By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity
The Defense Officer Personnel Management Act of 1980 has
served the military well, but it needs to change to meet the changing
environment, service personnel chiefs told a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee
yesterday.
The law was passed in a far different time and it
standardized officer promotions across the services. It enshrined the
“up-or-out” process and it gave the services the necessary tools to manage a
huge industrial age force. The four manpower chiefs detailed their services’
plans in written testimony to the subcommittee on personnel.
The act now limits the flexibility services need in today’s
environment, Army personnel chief Lt. Gen. Thomas C. Seamands said in his
written testimony. This is especially crucial when dealing with low-density,
high-demand specialties.
He said Army officials are “reviewing proposed statutory
changes for the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act to modernize the
DOPMA to recruit, develop, promote and retain officers for today’s operational
requirements.”
Seeking More Effective Management of Human Capital
He assured members that the Army will share their review
with legislators. “A review and adjustment of DOPMA may enable more effective
management of human capital, and help ensure the inevitable cycles of reduction
and expansion work more smoothly for all the services,” he said.
In the Navy, changes in the act will help the service
compete for talent, and use that talent more effectively, said Navy Vice Adm.
Robert P. Burke, the chief of naval personnel.
“Sailors leaving the Navy have increasingly expressed
frustration with the industrial-age personnel systems and processes under which
we operate, which do not provide the kinds of choice, flexibility and
transparency they value and expect,” Burke said. “Just as the scope and
complexity of the warfighting challenges we face on the battlefield demand a
different approach, so, too, does our approach to recruiting, developing, and
retaining the kind of talented force we need to compete and win in this
warfighting landscape.”
DOPMA has worked, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Gina M. Grosso,
but it needs to modernize. The Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for manpower,
personnel and services told the senate panel that “modernization will provide
more flexibility into the officer management system so we can quickly respond
to human capital requirements in the information age.”
The Air Force has already modernized personnel policies for
the enlisted force and expect to use that example when proposing changes to the
officer force, she said.
The U.S. labor market is becoming more and more competitive.
“Attracting and keeping the bright leaders may require additional flexibilities
in our personnel management governance,” Grosso said. “We also know officers
serving today desire more agility and ability to manage their careers than
DOPMA currently affords.”
New domains of warfare concern Marine Corps officials, said
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael A. Rocco, deputy commandant for manpower and
reserve affairs. “Cyber operations, information and electronic warfare,
enhanced command and control, intelligence, engineering, civil-military
operations, manned-unmanned teaming, robotics and the leveraging of artificial
intelligence are examples of critical skills we will need for the future
fight,” the general said. “Creating incentives through continued reform will
help us now and in the future.”
The Corps is also looking at creating separate competitive
categories for certain officer occupations. “Non-command career tracks are also
being discussed,” he said. “We are assessing whether this would result in
adverse second- and third-order impacts for the Marine Corps. Any such tool
must be implemented equitably; it is not something that should be offered to
some, but not similarly-situated others.”
Posts
