ized under Section 408, Public Law 765 has been funded for the purchase of trailers in United Kingdom, France, and French Morocco, leaving funds available in the amount of $30,095,000 to be used for construction of appropriated fund housing. The 3,020 units already certified to by OSD represent an amount of $32,150,240 or $2,055,240 in excess of total funds appropriated. In addition to those installations already certified, requests have been submitted to OSD for two more bases. These requests are for 575 units and represent an additional amount of $7,762,500. Three additional bases, totaling 290 units, have not been submitted. These additional 290 units represent an amount of $3,915,000. Design funds for 30 installations in an amount of $460,000 have been allocated to the Department of the Air Force by Office, Secretary of Defense on January 4, 1955. Design funds for an additional 8 installations have been allocated by the Office, Secretary of Defense on February 8, 1955. Construction funds are not allocated by Office, Secretary of Defense to the Air Force until such time as the plans, specifications and architect-engineer estimates of cost of construction are completed. The status of our program to date is as follows: 1. No. of projects under construction-None. 2. First project will be under construction approximately May 1, 1955. 5. Total architect-engineer contracts to be negotiated by February 28, 1955-23. 6. Architect-engineer contracts approved-6. 7. Total architect-engineer contracts to be approved by February 28, 1955-19. 8. Obligations in the amount of $1.4 million have been reported as of January 30, 1955. 9. No expenditures have been reported as of January 30, 1955. PROBLEM OF RETAINING SKILLED AIRMEN IN THE SERVICE Mr. SIKES. You mention in your statement, Mr. Secretary, the difficulties of keeping young men in the Air Force. You have touched on a number of factors on which you have not gone into detail, about the problem and what you think should be done to correct it. For the information of this committee and for the Congress when the record is made available, I should like to request that you have placed in the record at this point a more detailed analysis. Secretary TALBOTT. I would be glad to do so, Mr. Sikes; I did not do that because I thought you were all pretty conversant with it and I did not want to take time to go into detail. Mr. SIKES. It would be well to have it for the record. Secretary TALBOTT. We will be glad to do it. We have all those reasons tabulated, percentagewise and everything else. That has been an area in which I have worked hardest since I have been here. (The following statement was submitted later:) The problem is one of retaining in the Air Force those skilled airmen necessary to maintain an effective, combat-ready force. People are our greatest yet most critical asset. The effectiveness of the Air Force is in direct relationship to the quality and state of training of our personnel. The magnitude of this problem is best understood by a brief résumé of the personnel situation in 1950 as related to the present. In May 1950 the enlisted strength of the Air Force was approximately 338,000. All of these individuals were true volunteers, a group of well-qualified professional airmen with a relatively high retention rate. In fact, approximately 250,000 of these airmen are still with us. Since 1950 we have built up to and are now leveling off with an airmen strength of close to 830,000, almost 21⁄2 times that of 1950. We must sustain this force for the foreseeable future. Today were are faced with the greatest turnover of personnel in the history of the Air Force, at a time when maximum readiness must be maintained. The overall experience level is approaching a dangerous low. Less than one-third of our airmen have more than 4 years of service. (See below.) During the next 14 years, it is anticipated that the Air Force will lose approximately one-half million airmen through failure to reenlist. The experience and effectiveness that these trained airmen represent cannot be accurately translated into dollars, but the cost to train their replacements will be in the billions. These are the trends that must be stopped. The danger to our security from a drop in effectiveness cannot be assessed in dollars. In an effort to solve this problem of retaining a higher percentage of airmen, numerous studies and surveys of airmen have been conducted. Indications are that there are many factors which influence individuals in determining the favorable and unfavorable aspects of a military career. These factors have been divided into two general groups and are discussed in more detail in the following paragraphs There are areas wherein the Air Force alone must accept responsibility and independently strive for improvement. This has and is being accomplished through the basic and fundamental principle of improved management. Specifically this program, which is in being, is directed toward (a) removing or modifying those policies and procedures which detract from Air Force attractiveness plus the requirement that new policies are just, equitable, necessary and understood; (b) insuring, where possible, that the operation and management of the Air Force is such as to act as a positive career incentive. Recent actions in furtherance of this effort are listed under tab B, below. The second group of factors which tend to influence reenlistment intentions are those over which the Air Force exercises no direct control. They are the material benefits and gains necessary to maintain a desired and acceptable social status. Examples of primary interest are: 1. Adequate pay and allowances. 2. Satisfactory housing and recreational facilities. 3. Assurance that those indirect items commonly known as fringe benefits and historically a part of military life are not compromised. 4. And of primary importance, acceptance, and understanding by the American public that the Air Force is an honorable and dignified way of life. Results of surveys designed to secure the opinions of airmen regarding certain factors which either favorably or unfavorably influence their reenlistment intentions are shown under tabs below, as follows: Improvements which would contribute most to an Air Force career, tab C; most needed improvements and effects on reenlistment intent, tab D; reenlistment intent by family influences, tab E; plans of airmen not intending to reenlist, tab F. A review of these tabs indicates that the primary areas requiring attention are those in which the Air Force has either initiated appropriate action or requested legislative aid. TAB A-Active Federal military service of USAF airmen 0-5 6-11 12-17 18-23 24-29 30-35 36-41 42-47 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16 and above 1.0 2.9 7.8 18.8 31.6 18.3 19.6 1.5 3.4 21.2 22.2 25.3 18.3 4.7 3.5 23. 117. 3 23.4 11.9 8.0 5.4 1.1 1.2 28.0 8.7 5.6 2.5 1.5 .7 .3 7.8 4.5 2.3 .9 .3 .2 2.2 2.4 1.3 .7 .4 1.9 2.4 1.8 2.3 4.2 1.4 0.6 1.5 6.6 0.5 0.7 4.4 17.8 29.3 2.1 5.6 17.5 20.8 21.3 16.8 23.232.4 10.4 9.8 7.7 5.3 4.3 71.2 5.4 3.1 2.6 3.6 4.0 4.0 20.0 37.7 14.6 11.5 6.2 6 1.1 9.3 7.7 3.9 6.6 7.9 10.3 12.1 11.7 6.4 7.2 4.7 4.6 4.3 1.7 1.6 Source: Nov. 30. 1954, Sample Survey. Prepared by Research and Statistical Analysis Section, January 28, 1955. TAB B.--Recent Internal Management Actions in Furtherance of the Effort to Make Air Force Careers More Attractive New assignment procedure for long-service airmen by giving certain of these airmen a choice of bases and limiting the vulnerability to overseas service of others. More equitable overseas duty assignments of advanced skilled airmen. Overseas assignments for these personnel are now accomplished by name on an individual basis. A program whereby an airman may volunteer for an overseas area of his preference. When an airman has volunteered for a specific area he will not be vulnerable for another overseas area until such time as he is due for overseas assignment by reason of his foreign service selection date. Voluntary extension to a maximum of 48 months has been authorized for all Overseas areas. An airman completing an overseas tour not in excess of 36 months may volunteer for an assignment in another overseas area without returning to the Zone of Interior providing that he has not been forecasted for return to Zone of Interior. Procedures whereby personnel are not selected for overseas assignments unless they have at least 18 months' retainability have been instituted. A procedure whereby the exact overseas station for an individual is determined prior to his departure from the Zone of Interior. This facilitates the ability of preplanning by the individual concerned. A base-choice policy for airmen scheduled for separation from the service. As an inducement for reenlistment, assignment choices are offered to Zone of Interior airmen nearing the date of their separation and to overseas airmen arriving at ports for separation. Airmen may name 3 bases of their choice and will be sent to 1 of the bases if vacancy exists in their AFSC and if their Specialties are not surplus Air Force-wide. Airmen separating in the Zone of Interior whose skills are surplus will, if qualified, be allowed to select technical schools for retraining in needed skill areas. All major air commands have taken positive actions to increase the prestige of noncommisioned officers within their commands. Concurrent travel regulations have been relaxed and where concurrent travel cannot be arranged the waiting periods of dependents in joining military sponsors have been reduced. Twice-a-month paydays have been instituted. Airmen completing basic training are granted 10 days' leave prior to reporting to technical training schools or base of assignment. This policy is designed to increase morale and stimulate the recruiting effort. In addition to actions already taken, improvements in the following areas are being given priority consideration by interested Air staff activities : 1. Expansion of inservice educational opportunities. 2 Ways and means of improving subsequent job satisfaction through improved initial classification and assignment procedures. 3. Development of a standardized noncommissioned officer training program for Air Force-wide application. 4. In identification of retainability factors and insuring that "career mindedness" is the Air Force theme in recruiting, training, and advancement programs. TAB C.-Benefit or improvement which would contribute most to Air Force career (all airmen) Source: May 31, 1954, sample survey. Prepared by Research and Statistical Analysis Section, Dec. 1954. TAB D.-What airmen say about the improvements needed by the Air Force and how these improvements would affect their reenlistment intent |