducing the requirement to re-enter information.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy recruiting has been proactive in
streamlining the enlistment and commissioning processes and reducing
the administrative burden of our recruiting force and applicants. We
have adopted industry best practices by implementing a commercial
Software-as-a-Service enterprise Customer Relationship Management
(eCRM) product for all prospecting functions. We incorporated paperless
processing using Biometric fingerprint signatures on all Official
Military Personnel Forms used for enlistment/commissioning. We
implemented a commercial off the shelf mobile application, which
provides full eCRM capability to the recruiter's smart phone and an
applicant self-service portal to streamline the process and gain
efficiency.
Major General Bowers. Our recruiters play an integral role in
reducing the administrative burden on potential recruits, working
diligently to identify all required documentation to meet DOD accession
standards quickly and thoroughly ensuring a smooth process for the
predominance of our applicants. However, we have seen significant
delays to the implementation of MHS GENESIS and the Health Information
Exchange (HIE). While we are enthusiastic to embrace new technology to
achieve efficiencies, we must ensure that all aspects of the program
are properly staffed. We are looking forward to seeing the Deputy
Secretary of Defense's study on how to improve MHS GENESIS and HIE
which her office is releasing in February, 2024.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Fielded at the beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic, the Air Force Commission and Enlistment Portal (AFCEP) allows
applicants to fill out and sign all forms as well as upload all
required source documents (e.g., Birth certificates, Diplomas, etc.)
from home or on their smartphones, decreasing the burden of returning
multiple times to the recruiter's office to sign documents, deliver
source documents and sign forms. The AFRISS-TF Forms autofill function
is used to decrease time required to fill out required form. Lastly, an
expedited waiver process often decreases the burden of waiting for
waivers (e.g., Medical Morals, etc.).
One additional process AFRS has implemented is the Medical
Administrative Support Contract which was awarded at the end of fiscal
year 2023. This contract aims to decrease kickbacks from MEPS and
medical waiver requests while reducing the time spent by recruiters
reviewing records. The contractors will have access to Health
Information Exchange within MHS-Genesis which will enable them to
review past medical history of applicants prior to applicants
processing through MEPS. The contractors can work with applicants to
obtain medical records, if needed.
34. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, will you move away from
requesting fax numbers, and offering solutions such as web portals and
emails?
Major General Davis. We do not ask any applicant for fax numbers.
The only time we utilize a fax machine is when we request documents
from an agency that only has fax capability.
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, Navy recruiting will continue to leverage
web portals and other secure means of collaboration between recruiter
and prospect. Navy is committed to implementing and utilizing a vast
variety of secure communication methods, giving us the ability to
accommodate all modes of transmission. Prospects require a thorough
review of their life history (e.g. civil/police, medical, academic,
etc.). For Navy recruiters to request/receive these Controlled
Unclassified Information (CUI) documents, we must continue to maintain
and utilize a diverse range of mediums to send and receive the
documentation from outside entities and are at the mercy of which
method the entity utilizes, whether it is a secure web portal such as
DOD SAFE or the Navy's enterprise Customer Relationship Management
(eCRM) self-service portal, email, facsimile, even the United States
Postal Service.
Major General Bowers. I can confirm that the Marine Corps
consistently looks to modernize our processes where able by statute and
DOD policy.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The Air Force Recruiting enterprise does
not request a fax number from any applicants. All Air and Space Force
recruiters utilize a web-based e-Fax service to allow local law
enforcement and legacy medical providers who still use facsimiles to
electronically send documents which are converted to email pdfs and
uploaded to our system of record, Air Force Recruiting Information
Support System (AFRISS-TF). Since most applicants are members of the
texting generation, recruiters use the AFRISS-TF text-notification
system to communicate with applicants. Email is another communication
tool widely used in the recruiting process.
The Air Force also uses the very popular Aim High Application to
inspire prospective applicants, facilitate communication, manage
training, and guide applicants through the accession process.With
90,000 users in 2023, the Aim High Application opens communication
channels using rich ``social-like'' content to communicate with
families and friends of recruits in ways that create a positive
network, leading to recruiting success and career retention.
transition
35. Senator King. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, I believe a smooth
transition out of the Military system will lead to a population that is
more supportive of their friends, family, and loved ones joining the
military--perhaps even encouraging them to do so. Do you believe a
well-resourced and managed transition assistance program can facilitate
more citizen-recruiters and improve the public perception of military
service?
Major General Davis. The Army completely agrees. Our well-designed
and well executed Transition Assistance Program not only ensures a
successful transition for the individual soldier but also provides an
opportunity for them to become public leaders and continue to
contribute to our society in many ways. Our veterans are more highly
employed now than they have been in the past decade. Their employment,
salary and education successes far exceed the national average. The
next generation of soldiers can look on the recent veterans as being
successful. We invest significant time and energy in preparing soldiers
for their next chapter post their transition. Because the American
soldier is our most important resource.
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, veterans who use the Transition
Assistance Program resources to successfully transition to a civilian
career, enroll in an education program using their veteran education
benefits, and are knowledgeable about the various veteran benefits they
have earned through their service can be our best recruiters.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps continues to promote the
value of TAP and the transition process to commanders, senior enlisted,
Unit Transition Coordinators (UTCs), and servicemembers through various
formats, including re-occurring notifications containing information
and guidance on Transition Readiness Seminars (TRS).
Brigadier General Amrhein. In calendar year 2022, 187,000
transitioning servicemembers utilized the DOD Transition Assistance
Program. The DAF transitioned 37,000 members and 93 percent agreed or
strongly agreed they will use what they learned from TAP during or
after their transition. I believe if we take care of the servicemember
throughout their career, they are more likely to share that positive
experience with their civilian family and friends, thus being good
ambassadors in recruitment and reflect a positive public perception of
military service.
__________
Questions Submitted by Senator Elizabeth Warren
attrition during the recruiting process
36. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, do you measure the
attrition rate between a recruit's initial prescreening and whether
they join the military? If so, can you provide the attrition data for
each of the past 5 years? If your data base includes information on the
reason for attrition, please include this data.
Major General Davis. Yes, the Army measures the attrition rates
between prescreening and contract. The attrition rate for the last five
fiscal years is: fiscal year 2019 83 percent, fiscal year fiscal year
2020 84 percent, fiscal year 2021 84 percent, fiscal year 2022 87
percent, fiscal year 2023 85 percent. Some of the reasons for attrition
we track include: unwilling to commit, not interested--continuing
education, and temporarily disqualified. Temporarily disqualified
includes disqualification for education, medical, moral, physical,
admin, and dependents.
Rear Admiral Walker. The Navy tracks how many applicants are sent
to physical at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) with the
intent to join, as well as how many of those applicants later sign a
contract (``Delayed Entry Program (DEP) in'') and ship to Recruit
Training Command (RTC) (``access''). Historical analysis conducted by
Navy Recruiting Command is provided below. Prior to the implementation
of Military Health System (MHS) Genesis (from October 2018 to February
2022), approximately 86 percent of all applicants that were sent to
MEPS for a physical later signed a contract. Since the beginning of MHS
Genesis (specifically May 2022 to April 2023 as explained below), Navy
has seen this rate drop to approximately 78 percent as more applicants
have either been disqualified from joining during the medical review
process, or were delayed so long during the process that they chose to
pursue other opportunities. The data below is provided through April
2023 in order to obtain a full year of data post-MHS Genesis. Data
after April 2023 was excluded from this analysis as these applicants
may still be working through the application process and affect the
recent conversion rate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percent of Physicals Leading to
Fiscal Year Contract
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year 2018 83 percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year 2019 85 percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year 2020 85 percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year 2021 86 percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year 2022 82 percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal Year 2023 78 percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Fiscal Year 2023 conversion is through April 2023
Major General Bowers. Yes, see table below:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contracted
into the
Disqualified Delayed
for Other Entry Reported to
Calendar Year Applicants Mentally Medically Morally Reasons / Program / Recruit
Disqualified Disqualified Disqualified Did Not Did Not Training
Contact Report to
Recruit
Training
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2019.................................................... 73,775 5,997 5,821 1,190 14,892 10,384 35,491
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2020.................................................... 63,395 5,199 5,021 923 13,841 8,265 30,146
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021.................................................... 64,728 5,936 5,213 765 12,999 7,792 32,023
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2022.................................................... 63,473 5,878 7,219 706 14,664 6,023 28,983
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2023*................................................... 59,536 4,497 6,634 616 16,413 2,823 28,553
========================================================================================================================================================
324,907 27,507 29,908 4,200 72,809 35,287 155,196
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* New working applicants declared in late 2023 have an unknown disposition
Brigadier General Amrhein. For the purpose of this response, AFRS
considers an ``initial prescreen'' to be when a prospective applicant
has their first appointment with a recruiter and ``whether they joined
the military'' as when an applicant joins the Delayed Entry Program
(DEP). Our ability to capture the lead information was enhanced from
fiscal year 2020 to current, thus since 2020 our information is more
precise to compare from year to year, thus the reason for providing
only 4 years of data. Additionally, until January 2024 the reasons for
applicants to not complete the process are many, so we are unable to
precisely track this data. As of 12 January, AFRS has implemented a
change in its information technology platform that will start tracking
all applicants that did not complete the DAF recruiting process to give
us a better understanding of why potential applicants are not
completing the process.
# initial appointments / # entered DEP / Attrition Rate (percent
that didn't join)
Fiscal Year 2020: 69,666 / 28,891 / 58.5 percent
Fiscal Year 2021: 68,904 / 30,773 / 55.3 percent
Fiscal Year 2022: 66,040 / 22,812 / 65.5 percent
Fiscal Year 2023: 81,764 / 30,083 / 63.2 percent
dod child care
37. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, the Department of
Defense's Child Development Program is considered to be widely
successful, offering on-base Child Development Centers (CDCs) for
children 5 years or younger, School-Age Care (SAC) for children 6-12
years old, and in-home Family Child Care (FCC). In September 2022,
Secretary Austin issued a memorandum regarding the Department of
Defense's ``sacred obligation to take care of [its] servicemembers and
families.'' In that memo, Secretary Austin directed the Department to
strengthen the Child Development Program, recognizing how deeply
servicemembers and their children rely on military child development
centers. How many families in your respective service branches are
currently served by CDCs, SAC, and FCC?
Major General Davis. Approximately 113,212 Army families were
served by CDCs, SAC, and FCC in fiscal year 2023.
Rear Admiral Walker. As of December 31, 2023, Navy Child and Youth
Programs (CYP) serve 11,843 families and 15,434 children in CDCs and
SAC. Navy CYP provides fee assistance to 4,616 families and 6,000
children. In addition, Navy FCC serves 550 families with a total of 660
children enrolled.
Major General Bowers. Child and Youth Programs serve marine
children at 16 installations across 14 locations. As of the first
quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, the USMC serves 4,346 children in Child
Development Centers, 1,272 in School Age Care, and 25 in Family Child
Care.
Brigadier General Amrhein. On December 1, 2023, there were 25,847
children enrolled in DAF CDCs, SAC and FCC.
38. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how many families in
your respective service branches are currently on waiting lists to be
served by CDCs, SAC, and FCC? What is the average waiting time for
families on this list?
Major General Davis. The average waiting time is 139 days for Army
families with children ages zero to five. It is important to understand
the context of child care wait time. Wait time is dependent on many
factors such as location, sponsor's child care priority, age of the
child, and type of care requested. MilitaryChildCare.com provides
families with their individualized anticipated placement time specific
to their child and location.
Rear Admiral Walker.
Number of families on wait lists as of 31 December 2023:
o Navy CYP has a total of 4,384 children on the unmet need
waitlist. Immediate need is defined as a child care need that has not
been met and is within 30 days of the date care needed (DCN) or the DCN
has passed. This number includes Active Duty Service Members and DOD
civilians, single and with working/full-time student spouses. The
breakdown below shows the six Navy locations with the highest waitlist:
- Hawaii--468
- Kitsap--151
- Jacksonville--168
- Metro Norfolk--1,300
- Metro San Diego--797
- National Capital Region (NCR)--268
The average wait time for priority 1 and 2 children is
134.25 days.
o Priority 1: Child and youth program employees, Combat Related
Wounded Warriors, and Active Duty military and Coast Guard that are
single or have a spouse that is Active Duty, working, seeking
employment, or a full-time student.
o Priority 2: DOD civilian employees that are single or have a
full-time working spouse.
o The average wait time for priority 1 children is 97.7 days
o The average wait time for priority 2 children is 296.8 days
Navy CYP experiences highest wait times in Fleet
concentrated areas. For the six concentrated areas, the wait time are
as follows:
o Hawaii--139.49 days
o Kitsap--204.64 days
o Jacksonville--138.24 days
o Metro Norfolk--153.18 days
o Metro San Diego--153.51 days
o NCR--103.92 days
Major General Bowers. The top five USMC locations with the longest
waitlists are Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico, Marine Corps Community
Services (MCCS) Lejeune/New River, MCCS South Carolina (Marine Corps
Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort/Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris
Island), MCB Pendleton, and MCB Hawaii. The top five report a four to 6
month wait for the highest priorities (single/dual active duty, active
duty with working spouse, and childcare employees). The remaining
installations can place children within 45 days of the date the care is
needed. It should be noted that wait list times may not be the most
appropriate metric to measure access to childcare writ large. Many
marines may stay on CDC waitlists while they pursue other childcare
options, Marine Corps-provided childcare subsidies, or clarify other
aspects of their home life.
Brigadier General Amrhein. December 1, 2023, there were 3,278
children on the unmet need waitlist (not placed in care on date care
needed) for the DAF installation CDCs and FCC homes with an average
wait time on the unmet need wait list of 137 days. Across the DAF,
there were 569 youth on installation SAC unmet need waitlists on 1
December 2023 with an average wait time on the unmet need waitlist of
73 days.
39. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, would you consider
inadequate access to child care as a barrier to retention among
servicemembers?
Major General Davis. Yes, it is a potential factor. Child care and
youth programs contribute to force readiness which impacts soldiers'
decision to continue to serve. While retention rates are high, soldiers
have expressed concern that child care may impact their decision to
continue to serve.
The Army continues to work to provide access to quality and
affordable child care.
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes, inadequate child care can be a barrier to
retention of sailors, as it is tied to spouse employment. In today's
society, many families rely on the income of both wage-earners.
Available and affordable child care is often cited as a reason for
spouses not being able to work, along with frequent moves. As our
families make decisions about reenlisting--spouse employment and child
care are part of this decision. In addition, child care is crucial to
retaining our single parent sailors and the Department is working on
ways to providing adequate access to child care.
Major General Bowers. High-quality childcare is one of the many
important Child and Youth Programs we offer. It is a readiness priority
for the Marine Corps.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Access to quality and affordable child
care services, along with other quality of life programs, are vital to
recruitment and retention of the force of the future required to meet
current and emerging threats. The Department will continue to leverage
resources and partnerships to ensure programs and services provided are
consistent with the support needs of today's warfighter and their
families.
40. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, would access to
reliable, affordable, and high-quality child care improve recruitment
and retention?
Major General Davis. Yes. Child care and youth programs reduce the
conflict between mission requirements and parental responsibilities.
The Army remains committed to efforts supporting access to quality and
affordable child care options whether these are installation or
community-based care.
Efforts include continued investment in recruitment and retention
for direct care staff by offering increased salaries, bonuses along
with professional and workforce development.
All Army Child and Youth staff receive a 50 percent child care fee
reduction for the first child and a 15 percent multiple child discount
for additional children. The Army increased subsidies for Family Child
Care providers allowing them to earn competitive salaries and the
ability to transfer their business during PCS moves. Army child care
fee assistance is provided for approximately 10K per month for children
of Active and Reserve Component and Civilian families. The provider
rate cap increased January 1, 2024, to $1,800. To avoid waiting lists,
Army Families have the option to go directly to community-based child
care.
Rear Admiral Walker. High quality, reliably accessible child care
would materially improve retention by removing a factor that can lead
sailors to feel they must choose between their career or their family.
In our data, the military impact on a sailor's family is one of the
most significant influencers to leave. Improved retention directly
improves recruiting by reducing the demand for additional recruits, and
also indirectly benefits recruiting by turning quality of service into
a selling point to attract future recruits.
Major General Bowers. High-quality childcare is one of the many
important Child and Youth Programs we offer. It is a readiness priority
for the Marine Corps. It is most certainly a factor in many marines'
decisions to remain in the military.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Access to quality and affordable child
care services are a force enabler important to recruitment and
retention. We recognize our Air and Space Force families have unique
child care needs and understand the importance of providing a
comprehensive network of care solutions to include center-based care on
the installation, family child care on and off the installation, and
community-based child care fee assistance options. The Department is
employing efforts to remove barriers and maximize care solution options
to meet the child care demand across the enterprise.
41. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, in 2022, the RAND
Corporation released a study, which found that over 15 percent of
active duty service women experience infertility, a rate that is
significantly higher than the rate among civilian women. However, the
DOD's existing fertility policy excludes same-sex couples, unmarried
couples, single servicemembers, and those without certain specific
injuries from accessing in vitro fertilization (IVF) services. This
exclusionary policy likely restricts many servicemembers from forming
families. Are you concerned that the limited availability of family
building benefits such as IVF services affects your recruitment and
retention--particularly for women servicemembers?
Major General Davis. Expanding comprehensive family building
benefits to servicemembers, including IVF services, may positively
impact both the recruitment and retention of military personnel.
Aligning servicemembers' family building and IVF benefits with
those provided to civilian Federal employees under the FEHB Program
could make military service a more attractive career option.
Rear Admiral Walker. We agree that family planning is an important
issue for servicemembers and their families, and the Department
continues to assess all available opportunities to support family
building to the extent authorized. While TRICARE covers evaluations and
treatment of the physical causes of infertility for beneficiaries,
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) services, which include IVF, are
excluded from coverage under the TRICARE medical benefit program. Under
separate statutory authority, the Supplemental Health Care Program
(SHCP) covers expanded benefits, including ART services, for Active
Duty servicemembers who have sustained a serious or severe illness or
injury while on Active Duty that has led to the loss of their natural
procreative ability. The intent of this expanded benefit is to help
servicemembers impacted by a severe illness or injury, achieve their
family planning goals.
I do want to highlight what has been done to support servicemembers
in need of fertility treatment not covered by TRICARE. Last year, the
Department created policies that allow servicemembers to request
administrative absences and funded travel to access ART for themselves
and their dependents. These policies will provide some assistance to
servicemembers seeking ART.
Additionally, servicemembers and eligible beneficiaries who either
desire or need to conceive via ART may pursue treatments at military
medical treatment facility (MTF) Reproductive Endocrinology and
Infertility Graduate Medical Education (GME) Programs, which provide
ART services not otherwise covered at a greatly reduced cost, where
available. These programs are open to all eligible beneficiaries
regardless of sexual orientation and there is no requirement for the
beneficiary to be married or have a partner.
Major General Bowers. Our Marine recruiters focus on bringing our
message of aspirational opportunity to everyone who can earn our title,
and we do so within the confines of statute and policy. We are always
interested in reviewing policies that support all of our marines and
their families.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Yes, the limited availability of family
building benefits, including IVF services, is a concern for recruitment
and retention, especially for female servicemembers. The DAF
methodically establishes special assignment programs aiming to create
family stability for military families with dependent children, and
family building to the maximum extent possible. To address these
limitations, optimize the career experience, and increase recruiting
and retention of servicemembers, the DAF is exploring courses of action
to update DAF policy to allow airmen and guardians (to include same sex
couples, unmarried couples, single servicemembers, and dual military)
to request deferment from a routine reassignment and deployment if
their medical provider confirms they or their spouse are receiving
fertility treatment. Because the success of any fertility treatment is
impossible to predict, we are conducting analysis to determine the
optimal length of the deferment and, if approved, expect to announce
policy implementation during the 2024 calendar year.
reproductive health care
42. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, beginning in 2024, the
Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program will require broader
coverage of IVF services for all civilian Federal employees.
Servicemembers risk their lives and their health every day to keep us
safe, and many servicemembers experience infertility as a result of
their service. Yet, many servicemembers will continue to be excluded
from these benefits. Do you believe access to family building benefits,
including IVF services, similar to those offered to all civilian
Federal employees through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
could help with recruiting and retaining more servicemembers?
Major General Davis. The challenges with recruiting and retention
in the Army are highly varied. The proposed expansion of the Federal
Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program in 2024, to include wider
coverage for IVF services for all civilian Federal employees, will
create a discrepancy in benefits between civilian Federal employees and
servicemembers. This could negatively impact recruiting and retention
efforts.
Rear Admiral Walker. Further analysis needs to be conducted on how
much of a benefit IVF would have on recruiting and retention. IVF is
very expensive and with DOD top-line challenges, there needs to be more
internal discussion on these costs and any benefits on recruiting and
retention.
Major General Bowers. Any increase of benefits which results in a
larger pool of qualified and motivated candidates who desire to earn
the title of United States Marine is a benefit to our recruiting force.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Providing access to family building
benefits, including IVF services, for servicemembers, akin to the
benefits offered to civilian Federal employees through the Federal
Employees Health Benefits Program, could contribute significantly to
the recruitment and retention of our valuable servicemembers. Over the
last several years, our Women's Initiatives Team, one of the DAF's
Barrier Analysis Working Groups, estimated that approximately 1,500
airmen and guardians are affected by infertility each year. In October
2022, the Secretary of the Air Force signed a memorandum directing the
DAF to take a series of actions to ensure servicemembers and their
families can access reproductive health care, including assisted
reproductive technology (ART), regardless of where they are stationed.
The DAF specifically implemented OSD's ART policies on Febuary 27, 2023
which grants servicemembers up to 21 days of an administrative absence
to receive or to accompany a dual military spouse or dependent to
receive a non-covered reproductive healthcare procedure. In addition,
the policies authorized travel and transportation allowances for
servicemembers and dependents to receive non-covered reproductive
healthcare services. By offering such comprehensive support, we not
only demonstrate our commitment to the well-being of our military
personnel but also create a more attractive and supportive environment
that fosters long-term dedication and loyalty. This proactive approach
aligns with the evolving needs and expectations of servicemembers,
ultimately enhancing the overall strength and resilience of our Armed
Forces.
thc waivers for recruits
43. Senator Warren. Brigadier General Amrhein, in 2022, the Air
Force implemented a pilot program to stop permanently barring
individuals who test positive for THC, and instead allow them to enlist
in the Air Force if they are granted a waiver and pass a second drug
test. These THC waivers are good policy; they help address the Air
Force's recruitment issues, and according to a 2021 RAND Corporation
study of waivers in the context of the U.S. Army, ``the performance of
waivered recruits is often no worse and sometimes is better than the
performance of similar, nonwaivered recruits.'' How many waivers have
been requested since this pilot program began? What percentage of
waiver requests are not granted, and if they are not granted, why?
Brigadier General Amrhein. Since the waiver process was just
started in fiscal year 2023, and the waiver process requires a six-
month wait time to be initiated, we do not have a report that shows
those not granted a THC waiver. However, a system change request (SCR)
is in the configuration management process to enable USAF to build that
report. The report should be available in February 2024.
Two hundred fourty-three waivers have been approved since launch of
the pilot program. AFRS is currently only capturing analytics of
approved waivers and is not tracking data for those who were
disapproved. When AFRS engaged the recruiting field units for feedback,
the only disapprovals given were for applicants who didn't meet the
criteria for waiver eligibility, i.e., no Category 1 or 2 moral
waivers. They must also have scored above a 50 on the ASVAB.
44. Senator Warren. Brigadier General Amrhein, does the Air Force
track data on the demographics of prospective recruits who test
positive for THC are and are not granted waivers? If so, what does this
data reveal?
Brigadier General Amrhein. AFRS is currently not tracking data for
disapproved THC waivers. As mentioned above, we are awaiting this
report, however, here are the demographics for the waivers that were
approved:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Race/Ethnic Category
------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Indian/Alaskan Native............................ 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not Hispanic or Latino.................................. 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Asian..................................................... 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hispanic or Latino...................................... 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not Hispanic or Latino.................................. 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Black..................................................... 85
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hispanic or Latino...................................... 8
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not Hispanic or Latino.................................. 77
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Native Hawaiian or Other P................................ 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hispanic or Latino...................................... 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not Hispanic or Latino.................................. 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
White..................................................... 144
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hispanic or Latino...................................... 133
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not Hispanic or Latino.................................. 111
------------------------------------------------------------------------
White and Black........................................... 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not Hispanic or Latino.................................. 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
White/Black............................................... 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not Hispanic or Latino.................................. 3
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Grand Total............................................... 243
========================================================================
GENDER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female.................................................... 36
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Male...................................................... 207
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Grand Total............................................... 243
========================================================================
Average Age............................................... 22
------------------------------------------------------------------------
45. Senator Warren. Brigadier General Amrhein, when determining
whether to issue a waiver, the Air Force says that it gathers ``a
robust set of information'' and puts applicants ``through multiple
levels of scrutiny.'' During this process of determining whether to
issue a THC waiver, what discretionary factors does the Air Force
consider?
Brigadier General Amrhein. AFRS considers the whole person concept,
to include personal testimonies, prior moral offenses, and readiness to
serve the needs of the Air Force.
46. Senator Warren. Brigadier General Amrhein, given the Air
Force's 2020 findings of racial disparities in disciplinary and other
processes, what is the Air Force doing to avoid racial disparities in
its process of granting THC waivers?
Brigadier General Amrhein. Race is not included on THC waiver
requests and is not a factor in consideration.
sexual abuse against recruits
47. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, in November 2023,
Military.com reported that the Marine Corps is investigating a
recruiter who claims to have been in a sexual relationship with an
underage recruit. How many times within the past 10 years have each of
your services received a report of a recruiter sexually abusing,
harassing, or assaulting or engaging in other inappropriate sexual
behavior with a recruit, how many were substantiated, and what
disciplinary actions were taken?
Major General Davis. In the past 10 years, there have been 990
reported cases of sexual misconduct with a subject of recruiting. Of
those reports, 806 were substantiated.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adverse
Court Article 15/ Action
Category # Martial/ Separated Non-Judicial (personal
Substantiated civil from service Punishment record
conviction entry)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sexual Misconduct........................ 87 8 19 7 37
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sexual Harassment........................ 299 3 32 41 171
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fraternization or unauthorized 420 3 60 55 232
relationship with an applicant..........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All individuals are immediately suspended from recruiting duties at the time of the allegation.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy recruiting takes recruiter impropriety
and sexual assault and harassment very seriously. Since fiscal year
2013, we had 104 substantiated cases of either recruiter
fraternization, sexual harassment or sexual assault. In the same time
period, there were 47 unsubstantiated cases. The following Uniform Code
of Military Justice (UCMJ) disciplinary actions were taken by fiscal
year:
Fiscal year 2013: 19 recruiters separated from Service
via the administrative separation process, four were subject to UCMJ
Article 15 Non-judicial punishment (NJP), and seven received other
administrative action and/or were removed from recruiting duty
Fiscal year 2014: One recruiter received a criminal
conviction for misconduct, 12 were separated from the Service, one was
subject to Article 15 NJP proceedings, and six were removed from
recruiting duty
Fiscal year 2015: Three recruiters were separated from
the Service and one was removed from recruiting duty
Fiscal year 2016: Eight recruiters with substantiated
misconduct were separated from the Service
Fiscal year 2017: Four recruiters with substantiated
misconduct were separated from the Service
Fiscal year 2018: Three recruiters were separated from
the Service, six were removed from recruiting duty
Fiscal year 2019: One recruiter received a criminal
conviction for misconduct, five were separated from Service, three
recruiters received Article 15 NJP and six were removed from recruiting
duty
Fiscal year 2020: Five recruiters were subject to Article
15 NJP, four were removed from recruiting duty
Fiscal year 2021: Two recruiters received criminal
convictions, three recruiters separated from the Service, two received
Article 15 NJP, three removed from recruiting duty
Fiscal year 2022: Three received criminal convictions, 11
recruiters separated from the Service, two received Article 15 NJP
Fiscal year 2023: One recruiter received criminal
conviction, eight separated from the Service, one received Article 15
NJP, one removed from recruiter duty, and four pending courts-martial
related to recruiter fraternization
Major General Bowers. As reported to the DOD in the Recruiter
Irregularities report below is the breakdown of substantiated claims
for sexual misconduct and sexual harassment by recruiters. Disciplinary
actions include Nonjudicial punishment, reduction in grade, forfeiture
of pay, and relief for cause. Some cases result in incarceration and
Service separation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sexual Misconduct............. 4 7 19 19 31 15 18 5 5 4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sexual Harassment............. 10 7 1 2 1 2 5 3 0 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Fiscal year 2023 data through July 17, 2023
Recruits that file a report of sexual assault (whether the subject
is a recruiter or stranger) are tracked and managed by the Training &
Education Command (TECOM) SAPR Program. Sexual harassment cases are
handled by the USMC Equal Opportunity Advisor/Representative (EOA/EOR);
sexual assault of minors eligible for military services are referred
and supported by the USMC Family Advocacy Program (FAP); and
information in regards to Subject demographics or sentencing outcomes
are more appropriately addressed by) and/or the Staff Judge Advocate
(SJA).
Brigadier General Amrhein. Between 2014 and 2023, of the nearly
700,000 applicants processed by AFRS, the DAF investigated 41 incidents
alleging sexual abuse, harassment, or assault, or other inappropriate
sexual behavior by a recruiter with a recruit. Of those cases, 10 were
referred to a court-martial proceeding, 14 were resolved through
nonjudicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military
Justice, 10 were resolved through other administrative action being
issued to the recruiter, 5 cases were closed with no action, and 2
cases are still pending disposition. The variance in types of
discilinary actions is attributed to the requirement that
commandersconsider each allegation/case based on the facts presented,
including the relative severity of the alleged offense(s), the strength
of the evidence, the advice of their Staff Judge Advocate, the input of
any alleged victim, where applicable, and the Airman/Guardian's prior
disciplinary history, if any.
48. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, what training do you
provide recruiters on engaging appropriately with recruits, including
regarding sexual and otherwise inappropriate relationships between
recruiters and recruits? Please provide copies of any training.
Major General Davis. Recruiters have multiple touchpoints
throughout the year, both at the Recruiting and Retention College (RRC)
and their units. Training covers ethics, the Uniform Code of Military
Justice (UCMJ), and inappropriate relationships between recruiters and
recruits.
Rear Admiral Walker. Training provided at Navy Orientation
Recruiting Unit (NORU) on sexual and otherwise inappropriate
relationships between recruiters and recruits is addressed in all NORU
courses. In addition, the schoolhouse dedicates a significant amount of
time on ethics and prohibited practices in the Enlisted Navy Recruiting
Orientation course. Specifically, NORU discusses and trains to their
fraternization policy and prohibited activities as it pertains to
applicants, prospects, Future Sailors, and recruiting prohibited
practices regarding Future Sailors.
Recruiters depart NORU with reinforced knowledge of prohibited
practices on sexual and inappropriate relationships between recruiters
and recruits. In addition, Navy Talent Acquisition Group CO/XOs receive
training against prohibited interactions between recruiters/applicants
during the NORU Recruiting Leadership Course and throughout the year
from the Navy Recruiting Command legal team.
Please reference enclosure Recruiter Training on Fraternization
Topics located in the Appendix.
Training: NORU PXO Legal (fraternization slide)
Basic Recruiter PQS (pg 22: fraternization/ethics topics)
Trainer's Guide, ENRO Lesson Plan
Lesson Plans (fraternization/ethics topics)
Major General Bowers. The USMC Marine Corps Recruiting Command
(MCRC) SAPR Program ensures that a Recruiter SAPR Brief is conducted at
every Basic Recruiter Course aboard MCRD San Diego (6) times a year by
the Supervisory Regional Recruiting SARCs. Copies of the Recruiter SAPR
Brief are available upon request and provided to recruiting personnel
each year. Additionally, all marines within MCRC receive annual rank-
specific SAPR training (Step-Up (E-1-E-3), Take-A-Stand (E-4-E-5), &
SAPR Annual Training for Leaders (SNCOs & Officers)) conducted by
trained, credentialed, and appointed MCRC SAPR personnel.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Recruiters receive training on
professional/unprofessional conduct during their initial skills course
before they are qualified as recruiters. Once at their unit, commanders
are responsible for ensuring all members receive training on
unprofessional relationships IAW DODI 1304.33 and AFI 36-2909--AETCSUP
within 30 days of assignment and annually thereafter.
49. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, what information and
mechanisms are available to recruits to report inappropriate behavior
toward them by recruiters?
Major General Davis. Recruits become prospects upon entering a
recruiting station. Station Commanders brief new prospects on the
recruitment process, what is considered inappropriate behavior, how to
report inappropriate behavior, and who they can report it to. Any
recruiter who observes inappropriate interactions or relationships is
required to report it to their chain of command.
Bulletin boards are posted in each station with contact information
for the recruit or others to contact for assistance and/or to report
inappropriate behaviors. These bulletins boards typically contain
information for: Company Commander, Company First Sergeant, Station
Commander, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Victim Advocate, Equal
Opportunity Advisor, Inspector General, other recruiters, and the DOD
Safe Helpline.
Rear Admiral Walker. Prior to reporting to boot camp at Recruit
Training Command (RTC), recruits may report any inappropriate recruiter
behavior directly to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) leadership
and/or civil law enforcement. Additionally, recruits may report
inappropriate behavior to Navy Recruiting Command's Inspector General's
(IG) office as a Special Inquiry or as an IG Hotline Complaint. After
reporting to RTC, recruits may report inappropriate recruiter behavior
to RTC leadership and/or the Recruit Quality Assurance Team during the
Moment of Truth briefing that is conducted during initial processing.
Regarding available information relating to inappropriate behavior,
recruits are informed early in the process of what constitutes recruit/
recruiter ``prohibited activities.'' Specifically, recruits are
required to review and sign DD Form 2983 (January 2015), acknowledging
that they understand that developing or conducting personal, intimate,
and/or sexual relationships with a recruiter is strictly prohibited.
Other additional prohibited and inappropriate behaviors and activities
include, but are not limited to dating, handholding, kissing,
embracing, caressing, and engaging in sexual activities. Further,
prohibited personal, intimate, and/or sexual relationships include
those relationships conducted in person or via cards, letters, e-mail
correspondence, instant messaging, videos, photographs, social
networking, or any other means of communication.
Major General Bowers. Poolees who disclose sexual assault are
referred to local advocacy/service providers and are provided USMC SARC
and SAPR VA contact information for when they arrive at either MCRD San
Diego or MCRD Parris Island (regardless of who perpetrated the crime
against or when it occurred). There is also the USMC 24/7 Sexual
Assault Support Line aboard each of the Recruit Training Depots where
SARCs and SAPR VAs respond 24/7 to those in need of SAPR supportive
services. MCRC SAPR collaborates on a daily basis with our TECOM SAPR
counterparts to ensure that all recruits are offered services and are
assigned a SARC and SAPR VA if needed/requested.
Brigadier General Amrhein. At the beginning the recruiting process,
each recruit is provided video training that includes a description of
unprofessional conduct and prohibited activities between recruiters and
recruits. Recruits also sign a DOD Form 2982, Recruiter/Trainer
Prohibited Activities Acknowledgment, certifying and acknowledging
activities that are prohibited between recruiters and recruits.
Recruits also receive a physical Rights and Responsibilities Card
containing two points of contact to which they can report
unprofessional relationships. The first phone number provided to
recruits goes directly to the HQ AFRS Staff Judge Advocate. The second
phone number goes directly to the HQ AFRS Inspector General.
Additionally, each recruit is given two separate surveys during their
enlistment process asking multiple questions to ensure they received
the training and card, as well as asking if they have experienced any
unprofessional relationships with their recruiter or recruiting
personnel. If at any time, a recruit claims she/he is the vicitim of
sexual abuse, the DAF policy DAF policy requires commanders, first
sergeants, and anyone else notified ensure eligible victims are
notified of his/her right to receive assistance from the DAF Sexual
Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program, including access to
victim advocacy resources and the option to file either a restricted or
unrestricted report. A restricted report allows a victim to obtain
support and resources, including necessary medical and mental health
treatment, without a formal report to their commander or law
enforcement. SAPR personnel are also trained to inform victims about a
host of available resources, including national and state resources
outside the DOD, such as RAINN and other local victim support
organizations. In addition, DAF policy requires we inform victims that
they can seek assistance from the DOD Safe Helpline and they have a
right to obtain a Victims' Counsel, who can provide privileged
attorney-client advice to the victim; however, Department of Defense
Instructions limit eligibility to SAPR and other DOD victim resources
based on the status of the assailant or victim. In the event, the
victim cannot receive services, he/she is referred to local law
enforcement and various civilian victims' programs, which vary by
state. Finally, in coordination with Headquarters Air Force, the Air
Force Recruitign Services incorporated mandatory SAPR program training
for all delayed entry program members which is completed and tracked
through the Air Force Aim High Application. This training informs them
of our SAPR services and reporting options.
mhs genesis delays
50. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how many reservists have
each of your services had to call up to assist with the delays caused
by MHS Genesis?
Major General Davis. To date, the Army has brought on 40 Reservists
to assist with MHS Genesis. The Army is currently evaluating options
for additional personnel, as required.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy Recruiting Command is leveraging two
Active Duty for Operational Support (ADOS) sailors and one Canvasser
Recruiter (CANREC) to support the waivers team. These three sailors
volunteered to support the positions.
Major General Bowers. No Marine Corps Reservists have been
activated as a result of delays caused by MHS GENESIS as the Marine
Corps does not have medical personnel within our service structure.
Brigadier General Amrhein. AFRS has utilized different manning
strategies to accommodate the increase in workload caused by the health
information exchange available within MHS Genesis. Initially, 7 Air
National Guard enlisted medics were placed temporarily at 7 different
MEPS stations to help with medical administrative support in late
spring 2023. Then, a contract procuring 63 civilian medical
administrative personnel was finalized in September 2023. These staff
members will be assigned to various MEPS to help recruiters screen
medical support documents to provide to MEPS medical staff and the AFRS
Accession Medical Waiver staff for waiver processing. This should help
relieve recruiters of this administrative work so they can have more
time to engage with applicants in the field. Additionally, to help
process the increase in waivers received, the Accession Medical Waiver
Division procured a contract for 6 personnel starting in fiscal year
2024. This has helped reduce the enlisted waiver backlog from nearly
1600 to 300 in 3 months.
51. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, please provide an update
on the average length of time between a recruit's final interview and
their first recorded contract before and after DOD began using MHS
Genesis at Military Entrance Processing Stations.
Major General Davis. Since the implementation of MHS Genesis at
Military Entrance Process Stations, potential Army recruits are
experiencing longer processing times from anywhere between 37 and 139
additional days, depending on the complexity of the medical
documentation required. An applicant with no medical issues takes an
average of 13 days longer to process than pre-MHS Genesis, due to the
additional workload from MHS Genesis provided records.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy has experienced a significant increase in
the average length of time between a recruit's final interview and
their first recorded contract since the implementation of MHS Genesis.
From June 2021 through November 2021, the average time between final
interview and first contract was 34 days. Following implementation of
MROADS and later MHS Genesis the average length of time between a
recruit's final interview and their first recorded contract nearly
doubled (64 days on average from December 2021 to May 2022). The delay
exceeded an 80-day average entering fiscal year 2024 and continues to
grow.
Major General Bowers. Prior to the implementation of MHS GENESIS,
it took 10 days on average from the time a prescreen was submitted to
MEPS to when an applicant would contract. Post implementation of MHS
GENESIS and access to the national Health Information Exchanges that
same process now takes an average of 45 days due to the high volume of
issues to sort through and validate.
Brigadier General Amrhein. While AFRS saw an increase in processing
time for applicants from the implementation time of MHS Genesis, we
have made process improvements to shorten this time to near pre-MHS
Genesis rates. However, our concern with MHS Genesis is the significant
increase in the number of applicants we must find and process due to
the substantial decrease in qualification rates since its
implementation. Prior to inception, our initial qualification rates for
medical at MEPS was 80 percent. This rate dropped to 69 percent in its
first year (fiscal year 2022) and continued its decline to 58 percent
in fiscal year 2023. This decrease has put a significant burden on our
recruiters who must now process nearly 20 percent more applicants to
qualify the same number of recruits prior to MHS-Genesis. While we
continue to find better ways to shorten the processing time for
applicants, it does not relieve the recruiter from having to find more
applicants to fill the requirements of the DAF.
military housing quality
52. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how do the quality of
life issues such as military housing, military barracks, and housing
affordability impact your ability to recruit for the services?
Major General Davis. The connection between housing quality of life
and military service recruiting outcomes is established and known
across the Department. While not the number one reason, reports
indicate that prospective recruits would consider not joining the
military over concerns about the requirement to live in undesired
places. They are also heavily influenced by media coverage and
influencers reporting negative press about the military overall,
including housing conditions. Recent other issues such as food
insecurity, sexual harassment and assault, and delayed promotions have
been cited in the latest JAMRS' Current Events Trackers (CET) as
reasons not to support or recommend military service and reasons that
youths' ``changing views on the favorability of the Military and
elevated concerns about the treatment of its servicemembers exemplify
the perception among youth that the Military may not be a desirable
organization to work for'' (source: JAMRS' State of the Market briefing
to USAREC MMA conference, August 2023).
Rear Admiral Walker. Military housing, military barracks and
housing affordability and other quality of life issues are part of the
overall Navy compensation package. Potential recruits who read, hear or
view positive comments about these issues from the media, Service
Members or veterans will see the military as a good career opportunity.
Conversely, our recruiters will have to overcome the negative
perceptions for potential recruits who hear negative comments about
quality of life issues.
Major General Bowers. We focus on the intangibles of service when
communicating with young people--the value and pride of becoming a
marine. However, we recognize housing is a major quality of life factor
when it comes to recruiting and, even more so with regard to retention.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The Air Force's 10-year average shows 89
percent of all enlisted accessions are under 21 years old, single with
no dependents. With that, the topic of family housing is not a
significant factor in the attractiveness of our initial value
proposition nor on the minds of these future airmen. However, our
recruiters provide a lot of information on military dormitories on our
bases and will try and lead base visits with potential recruits to show
them the living spaces for single airmen, which are very comparable to
many college dorms.
screening recruits for extremism
53. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, the DOD Inspector
General reported in August 2023 that recruiters failed to follow
several steps to screen applicants for extremist ties and that as a
result, ``Military Service recruiters may not have identified all
applicants with extremist or criminal gang associations during the
screening process, increasing the potential for future security risks
and disruptions to good order, morale, and discipline.'' Please provide
an update on the status and timeline of each of the service's
implementation of the IG's recommendations.
Major General Davis.
Recommendation A.1.a
Issue a policy memorandum to recruiting personnel reiterating the
importance of completing all required steps for screening applicants
for extremist or criminal gang associations during the accessions
process.
Response A.1.a
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (military Personnel and
Quality of Life) issued a memorandum dated July 10, 2023, to recruiting
personnel that reiterated the importance of completing required steps,
including interviews and all screening. The DOD IG considers this
recommendation resolved and closed.
Recommendation A.1.b
Establish and implement requirements in Service-specific policies
for periodic reviews of recruiter compliance with required accessions
screening procedures to ensure recruiters screen applicants for
extremist and criminal gang associations in accordance with guidance.
Response A.1.b
USAREC established and published implementation requirements for
recruiters to follow accessions screening procedures to ensure
Recruiters screen applicants for extremist and criminal gang
associations. Recruiters utilize the system of record to ask the
following questions:
a. Have you ever had, or currently have, any association with an
extremist/hate organization or gang?
b. Have you ever been debarred from any Government installation or
facility at any time in your life?
c. Have you ever participated, either in person or via electronic
communications, in an act of treason, terrorism or sedition against the
United States, regardless of whether the action resulted in a citation,
arrest or conviction?
d. Have you ever associated with, either in person or via
electronic communications, persons who are attempting to commit or who
are committing an act of treason, terrorism, or sedition against the
United States?
e. Have you ever associated with, either in person or via
electronic communications, persons or organizations that advocate,
threaten, or use force or violence, or use any other illegal
unconstitutional means in an effort to:
1) Overthrow or influence the U.S. Government or any State or local
government?
2) Prevent Federal, State, or local government personnel from
performing their official duties?
3) Gain retribution for perceived wrongs caused by the Federal,
State, or local government?
4) Prevent others from exercising their rights under the
Constitution or laws of the United States or of any state?
f. Have you ever, either in person or via electronic
communications, advocated for the denial of civil rights based on the
supremacy of one race, color, religion, national origin, sexual
orientation, gender, gender identity or disability over another race,
color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender
identity or disability?
g. Have you ever, either in person or via electronic
communications, committed or conspired to commit a crime motivated by
bias against race, color, religion, national origin, sexual
orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability?
If the applicant answers `yes' to any question the process
immediately stops, and further screening is required. If all questions
are `no', the applicant may process further. USAREC monitors compliance
and completes periodic reviews at least annually to ensure every
applicant is properly screened for extremist and criminal gang
associations.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy Recruiting Command has implemented all
DOD Inspector General recommendations.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps has updated its policy
regarding screening for extremism and is on track to meet the SECNAVs
timeline for service implementation including training requirements
outlined in 20 June 2023 Assistant Secretary of the Navy (M&RA)
memorandum on ``Implementation of the Countering Extremist Activity
Training.''
Brigadier General Amrhein. A policy memorandum was signed and sent
to the command reiterating the importance of completing all required
steps for screening applicants for extremist or criminal gang
associations. This memo was sent on 2 October 2023 and its guidance
reinforces the AFRS Standard Operating Procedural Guidance.
Furthermore, the AFRS Inspector General Office established requirements
for periodic reviews of recruiter compliance by risk-based sampling
strategy and is being evaluated through scheduled unit inspections.
Finally, the recruiting information system, AFRISS-TF, has been
modified in various ways both during and after the audit to ensure
quality control and fail safes are in place to enforce compliance.
54. Senator Warren. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, the IG found that
military recruiters failed to annotate a response to the question
asking recruits about extremist or criminal gang associations for 41
percent of the applicants the IG reviewed, didn't administer screening
questionnaires or forms in 41 percent of cases when they should have,
didn't implement tattoo review procedures for 9 percent of applicants,
did not provide evidence of fingerprint results for 9 percent of
applicants, and failed to provide evidence that a background
investigation was initiated for 1 percent of applicants. Are each of
your services tracking whether your recruiters are fulfilling all the
above requirements and what percentage of them have failed to do so
since the standard screening questionnaire was created in 2021? If you
are tracking this information, please provide all available data on
what percent of these tasks are currently being conducted.
Major General Davis. The Army goes to great lengths to thoroughly
screen each applicant. An applicant is unable to process without a
complete Standard Form 86 (Questionnaire for National Security
Positions) and fingerprinting. Upon arrival to MEPS, the applicant gets
fingerprinted for a second time and completes a full medical screening,
which gives medical personnel the opportunity to identify undisclosed
tattoos. Last, an applicant can't ship to initial entry training (IET)
without the results of the fingerprinting.
Rear Admiral Walker. SECDEF directed the immediate actions below in
April 2021 to guard against prohibited extremist activity across the
Department. These actions are complete.
Publish an updated DODI 1325.06 ``Handling Protest,
Extremist, and Criminal Gang Activity Among Members of the Armed
Forces'', to include a clearer definition of prohibited extremist
activity for servicemembers.
The full definition of prohibited extremist activity and
active participation can be found in DODI 1325.06 and prohibits
servicemembers from participating in six distinct categories of
extremist activities and 14 distinct categories of active
participation.
Update servicemember transition checklists to help
transitioning members guard against recruitment by extremist groups
during their transition from the military.
Standardize recruit screening questionnaires (information
and processes) across the Military Services and clarify that providing
false information may be the basis for punitive action.
Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) adheres to the above applicable
requirements as all recruiters require applicants to annotate and
complete screening questionnaires regarding extremist or criminal gang
associations. Based on a review of application packages for Navy
applicants, DODIG determined that Navy recruiters collected the
required forms in accordance with the guidance.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps seeks to discover any
extremist or criminal gang associations through medical screening,
questionnaires, and background checks. All Marine Corps applicants are
screened by medical providers at MEPS for tattoos and are required to
work with their recruiter to fill out a tattoo screening form and sign
a statement of understanding regarding Marine Corps aberrant behavior
policies. Every recruiter utilizes a Questionable Conduct and Aberrant
Behavior Screening form to discover any related participation in gangs,
extremist organizations or activities. Marine Corps applicants also
submit to electronic fingerprint capture and background investigation
prior to shipping to the Marine Corps Recruit Depots. Marine recruiters
are given approximately 10 hours of training on extremism and ethical/
moral behavior at the Basic Recruiters Course and follow on training is
conducted by Recruiter Instructors for a minimum of 12 hours per
quarter. Poolees and Officer Candidates received Whole of Character and
Civics training that cover extremist and gang related activities. Since
the standard form was created in 2021, all Marine Corps applicants have
fulfilled the screening requirements for service in the military.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The audit covered applicants at various
stages of the recruiting process. The AF took swift action before
automation/IT actions could be implemented to ensure immediacy of
vetting. Nearly all the Air Force applicants received the appropriate
level of screening to their respective stage. During the DOD IG
inspection on Extremism vetting, 26 Air Force applicants were found to
have discrepancies in their forms regarding extremism. Of the 26
applicants, the IG and AFRS resolved the issues and concluded none of
the 26 had extremist activities or ties. The IG report did emphasize
the need for AFRS to ensure more checks are in place so there aren't
applicants that have missing data on their enlistment paperwork. AFRS
implemented a change in its recruiting information technology that will
automatically flags an applicant if information is missing on their
enlistment paperwork, as it pertains to extremism activity. AFRS/IG has
implemented spot checks to ensure these changes to the information
system are validated. To date, no applicant has shipped to basic
military training that should have been denied due to extremism
activity.
navy recruiting
55. Senator Warren. Rear Admiral Walker, the Navy's recruiting and
advertising budget for fiscal year 2024 is $269 million. The Marine
Corps, which is significantly smaller, budgeted $246 million. Has the
Navy assessed what impact increased spending on recruiting and
advertising would have on reaching its recruiting goals?
Rear Admiral Walker. Yes. The Navy commissioned studies to ensure
every dollar spent in Marketing and Advertising (M&A) is optimized so
we are being good stewards of the taxpayer dollars. The Navy assessed
the impact of increased spending by leveraging historical data and
media mix modeling to support meeting our recruiting goals.
56. Senator Warren. Rear Admiral Walker, the Army's Future Soldier
Preparatory Course has had promising initial results in helping
potential recruits meet the standards necessary to be eligible for
service. Has the Navy considered initiating something similar, and if
not, what steps is the Navy taking instead?
Rear Admiral Walker. Mirroring an Army program, the Navy has
established the Future Sailor Preparatory Course (FSPC), with two
tracks: Physical Fitness and Academic.
FSPC Physical Fitness first began in Spring 2023 and allows Navy
Recruiting Command to recruit applicants with a 50 AFQT and higher, and
body compositions of 26.1-32 percent for males and 36.1-42 percent for
females. These Future Sailors will be allowed to access into Active
Duty and enter a rolling 3-week physical fitness program for up to 90-
days. Once the FS reaches 26 percent (male) or 36 percent (female)
body-fat, they will graduate the course and enter basic military
training at Recruit Training Command.
FSPC Academic first began in Summer 2023 and allows applicants with
lower AFQT scores to train and retake the exam and reclassify into a
new rating. The academic course remains in beta phase; the first pilot
course convened January 2024. With these programs, the Navy is not
lowering standards. The Navy remains committed to implementing policies
to help meet recruiting goals while maintaining standards, increasing
recruit performance, reducing attrition, and maximizing retention to
meet our established end-strength goals.
__________
Questions Submitted by Senator Dan Sullivan
access to high schools
57. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, are there any high
schools in the United States that deny access to your recruiters?
Major General Davis. No, the Army has legal access to all high
schools; however, we strive to build relationships with educators and
school administrators to allow meaningful access. Meaningful access
allows recruiters to be visible and share their Army stories with
students. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery--Career
Exploration Program (ASVAB-CEP) and March2Success are resources
recruiters share to help develop and mentor students in their career
selection, military or civilian, and improve their study skills in
preparation for standardized tests.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy is currently reporting zero high schools
denying access to recruiters.
Major General Bowers. No.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Although AFRS is not tracking any public
high schools denying access to our recruiters, our greatest concern is
having equal quality and time of access as other organizations, such as
college/university representatives.
58. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, if any schools are
denying access, why are they denying access?
Major General Davis. The Army has legal access to schools.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy does not have any reports of schools
denying access to recruiters.
Major General Bowers. There are no schools denying access.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Although AFRS is not tracking any public
high schools denying access to our recruiters, our greatest concern is
having equal quality and time of access as other organizations, such as
college/university representatives.
59. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, for any schools
providing access less than you would consider ideal, why have they
declined to improve the quality of access? Please provide specific
examples.
Major General Davis. Safety of the students and faculty is the main
concern of many schools. High schools are very cautious regarding open
access following the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many State and
local school districts have increased precautions that limit meaningful
access to Army recruiters and other entities into their schools. Some
recruiters experience challenges with the time the schools allocate for
them being on campus, such as right before the end of the school day as
students are leaving. Awareness of the military opportunities,
lifestyle, and benefits is low due to recruiters less meaningful access
to schools and our Nation's declining veteran population.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy Recruiting Command is currently reporting
zero high schools that have declined to improve the quality of access.
Major General Bowers. In several cases of less than ideal access,
the school's administrative staff has provided parents with
standardized forms for selecting to opt out of allowing recruiters to
have access to directory information rather than the parent requesting
to opt out formally, as written in the law. Providing the parent with a
standard form that is mandatory for the parent to fill out increases
the number of parents who choose to opt out and thereby minimizes the
number of students on the directory list the school provides for
compliance with the law. In other cases, school administers provide
access, but severely constrain location, time, and duration of
recruiter visits that are not conducive to reaching the student
population and building awareness of military service.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Our feedback on this topic includes
access limited to less than that provided to colleges and other hiring
agencies and a lack of familiarity of the military by leaders and
influencers in schools. Our research (JAMRS) has shown that 70 percent
of Active Duty new recruits reported that a conversation with a
recruiter sparked their interest to find out more about joining their
service. Without at least equal access to schools, our recruiters
struggle to have these conversations with potential applicants.
Additionally, all DAF enlisted recruits are automatically enrolled in
Community College of the AF which is a fully accredited Associate's
program and should be shared with to any high school graduates pursuing
advanced education under associates or other equivalent advanced
education credit. The DAF is the only service which has such an
advanced associate education accreditation program.
60. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how would you
describe optimal access to high schools for your recruiters?
Major General Davis. Optimal access is allowing Army recruiters
into the schools to share their Army stories, working with teachers and
students to explore career options, offering time for recruiters to
deliver classroom presentations, and allowing recruiters to set up
information tables in well-traveled hallways or lunchrooms that allow
for optimal visibility for meeting students and teachers. Ideally, it
would be mutually beneficial for educators and recruiters to administer
the ASVAB to students during the school day.
Rear Admiral Walker. Optimal access to high schools would involve
multiple visits monthly to reasonably unlimited locations within the
school/school grounds (e.g. not limited to the parking lot or to only a
corner of the gym), and reasonably unlimited access to students. It
would revolve around the opportunity to conduct classroom presentations
for juniors and seniors in STEM related courses, offering the ability
to speak directly with our target audience and pitch Navy
opportunities. Additionally, the ability to attend all high school
career fairs and sporting events free of cost, would provide our
recruiting force the opportunity to attend events in uniform and talk
with both the high school students and their families about the Navy
experience and potential career decisions.
Major General Bowers. Physical access to the high school/student
body at least once per month, school directory lists for juniors and
seniors provided at the beginning of the school year or within 30 days
of request, attendance at school-sponsored career fairs with equitable
location to other participants, and administration of the Career
Exploration Program-ASVAB test once per year for the entire student
body or at minimum all students who volunteer to take the vocational
test.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Optimal access for DAF recruiters
include direct engagement with students inside the classroom or
assembly; during school programs; career or college fair programs;
programs or `Armed Forces Days' centric to educating students about
military options.
61. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how would you
describe access that technically complies with the law but falls short
of what you consider optimal access?
Major General Davis. Legal access is access that complies with the
law but fails to offer opportunities to get to know the students and
teachers. Meaningful access allows Army recruiters sufficient
opportunities and time to meet with students, have conversations, and
share information on military service.
Rear Admiral Walker. Some schools have provided inconsistency in
access, where one school will allow recruiters weekly access, but
another may only allow a monthly basis. Additionally, some schools only
allow access during certain suboptimal times (before or after school
hours), or place recruiters in areas that are not easily accessible or
readily trafficked.
Major General Bowers. Schools that provide access that meets the
law to include allowing ``the same access to secondary schools students
as is provided generally to postsecondary educational institutions or
to prospective employers of those students.'' This ``equal'' access can
be as few as one visit per semester, or a recruiting career fair
scheduled at a time that will historically result in limited
participation from students. We appreciate the support from the Fiscal
Year 2024 NDAA, which requires submission of lists within 60 days of
request, and will work continue to work with Congress to provide
optimal access for recruiters to provide information to our Nation's
youth about opportunities within the United States Marine Corps.
Brigadier General Amrhein. An example experienced by many Air Force
recruiters is a school that allows a lunchroom set-up during non-
optimal hours, typically displaced into a section of the lunchroom away
from students and told by school authorities that they are not to
engage students unless the student engages them first, and limited to a
maximum of once or twice a year.
62. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, what mechanisms
does your service use to interface with high schools and improve the
quality of access?
Major General Davis. The Army offers Educator Tours to teachers,
principals, school counselors, and other Centers of Influence/Community
Partners to participate in events at a military installation. The event
is designed to highlight Army training and education opportunities
provided to soldiers, and to showcase various military careers by
allowing participants to receive a hands-on experience and meet with
soldiers who are experts in their fields. Some Military Occupational
Specialties (MOS) showcased are Military Working Dogs Handlers, Cooks,
Competitive Marksmen, and many (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
STEM-related career fields. Participants tour and receive briefings by
installation Education Centers.
We also partner with educator associations such as American
Association of School Administrators, National Association of Secondary
School Principals, American School Counselor Association, and more.
These partnerships provide the opportunity to educate and inform
administrators and counselors about March2Success, Armed Services
Vocational Aptitude Battery--Career Exploration Program (ASVAB-CEP),
and military service.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy Recruiting Command has established the
following process to interface with non-compliant schools:
1. A Senior Officer (minimum grade of O-6/SES) is required to
visit the school and try to gain access.
2. If that Officer is unsuccessful, they must notify the Service
Recruiter Access to High Schools (RAHS) Program Manager and DOD RAHS
Program Coordinator to get the school added as a problem/noncompliant
school.
3. If the issue remains unresolved after 60 days, the Secretary of
Defense (SECDEF) or DOD designee will send a letter to the State
Governor copying the Secretary of Education.
4. The State Governor will then work with the school to resolve
the noncompliance.
5. Last, if the issue has not been resolved after 1 year, SECDEF/
DOD will report the noncompliant school to Congress.
Major General Bowers. Recruiters, Staff Non-commissioned officers,
and commissioned officers assigned to recruiting stations all take part
in the process of improving access to high schools. Building
relationships at the lowest level and providing educators and
counselors with the tangible and intangible benefits of serving in the
Marine Corps. Educators' workshops and attending influencer events like
national coaches' associations and national superintendents' symposiums
also increase the awareness of the Marine Corps and choosing military
service as a post high school option.
Brigadier General Amrhein. AFRS requires a school program for each
recruiter dictating visitation frequency and teaches recruiters how to
use interface incentives such as Center of Influence meetings that
cultivate relationships with influencers or assist with lead generation
efforts. Additionally, the AETC and AFRS Commander level conducts
educator sensing sessions which includes invites to school district
leadership, athletic directors, guidance counselors and other academia
leadership. AFRS sponsors the Air and Space Force Educators tours
hosted on installations around the U.S.
63. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, are there any
additional authorities needed to improve the quality of your service's
access to high schools?
Major General Davis. Not at this time, our recruiters in
conjunction with Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army and
Reserve Ambassadors are successfully gaining meaningful access.
Rear Admiral Walker. Current statute, 10 USC, Section 503, requires
educational institutions that receive Federal funding to provide
military recruiters with the same access and opportunities as they
would for other employers. This ensures an equitable platform for
military recruitment within schools. While this mandate establishes a
baseline for fairness, practical challenges can arise in
implementation. These challenges may include navigating differing
school policies, managing tight schedules, or addressing specific
restrictions that schools may impose. We are working with other
Services to find the optimal solution to help the recruiting process
and look forward to working with Congress on this challenge.
Major General Bowers. We appreciate the additional authorities
provided in the fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024 NDAAs to increase
recruiter access to High Schools and the continued support from
Congress for recruiter access in line with amendments made to Title 10
from the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 and subsequent NDAAs. We
will continue to work with our legislative affairs offices to submit
legislative proposals that will improve the quality of the Marine Corps
access to high schools.
Brigadier General Amrhein. AFRS uses a chain-of-command approach to
ensure senior leaders are engaging schools that recruiters desire
improved quality of access and additional authorities outside of this
military chain, to include Congressional language requiring equal
access, to meet the spirit of intent vs. letter of the current law
compliance.
64. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, is there any
correlation between the quality of access to high schools and the
number of recruits?
Major General Davis. Yes, there is a correlation between the
quality of access to high schools and the number of recruits. The vast
majority of high schools comply with the access requirements to support
military recruiting as outlined in title 10 U.S.C., sec. 503c and Every
Student Succeeds Act, though the level of support among high schools
varies considerably. A DOD Active Duty New Recruit Study conducted
between October 2021 and March 2022 identified Army recruits reported
personal connections to their Service, more than any other Service. The
findings suggest significant interactions with military servicemembers,
including recruiters and veterans, increase the likelihood that youth
will consider the military as a career option.
Rear Admiral Walker. The high school market provides Navy
recruiters with the best source of high-quality accessions. The
opportunity to discuss Navy opportunities with our target audience is
essential to Navy's recruiting plan and is our number one source for
test category upper accessions.
Major General Bowers. The ability for the Marine Corps to run an
effective High School program and accomplish all of the milestones
associated with that program directly correlates to the number of
recruits that access from each high school. For the Marine Corps, the
high school and community college program is vital to build awareness
and educate the youth population on the value of military service and
opportunity to earn the title, marine.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Yes, outreach and impressions made on
students make a major impact on the total number willing to serve. Our
research (JAMRS) has shown that 70 percent of Active Duty new recruits
reported that a conversation with a recruiter sparked their interest to
find out more about joining their service. Without equal quality access
to schools, our recruiters struggle to have these conversations with
potential applicants.
65. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, please provide a
list of all veteran or community organizations with whom you partner to
improve your recruiting.
Major General Davis. USAREC partners with the following
organizations to improve recruiting efforts: Army Reserve Ambassadors;
Army Women's Foundation; Association of the United States Army; Boys &
Girls Club of America; Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army;
Future Farmers of America; Historically Black Colleges and
Universities; League of United Latin American Citizens; Our Community
Salutes; Team Red, White, & Blue; U.S. Chamber Foundation--Hiring our
Heroes Program; Women of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM); and Young Presidents Organization. Throughout the
country, recruiting stations partner with chapters of nationally
recognized community organizations, and local organizations. For
example, University of Louisville, Hardin County Chamber of Commerce,
and Kentucky Regional Development Alliance.
Rear Admiral Walker. Our 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups (NTAGs)
and 63 Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOCs) all partner with
local organizations that best support the communities in which they
serve. The Navy also ensures we are listening to feedback, identifying
blind spots in our outreach initiatives, and continuing to penetrate
markets that may have gone untapped in the past. Our most influential
community organizations include schools (teachers and coaches),
affinity groups, local veteran organizations (such as VFWs), and
religious organizations. Additionally, our Chief of Navy Information
(CHINFO) is working to leverage our current national and regional
partners to better support recruiting efforts.
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps Recruiting Command plans to
partner with numerous organizations in fiscal year 2024. These
partnerships aim to create an influencer advocacy supporting our
professional recruiters on the ground across the United States. These
partners have direct and daily ties to our target market. These
National Partnerships include: American Baseball Coaches Association
(ABCA), American School Counselors Association (ASCA), American
Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), National Wrestling Coaches
Association (NWCA), USA Wrestling (USAW), National Society of Health
and Physical Educators (SHAPE), American Football Coaches Association
(AFCA), WeCOACH, United Soccer Coaches Association (USC), United States
Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and
National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Marine Corps
recruiters across the Nation are continuously seeking out and working
with local community and veteran organizations.
Brigadier General Amrhein. In any given year, Air Force and Space
Force partners with Air and Space Forces Association, Civil Air Patrol,
United Service Organizations and Our Community Salutes at a large
scale, as well as Veterans of Foreign Wars, Rotary Clubs at a more
local squadron level. In addition to these veteran and community
partnerships, we provide marketing funds and further partner with a
range of 30 to 50 (resource dependent) organizations across gaming,
sports/fitness, lifestyle, STEM, and diversity interests to engage with
audiences and communities. Some recent examples include TED, Society of
Women Engineers, Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP),
FIRST Robotics, NFL and MLB teams like the Washington Commanders and
Houston Astros, Professional Bull Riders (PBR), UFC, USA Wrestling, and
many others. These partnerships are all critical to allowing the Air
Force and Space Force to engage one-on-one with prospects and their
influencers. In addition, we place mobile assets at hundreds of events
across the country annually, from air shows to college football games.
college access
66. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, the Army has stated it
wants at least a third of all new recruits to have some level of
postsecondary education by 2028. How does your service intend to
achieve this goal?
Major General Davis. Increasing the share of active Army accessions
with some post-secondary education from approximately one-fifth to one-
third by fiscal year 2028 will be challenging, but this step is
necessary to ensure our force is prepared for future conflicts. The
Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army have brought to
bear the full weight of the Army (within and outside the accessions
enterprise) to tackle this complex problem set. As part of the Army's
organizational re-design of the accessions enterprise, USAREC will
stand up an experimentation unit whose sole task is to develop and
rigorously test new recruiting methods aimed at bringing this expanded
prospect market into the Army. Initial ideas we have prioritized for
testing include expanding the Army's presence on digital job boards,
attendance at professional job fairs, and increased presence at
community colleges and trade schools. With disciplined execution and
data analysis, the Army will be able to determine which of the
initiatives work best among this portion of the labor market. This is
imperative because most high school students are deciding to go on to
college.
67. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, are there any
colleges that prohibit ROTC programs from your service on campus?
Major General Davis. No, the Army is not aware of any school that
prohibits Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs from their
campuses.
Rear Admiral Walker. I am not aware of any colleges that prohibit
Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NROTC) programs on campus.
Major General Bowers. The Marine Corps is part of the Naval ROTC
program. At this time there are no reports of colleges prohibiting the
Marine Corps from participating in the Naval ROTC program. We
appreciate the additional authorities provided in the Fiscal Year 2024
NDAA to increase the access recruiters have to colleges. Physical
access to the colleges and access to the college drop lists is critical
for recruiters to make contact with students to educate them on the
tangible and intangible benefits of serving in the Marine Corps.
Brigadier General Amrhein. We are not aware of any active
prohibitions to Air Force ROTC programs at any campus.
68. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, are there any
colleges that prohibit your service from participating in job fairs and
career fairs?
Major General Davis. No, the Army is not aware of any colleges that
prohibit participation in job fairs and career fairs. Army ROTC Cadre,
including Recruiting Operations Officers, are members of the college/
university faculty and staff and have the same access as the faculty/
staff in other academic departments.
Rear Admiral Walker. I am not aware of any institution that
actively prohibits us from participating. Some examples of less than
ideal access include:
Recruiters are permitted on campus to meet with students
and professors, however, if they want to do any table or booth setups
(separate from career fairs), the school requires payment.
Registration made challenging for career fairs with
strict limit on number of personnel allowed.
Denied requests or no responses from faculty and
administration for requests to gain access for meetings, presentations
and/or info tables.
Some schools have virtual only career fairs creating
difficulty to connect with students and establish physical presence on
campus.
Major General Bowers. Typically, the only issues Officer Selection
Officers have in attendance at job fairs and career fairs comes from
small private colleges.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Most colleges allow participation in
these job fairs if we pay the required fee, normally $200 to $500.
Generally, Air Force units, organizations, and representatives are
provided (at a minimum) equal opportunity to participate in job and/or
career fairs consistent with the opportunities provided other like
organizations.
69. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, can you provide
examples of colleges that provide exemplary access to their campus?
Major General Davis. Army ROTC is a partnership with our
universities providing access and resources to help the Army produce
officers and leaders of character. Some partner schools provide
financial assistance to Cadets in the form of room and board
scholarships or free access to physical fitness facilities. In some
cases, school admissions offices give additional consideration for
admission to those prospects who have received Army ROTC scholarships
or soldiers selected for the Green to Gold program. In almost all
cases, universities highlight Army ROTC programs on university websites
and in literature sent to prospective students and recognize
commissioning Cadets in commencement programs and ceremonies.
Rear Admiral Walker. Exemplary access to campus can include
openness to classroom presentations and career fairs, access to
administration and schools lists, invites to events, and opportunities
to setup recruiting tables.
A few examples of exemplary access to campus are:
University of Delaware allowed Navy to have extra
recruiters attend their fairs at no additional cost and connect to
student health organizations in support of the Navy's Mission.
Johns Hopkins University provided advance notice of
career fairs of interest prior to being listed on Handshake and make a
point of placing Navy recruiters in prominent positions of foot traffic
at their events.
University of Louisville allows recruiters easy access to
campus, lunch halls, and open areas, and worked with the recruiters on
setting up presentations and tables.
Major General Bowers. Numerous colleges across our Nation provide
outstanding access to our Marine Officer Selection Officers. A number
provide nearly unlimited access including schools such as SUNY system,
Southern California, Maryland-College Park, Alaska-Anchorage, Princeton
and San Jose State. Key to exemplary access is a willingness to provide
lists of students and ease of access to prime areas for table set ups
and talks.
Brigadier General Amrhein. All schools that have formally
established an AFROTC unit are bound to support those units consistent
with the provisions of DODI 1215.08 as agreed to under a bilateral (or
trilateral) agreement between the Secretary of the Air Force, the
leadership of a Host Unit, and (if applicable) the leadership from
Crosstown or Extension units attached to a Host Unit. Though most units
share the same agreed to access to classrooms, facilities, engagements,
school leadership, resources, students, and personnel, there are some
schools that voluntarily and actively go beyond the provisions of the
agreement. As agreements between the schools and the Service Secretary
serve as the only contractual expectation, we can only testify on
whether a school is meeting that obligation or not. Our imperative is
to create opportunity to as many highly qualified students as possible
within the resources we are given rather than to actively promote or
highlight the added incentives or benefits one school may offer over
another. That being said, highlights include Pacific Northwest
University in Yakima, WA, Salus University in Elkins Park, PA, and the
Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. A full list is available
upon request.
70. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, can you provide
some examples of colleges that provide unsatisfactory access to their
campus?
Major General Davis. No. Army ROTC partner schools agree to support
their ROTC programs in accordance with the requirements in the
Application for Establishment of an Army Senior ROTC Unit (Department
of the Army Form 918) and the Agreement for Establishment and
Maintenance of an Army Senior ROTC Unit (Department of the Army Form
918A) contract.
Rear Admiral Walker. The challenge with gaining access to post-
secondary students is identifying and engaging the right person at a
university. Recruiters cannot just walk onto a campus and start
recruiting, but instead often have to go through layers of individuals
to gain authorization to address those audiences and be in their
spaces. It is not impossible, however, it takes more time and
coordination. We also use influential pro-military alumni to assist
with this where we can.
Major General Bowers. Unsatisfactory access to campus typically
comes from smaller, private campuses. Unsatisfactory access comes from
a lack of access to school lists, blocking emails, and limiting access
to undesirable areas. In urban areas, some schools completely block
access to campus areas unless a student checks the Officer Selection
Officer in. There is a notable number of law schools that limit or
block access, providing limitations to our ability to interact and
provide opportunities for the future of the Marine Corps Judge Advocate
General Corps.
Brigadier General Amrhein. There are a few examples of institutions
that have combined theme of poor customer service combined with
refusing to distribute student rosters or requiring a fee to visit the
school. A full list is available upon request.
choosing recruiters
71. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, and
Brigadier General Amrhein, what changes have you made to whom you
select for recruiting duty in your service and how they are
incentivized to excel?
Major General Davis. Over the past year, Army has incentivized the
recruiting force by using temporary promotion authorities to the rank
of SSG and SFC. Additionally, the Army is utilizing assignment
incentive pay for recruiters who meet eligibility requirements. The
Army has also streamlined its selection/ screening policy for recruiter
candidates in an effort to allow more deserving soldiers to perform
recruiting duty. The changes include: removal of college credit
requirement; allow soldiers with Sleep Apnea to become recruiters, if
they have no other prohibited medical condition; and increased the
maximum age of recruiter candidates at selection, from age 39 (a waiver
may be considered for candidates up to age 42).
Rear Admiral Walker. Currently all Navy Recruiter Canvassers (Navy
Enlisted Classification Code 803R) receive Special Duty Assignment Pay
(SDAP) level 6, which is $450 a month. Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP)
was recently added for recruiter billets at nine traditionally hard to
fill Navy Talent Acquisition Groups (NTAG): (NTAGs: Portland, Northern
Plains, Heartland, Great Lakes, Ohio River Valley, Pittsburgh,
Philadelphia, New England and Mid America), which is up to an
additional $500 a month. In addition to monetary compensation,
recruiters are also eligible for various performance awards and may be
eligible for meritorious advancement for excelling in recruiting.
Major General Bowers. Not specifically asked of MCRC, however: i)
The Marine Corps remains focused on recruiting the most qualified
individuals our country has to offer, to serve in our Corps; thus, we
continue to screen and select top performing marines to serve as Marine
recruiters. Marine Corps Recruiting Command continues to develop
dynamic and competitive non-monetary incentives (i.e. Recruiter Station
Incentive, competitive promotion opportunities, etc.) and monetary
incentives (i.e. Special Duty Assignment Pay, Assignment Incentive Pay,
and Voluntary Supplemental Incentive) to incentivize our recruiters to
excel; continuing to attract and recruit the best into our ranks. The
Manpower Military Policy Branch is actively involved in the planning
and development of dynamic monetary incentive polices to encourage
marines to not only serve as recruiters but also excel in their roles.
Brigadier General Amrhein. No major changes have been made with
regards to recruiter selection since the stand up of the Developmental
Special Duty Program in 2014. High quality airmen are vectored through
their command leadership teams. If the manning levels in a member's
primary job can support it, the member is released for recruiting duty.
Personnel vectored and released for recruiting duty are screened and
interviewed by experienced senior enlisted recruiting personnel for
suitability. Personnel that clear the screening and interview process
will be matched to a recruiting duty location. Air Force Recruiting
Service has a robust awards program designed to incentivize and
recognize superior performers, such as awarding commendation medals for
the top recruiters.
72. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, are you
considering any additional changes to incentivize your most competent
personnel to serve as recruiters?
Major General Davis. Army continues to look for way to incentive
soldier to perform recruiting duty. Over the past year, for a select
period, Army offered a $5,000 bonus to qualified recruiter candidates
for immediate attendance at the Recruiting College (within 90 days of
selection) followed by an assignment to perform recruiting duty. The
incentive yielded limited success. However, Army is exploring the ideal
to providing a similar incentive in fiscal year 2024 to enhance the
pool of eligible soldiers for recruiting duty.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) has changed the
following to incentivize sailors to serve as recruiters:
Updated board precept language to give special
consideration for those serving on Recruiting;
Adding recruiting duty to all career Learning and
Development Roadmaps as part of career progression; and
Reiterated the value and priority of recruiting duty to
communities across the Navy.
Major General Bowers. Nested within the larger retention efforts,
the Marine Corps remains dedicated to attracting the most qualified
marines to serve as marine recruiters by offering many competitive non-
monetary incentives (e.g, Recruiter Station Incentive, competitive
promotion opportunities) and monetary incentives (i.e. Special Duty
Assignment Pay, Assignment Incentive Pay, and Voluntary Supplemental
Incentive). Manpower and Reserve Affairs continues to conduct analysis
on and evaluate the effectiveness of our current non-monetary and
monetary incentive policies to develop new or change/modify existing
policies in order to remain competitive while operating within the
dynamic recruiting environment.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Recruiters earn special duty assignment
pay (SDAP). SDAP rates of $300 to $450 per month have been constant
since early 2000s based on specific recruiting duties. AFRS is also
looking at Assignment Incentive Pay for members going to areas that are
traditionally less-desirable locations as well as working to better
advocate for locality pay to account for high costs of living (BAH,
Medical Care, Utilities, and travel costs to and from areas not
supported by the normal military base infrastructure or support
agencies).
73. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, can you provide
any examples of successful collaboration with campus organizations and
veterans or community groups on college campuses?
Major General Davis. One example of a highly successful
collaboration is the annual Bataan Memorial Death March. In 1989, the
Army ROTC Department at New Mexico State University began sponsoring
the Bataan Memorial Death March to mark a page in history that included
many native sons and affected many families in the State. In 1992,
White Sands Missile Range and the New Mexico National Guard joined New
Mexico State University as sponsors, and the event was moved to the
White Sands Missile Range. Since its inception, the Bataan Memorial
Death March's participation has grown from about 100 to about 9,600
marchers. These marchers come from the local community, across the
United States and several foreign countries.
Rear Admiral Walker. We have strong relationships with Naval
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and other Service ROTC units
nationwide. These units assist in facilitating relationships with
campus faculty and gaining access to students. Each campus is unique;
some ROTC units can provide substantial assistance, while others are
limited. We have had some success at Historically Black Colleges and
Universities by leveraging officers who are sorority and fraternity
members to help gain access to students and faculty. We identify junior
officers who are members and have them engage with their on-campus
counterparts. The challenge is sustaining the relationship with the
faculty for continuous access year over year.
Major General Bowers. Partnering with athletic teams has been a
strong win for Officer Selection Officers across our Nation. Leadership
talks and providing mentorship to student-athletes provides the teams'
value while connecting our core values of honor, courage, and
commitment to a cadre of individuals who have demonstrated physical
fitness and a dedication to teamwork throughout their lives.
Brigadier General Amrhein. In general, Air Force ROTC units are
often engaged with school and community organizations which promote and
support Veterans as well as students aspiring to serve. Partnerships
like this help create opportunity for mission exposure, enhanced
training, and valuable discussions on career considerations, military
service, and other matters. Whenever possible, the Air Force will
provide support via a mobile asset at events on college campuses.
74. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, can you provide
examples of your service successfully recruiting outside of places
where the military has a strong presence?
Major General Davis. While Army recruiting efforts tend to be more
successful near military installations, there are examples of Army
recruiting success in locations without major military installations.
The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area for example, enlisted over 220 men
and women in 2023, and the Columbus, Ohio, area produced over 320
enlistments during that timeframe. These areas have no major military
installations within 50 miles. Additionally, over 100 men and women
from Springfield, Massachusetts, and surrounding areas joined the Army
during Fiscal Year 2023 despite being over 100 miles from a major Army
post and over 30 miles from the Hanscom Air Force Base. While these
areas do not have major military populations, the Army tends to recruit
well wherever there are high concentrations of qualified youth.
Rear Admiral Walker. Navy's recruiting force is strategically
placed throughout the country to ensure our sailors are active in
markets where we believe there is a potential for enlistment contracts.
Many of these stations fall outside of areas that would be considered
to have a strong military presence. However, historically we have found
that high quality applicants come from all over our country. For
example, last year our most productive Navy Talent Acquisition Group
was from the Phoenix area. Although it is landlocked and has few major
military bases, they achieved the highest performance metrics for all
enlisted recruiting in fiscal year 2023.
Major General Bowers. MCRC is successful because of the marines on
the ground covering every zip code across the United States. Overall,
the Marine Corps recruits proportionately across the country from the
qualified, eligible and propensed population. Our current recruiting
metric identified markets that present opportunity for increased
recruiter presence and we will be fine-tuning our recruiter presence to
optimizing mission share across the recruiting force. We remain
committed to assigning every ZIP code, high school, and corner of the
country to a marine recruiter.
Brigadier General Amrhein. The city of Philadelphia, PA does not
have the strongest military presence but has an Ivy League school with
the University of Pennsylvania. We have had great success here with
many health professions scholarships awarded and nursing students
commissioned directly into DAF. Additionally, the state of Michigan has
very little military presence but has produced numerous engineers for
the DAF.
mental health
75. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, are you
considering changes to what medical criteria require waivers? If so,
please provide an example.
Major General Davis. Yes, current areas under consideration for
updates include commonly waived conditions in ophthalmology, women's
health, and behavioral health.
Rear Admiral Walker. In November 2023, in support of a Report to
Congress, each of the Services coordinated with their Surgeon General
representatives to submit recommendations to OASD(HA) for consideration
of inclusion in the next Department of Defense Instruction 6130.03
Volume 1, ``Medical Standards for Military Service: Appointment,
Enlistment, or Induction'' change or publication, which would relax
several mental health standards. One recommendation involves
examination of the disqualification criteria for ADHD or learning
disability. This is being considered.
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps Recruiting Command is working
with our recruiting and medical partners to review the current DOD
Instruction on accession medical standards with an aim at modernization
and improving opportunities for those who wish to serve their nation.
Brigadier General Amrhein. See question 29 for DAF response.
76. Senator Sullivan. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker,
Major General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, how is your
service responding to changes in the medical history of the general
recruiting population to update your criteria for what triggers a
waiver requirement for a recruit that has sought mental health
treatment?
Major General Davis. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the
Office of the Surgeon General collaborate with the DOD Accessions and
Retention Medical Standards Working Group to establish more precise
standards, particularly concerning behavioral health diagnoses, that
will minimize the need for waivers without increasing the risk to the
Army.
More specifically, the DOD reviews accession and retention medical
standards for mental health within the Accession and Retention Medical
Standards Working Group on a rolling basis every month with published
guidance issued every three to 4 years.
Rear Admiral Walker. In November 2023, in support of a Report to
Congress, each of the Services coordinated with their Surgeon General
representatives to submit recommendations to OASD(HA) for consideration
of inclusion in the next Department of Defense Instruction 6130.03
Volume 1, ``Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction
in the Military Services,'' which dictates conditions that require
waivers for Service entry. Potential changes are being considered.
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps Recruiting Command is working
with our recruiting and medical partners to review the current DOD
Instruction on accession medical standards with an aim at modernization
and improving opportunities for those who wish to serve their nation.
The DOD reviews accession and retention medical standards for mental
health within the Accession and Retention Medical Standards Working
Group on a rolling basis every month with published guidance issued
every three to 4 years.
Brigadier General Amrhein. See question 29 for DAF response.
__________
Questions Submitted by Senator Ted Budd
medical waivers
77. Senator Budd. Major General Bowers, in your October 21st letter
to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, you requested an update to
the DOD policy on medical accession standards based on current
practices related to medical waivers. What sort of medical conditions
is the Marine Corps waiving most frequently?
Major General Bowers. We are glad to continue partnering with OSD
on a review of DODI 6130.03 ensuring the modernization of disqualifying
medical conditions from based on data analysis from the Military
Accessions Review Pilot. MCRC has instituted Conditional Delayed Entry
Program in the interim in which 41 disqualifying conditions are
authorized to join the Delayed Entry Program while pursuing the
approval of a medical waiver. These conditions are listed in the table
below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ICD-10 Diagnosis
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A09 Infectious gastroenteritis and colitis, unspecified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A60.00 Herpesviral infection of urogenital system, unspecified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A63.0 Anogenital (venereal) warts
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DlB.01 Hemangioma of skin and subcutaneous tissue
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D23.9 Other benign neoplasm of skin, unspecified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E55.9 Vitamin D deficiency, unspecified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F07.81 Postconcussional syndrome
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F90.l ADHD, predominantly hyperactive type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F90.9 ADHD, unspecified type (more than 3 years ago, no current issues)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G04.90 Encephalitis and encephalomyelitis, unspecified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HS0.0 Unspecified esotropia
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HS0.10 Unspecified exotropia
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HS0.89 Other specified strabismus
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H51.9 Convergence Insufficiency
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
K02.9 Dental caries, unspecified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L0B.9 Local infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, unspecified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L20.84 intrinsic (allergic) eczema
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L20.9 Atopic dermatitis, unspecified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ml2.50 Traumatic arthopathy, unspecified site
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ml2.569 Traumatic arthropathy, unspecified knee
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M25.639 Stiffness of unspecified wrist, not elsewhere classified
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M26. 4 Malocclusion, unspecified (can close mouth without issue)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S02.91 Unspecified fracture of skull
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S06.0X0S Concussion without loss of consciousness, sequela
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S06.0X1S Concussion with loss of consciousness of 30 minutes or less, sequela
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S06.0X95 Concussion with loss of consciousness of unspecified duration, sequela
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S53.003S Unspecified Subluxation of Either Radial Head At The Elbow
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S53.006S Unspecified Dislocation of Either Radial Head at the Elbow
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S53.103S Unspecified Subluxation of Either Ulnohumeral Elbow Joint
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S53.106S Unspecified dislocation of unspecified ulnohumeral joint, sequela
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S63.003S Unspecified subluxation of unspecified wrist and hand
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S83.419S Sprain of medial collateral ligament of unspecified knee, sequela
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S83.429S Sprain of lateral collateral ligament of unspecified knee, sequela
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S83.519S Sprain anterior cruciate ligament, unspecified knee, sequela
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S83.529S Sprain posterior cruciate ligament, unspecified knee, sequela
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T84.89XS Retained hardware from orthopedic surgery
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Z87.820 Personal history of traumatic brain injury
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Z94.9 Tissue allograft (orthopedic procedure)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H52.209 Unspecified astigmatism
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Z98.890 Other specified postprocedural states (corneal refractive surgery) if at least 3 months
post-op
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
digital marketing tools
78. Senator Budd. Major General Davis, in your written testimony,
you mention the Army's refreshed advertising campaign, ``Be All You Can
Be.'' and efforts to incorporate more digital marketing tools into your
recruiting strategy. In addition to these steps, how else is the Army
working to modernize recruitment campaigns to reach younger Americans
and communicate to them the benefits of service?
Major General Davis. We know from our foundational and ongoing
research on the prospect market (Gen Z ages 17-28) that those who are
open to joining the Army are seeking information about what they might
receive in terms of quality of life, benefits and how the Army fulfills
what they are seeking in an employer (purpose, passion, community &
connection). To that end, we have two complimentary campaigns in market
specifically for active duty enlisted.
First, the ``Know Your Army'' campaign, released 21 March 2022,
features five short ads that aim to debunk common misperceptions about
life in the Army by highlighting tangible benefits and the quality of
life such as pensions, home buying, paid parental leave, vacation, and
camaraderie. Research shows home-buying benefits, a sense of belonging,
and time-off is important to the prospect audience. ``Know Your Army''
is in market across television, streaming/online video, digital, social
media, paid search, and email. Second, the ``First Steps'' campaign,
released 21 August 2023, features four ads that buildupon the refreshed
Army brand launch commercials from March 2023 by appealing directly to
the prospect audience to encourage them to explore and take the first
step with the Army. The ads are more empathetic to a prospective
recruit. This up close and personal approach addresses what prospects
seek in an ideal employer, a sense of purpose, passion, community, and
connection. ``First Steps'' is in market across television, streaming/
online video, digital, social media, paid search, and email.
Both campaigns feature a call to action to the prospect audience to
visit the GoArmy.com website. We are building a new public-facing,
cloud-based Next Generation GoArmy.com website that will be hosted in
the Army's cloud environment by this summer. This will result in our
website, GoArmy.com, rising to meet industry standards, while enabling
Army accessions to leverage emerging technologies and creating a
cohesive user experience for individuals to ultimately transition to
Army service. Examples of some advantages are more rapid updates, more
complex testing, and a full Spanish language experience.
Last, two additional tools are being implemented in fiscal year
2024 to help communicate to prospects the benefits of service. One
initiative is called the Single View of the Recruit (SVOR), which will
utilize various data sources to create individual lead profiles in near
real time for use in marketing activations such as lead nurture emails
and SMS text. The goal is to also provide SVOR profile data to
developing recruiter tools such as GoRecruit (Recruiter Zone phone
app). Another tool is provided by Pega Software, an Artificial
Intelligence driven system that auto--sends communications to the right
people at the right time with the right message to drive their next
best action. Pega models will learn from individual SVOR data profiles
to understand where a lead is in their mindset and determine the
correct individualized message to send.
79. Senator Budd. Major General Davis, Rear Admiral Walker, Major
General Bowers, and Brigadier General Amrhein, if a recruiting
advertising campaign or marketing tool is found to be counter-
productive and risks harming the service's brand, what steps has each
service put into place to address and mitigate these risks?
Major General Davis. We monitor the information environment
constantly to identify potential risks to the brand that may be
associated with our marketing and advertising. If a risk situation is
identified, it is immediately brought to our attention and adjusted.
The types of events we monitor the environment for could be wholly
external or be directly related to the Army in some way. For example,
if there was a recent aviation-related disaster and we had creative
assets in-market or about to launch on social media that highlight
aviation, we would pause or pull those spots until a more appropriate
time to avert potential damage to the Army brand by appearing tone deaf
in our marketing efforts. Another example is our response to news of
the arrest of Jonathan Majors, the celebrity narrator in the ``Be All
You Can Be'' brand relaunch ads. Our team, along with our media
partners, worked quickly to remove the ads entirely from distribution
and preserve the value of 100 percent of our media inventory, losing no
money on the relaunch efforts media investment. The Army was able to
replace the ads with existing creative assets that maintained relevant
relaunch messaging for our target audience.
Rear Admiral Walker. From a media standpoint, brand safety is
essential to ensuring we are not leaving ourselves exposed to
unnecessary risks. We have robust measures in place to mitigate any
potential risks associated with our media placements. Our commitment is
reflected in the following key strategies:
Exclusion lists: Within our buying platforms, we have
implemented comprehensive exclusion lists. These lists are carefully
curated to avoid placements in contexts that may be deemed unsuitable
for the Navy brand, such as news articles, violent content, or other
potentially sensitive environments (full category exclusion list
below). By leveraging these exclusion lists, we proactively prevent our
brand from appearing alongside content that could compromise the Navy
image.
3rd-Party Ad-Serving Partners: In addition to proactively
setting up exclusion lists, we partner with reputable third-party ad-
serving providers, such as Double Verify. These partners play a crucial
role in ensuring brand safety at all levels of our campaigns. Their
advanced technologies and stringent ad verification processes allow us
to maintain a high level of confidence in the suitability of ad
placements. This includes real-time monitoring and blocking of ads that
might be associated with objectionable content.
Community Management: Risk mitigation is central to
maintaining tone with our online presence. Our team operates on a
monitoring schedule across our various social media platforms using
Khoros social listening software and Khoros Care. These provide real-
time oversight and feed of live comments and direct messages from our
channels in the same place. This ensures prompt engagement to swiftly
address issues that arise in discussions, questions via direct
messages, and comments along with the use of our pre-approved Community
Management response resources. Beyond observation, our approach
integrates social listening tools, quick-response messages and
analytics reporting. These tools provide key insights into audience
sentiments, trends, and real-time reactions that empower us to
anticipate potential risks to tailor live responses effectively. On a
daily/hourly basis, our team oversees social channels and comments, to
maintain timely responses in queue. This allows us to promptly address
any potential issues, moderating discussions, and swiftly intervening
in cases of inappropriate content or conversations that require
escalation. By proactively engaging with the community, we steer
conversations in a positive direction, mitigating risks and
safeguarding our online presence while fostering an engaged online
community of future and Active Duty sailors and veterans.
Creative/Campaign Development: Navy is committed to
featuring real sailors in real environments in order to provide an
authentic look at Navy life for prospective recruits. Additionally, the
Navy follows all platform best practices for activations to ensure we
show up appropriately on the platform, with brand safety and
authenticity at the forefront. For example, when planning and hosting
Reddit ``Ask Me Anything'' events (AMAs), the sailor's story is front
and center, and we do not stage or plant questions that would skew the
activation in a particular way and potentially damage the activation.
This approach has resulted in positive and engaging activations with
Navy upvote rates 27 percent higher than the DOD benchmark.
Category Exclusion List
Ad Clutter
Adult & Sexual (Global Alliance for Responsible Media
(GARM)-Mapped)
Tolerance Alcohol (GARM-Mapped)
Aviation Disasters
Safety floor: Copyright Infringement (GARM-Mapped)
Brand Safety floor: Extreme & Graphic (GARM-Mapped)
Brand Safety floor: Malware (GARM-Mapped)
Brand Safety floor: Phishing (GARM-Mapped)
Brand Safety floor: Spam (GARM-Mapped)
Crime (GARM-Mapped)
Death & Injury (GARM-Mapped)
Drug Abuse (GARM-Mapped)
Hate Speech & Cyberbullying (GARM-Mapped)
Human-made Disasters (GARM-Mapped)
Incentivized Traffic
Inflammatory Politics & News (GARM-Mapped)
Natural Disasters
Negative News: Financial News
Negative News: Pharmaceutical News
News: Journals & Blogs
Profanity (GARM-Mapped)
Terrorism (GARM-Mapped)
Tobacco & eCigarettes (GARM-Mapped)
Vehicle Disasters
Violence (GARM-Mapped)
Major General Bowers. Marine Corps marketing takes evolutionary
steps in producing new campaigns vice revolutionary shifts. This
creates minimal disruption from a historically successful brand and
allows monitoring of effects that specific changes may bring. In the
event a campaign or element of marketing produces negative impact, the
Marine Corps can quickly pull elements from media rotation and replace
with alternative content that still aligns with the overall brand idea
of ``Battles Won''. In the event that an additional piece of content
may not be available, the Marine Corps can switch to alternative media
channels through contract modification and relationship of advertising
agency with media vendors for guaranteed impressions.
Brigadier General Amrhein. Certainly, if there is a marketing
tactic that is potentially harmful to our brand, we have the capability
to pause it immediately until we can re-evaluate it. The best example
of that would be social media posts during a national crisis--we will
pause social media posts that are not related to the crisis until such
a time as it's appropriate to re-engage. We also review tactical
performance monthly, quarterly, and annually, so if a campaign, tactic,
or tool are under-performing, we can make optimizations fluidly or in
the instance of a tactic just not working, we will not fund the tactic.
We regularly review both our media tactics as well as our experiential
tactics and will discontinue them when they do not deliver what we need
from them.
military service app usage
80. Senator Budd. Major General Davis and Brigadier General
Amrhein, part of addressing the recruiting crisis is supporting
servicemembers' quality of life. One method of supporting
servicemembers' quality of life is increasing servicemembers' ability
to communicate with their families. The Navy and the Marine Corps have
implemented Sandboxx, an app designed to help new recruits, their
families and the recruiting command navigate the beginning of service.
Have the Air Force and the Army looked into implementing Sandboxx or
similar apps to support servicemembers' communication with their
families?
Major General Davis. The Army recognizes the essential
communication and support link between soldiers in Training (Trainees)
and their families during Initial Entry Training. As such, the Army has
made great efforts to ensure there is regulated and dedicated time
during the initial training period for soldiers to be able to
communicate with their families. Trainees are encouraged to call family
and friends at every afforded opportunity and are allowed to use their
own personal devices to do so. All Trainees make an initial phone call
at Reception to inform families they arrived safely and are then
allowed 90 minutes of phone calls on weekends and up to 30 minutes in
the middle of each week. Commanders also have the discretion to
increase cell phone and electronic device usage based on mission
requirements, constraints, timeline, and daily activities.
In addition to direct communication, the Army utilizes a program
called ``Inside the Wire'' hosted on the free Facebook platform to keep
families up to date on their Trainees. ``Inside the Wire'' provides
useful and current information, detailing what their Trainees go
through daily and posting multiple pictures and videos where families
are offered a glimpse into their Trainees in action.
The U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training, with
organizational oversight in all Initial Entry Training, has met with
and reviewed proposals from Sandboxx and found that their ``for fee''
service--which charges anywhere from $2.75 to $5 per letter--was not a
good fit for Initial Entry Training Soldiers or families when there are
already sunk cost (personal phones), lower cost (USPS), and free
options (social media platforms) readily available for use. These
options are more financially beneficial, equally responsive, and more
in line with the communication methods, styles, and preferences of the
digital generation we are teaching and training. Trainees and family
are not prohibited from utilizing Sandboxx or other similar
communication programs / platforms and may do so on an individual basis
if they so desire.
Brigadier General Amrhein. While we continually evaluate industry
proposals, the Air Force fielded our own mobile recruiting application
called the Aim High App (AHA) in the summer of 2020 which is available
on both the Apple and Google platforms. AHA leverages a robust and
secure platform bringing together leads, applicants, recruits,
trainees, family, friends, and influencers while directly interfacing
with our primary IT systems for seamless data integration. The app
currently has 90,000 user accounts with 7,000 new users joining each
month. In fiscal year 2023 alone, the Aim High App generated more than
40,000 recruiting leads while allowing over 50,000 family members to
see their young airman or guardian in action during basic training
through photos of their flights progress across the 8 plus weeks in
training. In fiscal year 2024, we will bring the U.S. Space Force
recruiting their own branded mobile app similar to AHA.
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