ON BEHALF OF THE TOTAL ARMY

MISTER CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, I APPRECIATE OPPORTUNITY AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR PERSONNEL TO ADDRES THE ACTIVE FORCE, THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, THE ARMY RESERVE AND THE ARMY CIVILIAN WORK FORCE. THESE COMPONENTS TOTAL OVER 1.9 MILLION INDIVIDUALS

REPRESENT OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET

ITS PEOPLE.

THE ARMY HAS DESIGNATED 1988 AS THE YEAR OF TRAINING. VIEW OF OUR PRESENT CHALLENGES AND IMPORTANCE OF USING OUR CONSTRAINED RESOURCES TO THE FULLEST POSSIBLE EXTENT, IT IS JOB TO ENSURE THAT THE OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, SOLDIERS ARE THE BEST THIS COUNTRY CAN OFFER. QUALITY LEADE

AND SOLDIERS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR VALUE TIME AND TIME AGA

THEY ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIVE TO THE TA
AND MISSIONS GIVEN THEM. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL WHEN

THE CELEBRATION OF THE BICENTENNIAL YEAR OF THE CONSTIT SERVED TO HIGHLIGHT THE ARMY'S HISTORICAL ROLE IN CARRYING O

OUR NATIONAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES.

SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE CONSTITUTION, WE HAVE CHANGED AS A NATION AND AS AN ARMY, BUT THE NEED FOR A QUALITY FORCE DEDICATED TO THE SUPPORT AND DEFENSE OF THE NATION HAS NOT

CHANGED.

IT IS EVIDENT BY EVENTS IN TODAY'S HEADLINES THAT CONFL CAN ARISE SUDDENLY AND UNPREDICTABLY IN TODAY'S COMPLEX WORL THE ARMY MUST BE PREPARED TO ACT RAPIDLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO

"WINDS OF CHANGE" BECAUSE WE CANNOT PREDICT EVERY CONTING

TODAY, I WILL ADDRESS A FEW OF MY MAJOR CONCERNS THA

BE MET HEAD ON. I KNOW YOU CARE AND WANT TO MAINTAIN A S

AND READY ARMY.

QUALITY OF THE FORCE

AS YOU KNOW, OUR FOCUS IS ON WARFIGHTING.

IT'S MYN

TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMBATANT COMMANDS, INDEED, THE TOTAL SUPPLIED WITH QUALITY PERSONNEL. THIS IS MY NUMBER ONE I TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALITY OFFICERS, NCO'S AND SOLDIE THE LAST SIX YEARS, WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE HAVE MET THIS CHALLENGE. WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE DECISIONS AND ACTIONS

TODAY WILL SUSTAIN OUR QUALITY ARMY INTO THE FUTURE, AN RECRUITS AND TRAINS THE BEST YOUNG SOLDIERS AND LEADERS

AS NOTED IN FIGURE 1, 91% OF ALL ACCESSIONS INTO THE ACT COMPONENT ARE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA GRADUATES. ONLY 4% ARE IN T

LOWEST ELIGIBLE TEST SCORE CATEGORY.

THIS ACHIEVEMENT IS UNPARALLELED IN THE HISTORY OF THE AF

AND IS REPEATED IN THE RESERVE COMPONENTS AS NOTED IN FIGURES

AND 3.

ISSION

RMY IS

IORITY.

. OVER

OF

MY THAT

α

ONS

72

63

67

L:63%

87

WE HAVE MUCH IN OUR ARMY TO BE PROUD OF. THE STATI
ARMY AND ITS PEOPLE IS EXCELLENT--MORALE AND ESPRIT ARE

TIME HIGH, BUT WE CANNOT REST. WE MUST NOT REVERSE THE
THUS FAR ACHIEVED. WE MUST LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE

OUR EFFORTS AND RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINING THIS QUALITY P
BASE WHICH IS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN A READY ARMY. IF R
IN APPROPRIATIONS CONTINUE, OUR PROGRESS WILL BE LOST A
FUTURE SECURITY WILL BE IN DOUBT.

WHY? QUALITY SOLDIERS ARE A COMBAT MULTIPLIER.
THE KIND OF SOLDIERS NEEDED FOR FUTURE CONFLICTS BECAUS

DECENTRALIZATION OF LEADERSHIP AND RAPID PACE OF COMBAT

AND

OCCUR. THEY REPRESENT THE PRIME FACTOR IN DETERMINING
FLEXIBILITY, OUR DEPLOYABILITY, OUR STEADFASTNESS,
POWER THAT WILL BE NECESSARY TO DETER AND, WHEN CALLED
FIGHT AND TO WIN.

QUALITY SOLDIERS ARE NOT A LUXURY; THEY ARE ESSEN
KNOW THAT QUALITY BREEDS ON ITSELF. THESE YOUNG MEN AN
ARE DEDICATED AND ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE EFFECTIVE AND
WAYS OF MEETING MISSION REQUIREMENTS.

AS INDICATED IN THE NEXT CHART, THEY HAVE FEW DISC
INDICATORS OF INDISCIPLINE ARE AT AN ALL TIM

PROBLEMS.

ADDITION, ACCIDENT RATES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DOWN. THEY
QUICKLY--AT FORT BENNING IN THE 13 WEEK ONE STATION UNI
COURSE, WE ARE NOW TEACHING INFANTRY RECRUITS MORE SKIL
WERE COMMONLY TAUGHT TO INFANTRY RECRUITS OF THE 70'S.

QUALITY SOLDIERS SEEK RESPONSIBILITY AND ARE MORE

THEY CHALLENGE US TO

COMPLETE THEIR TERMS OF SERVICE.
CREATIVE. MY POINT, HERE, IS THAT DUE TO THIS "QUALITY
ARMY CAN MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY CONCENTRATE (

PREPARING FOR ITS MISSION. THIS IS WHY WE SAY THAT QUA
SOLDIERS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR READINESS.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES?

DESPITE DEMO

TRENDS AND AN IMPROVING ECONOMY, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO

MEETING AND EXCEEDING OUR RECRUITING AND RETENTION GOA

HOWEVER, DUE TO THE CONTINUING

QUALITY AND QUANTITY.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ECONOMY, THE DECLINING POOL OF ELIGIBLE
QUALITY MANPOWER FROM WHICH TO DRAW, A WIDENING DISPARITY IN
COMPARABILITY, AND A REDUCTION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR QUALITY
LIFE PROGRAMS AND OTHER PERSONNEL RESOURCES, MAINTAINING THIS
FORCE WILL BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE. IF GIVEN THE NECESSARY
RESOURCES, WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE ARMY WITH QUALITY
SOLDIERS.

WHAT'S NEEDED?

YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF RECRUITING

ADVERTISING RESOURCES, CASH ENLISTMENT BONUSES AND EDUCATIONA

BENEFITS IS NECESSARY. WE MUST CAPITALIZE ON YOUNG PEOPLES

DESIRE FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND CONTINUED EDUCATION.

A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO RETENTION IS ENSURING THAT OUR

SOLDIERS AND FAMILIES KNOW WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM.

FAMILY

QUALITY OF LIFE PROGRAMS ARE NOT ONLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO