Troops With Skills Walk
Would You Like to Know More?
A, wait for it, watchdog report from the Government Accountability Office (seriously?) discloses the stunningly obvious- troops with marketable skills and little incentive to stay, will leave for greener pastures. As in the private sector.
Specifically mentioned were personnel with advanced cyber training. The expensive and lengthy training pipeline does not allow for significant time to actually apply the skills before the end of the first enlistment. In Govspeak, “…military services are not positioned to ensure adequate return on their investment in advanced cyber training.”
Troops Are Getting Cyber Training and Then Rapidly Leaving the Military, Report Finds
The military has been competing with the private sector to recruit and retain a workforce with critical cyber skills — a decade-long contest where pay, purpose and personnel management have driven the flow of talent, and the services appear to be losing, according to a government watchdog report.
Troops who receive extensive cyber training, lured by the lucrative private sector, are parting ways with the military services quicker than some branches can offset the cost of that training.
The Pentagon’s efforts have been hamstrung by unclear service obligations and mistracked staffing data in some branches, according to a report from Congress’ Government Accountability Office that was released Wednesday.
The GAO focused on what the military calls Interactive On-Net Operator, or ION, training — a valuable skill set that revolves around “network reconnaissance” and analysis to identify adversary strongpoints and vulnerabilities, according to the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command.
It is one of three skills that U.S. Cyber Command identified as critical to its mission as the military announced plans this year to increase its cyber workforce over the next half decade.
The Army — which is looking to double its cyber force — and Marine Corps came up short on their investment in that skill, and are not getting back what they’ve put into training troops who assume those roles. And outside of the Navy, all branches had little visibility on how they tracked those billets.
“Personnel who complete training to fill the ION work role — which may take a year or more and costs the department hundreds of thousands of dollars — may not remain in the military to use those skills for a significant length of time after training,” the report said.
The GAO has six recommendations that will not affect the root causes of the exodus of talent, and by extension service-wide recruitment woes.
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Diversity, Government Incompetence, Space Force
Ummm……..and just what is the mandatory required time to stay in after schooling under current contracts?
And if the time is too short, what’s the difficulty in making it longer?
Spot on, Tox. Nailed it. There are many training programs run by private industry that requires a certain amount of time for one to work at said industry before one can leave. Some examples locally are medical centers that will pay you to attend nursing/doctor schools but you have to work for them for X # of years, usually 6. Same with auto mechanics and electricians. Trade school is paid for and you work for the dealership or the electrician for a while. A short term sacrifice for the long term gain.
DaHell you doing suggesting a simple solution to a not so complex problem? HOW DARE YOU!. Simple problems require a complex solution that is only derived by 3 + years studying the empiric data.
I remember, back yonder, that certain MOSes required a specified term of enlistment. Buddy of mine became a pediatrician that way on the AF’s dime
I knew a guy who went to Medical School on the Army’s dime and became a Physician. The other side of the coin? He had to spend the next five years as an Army Doctor, so why not that for lengthy school in the Military?
That’s “racist” or something now!
WORKING to EARN or achieve something when everyone could just be handed a trophy? Yeah, I see that.
A Dad asked his on how he did in the race at school that day to which he said “Yeah Dad, I took first place, but everyone got the same trophy no matter what, so why should I bother next time?”
Not to mention the you-have-to-get-your-dumb-classmates-into-college-for-“equity,”-smart-kid group work:
These days anything involving electronics in the Marine Corps is a five year active duty enlistment, given the length of schools in 29 Stumps. Back when Hack Stone was younger, faster and skinnier, it was only four years active. Basic Electronics was 13 weeks, Radio Fundamentals was five weeks, and Ground Radio Repair 13 weeks (not positive on that last one). Factor in the time that C&E spent jerking around students doing stupid shit like cleaning the base theater, maintaining the grounds at the golf course and shoveling shit at the base stables, you have over a year between basic training and hitting the fleet.
So my son joined the Army a couple of years ago as a 17C, Cyberwarfare. The commitment was for 6 years active duty.
He maxed the ASVAB (99) and that was the beginning. He had to display proficiency in several programming languages through testing assessments before he could contract.
School was supposed to take 15 months for BCT and AIT combined. Due to Covid delays it was around 19 months. He made E4 right around the time he hit permanent party. He now has less than 4 years to go on his contract. It is very likely he will make E5 next year (36-40 months) and of does well make E6 within 5 years of service.
While this sounds good, Were he to enter the job market today with all.of the certs he has, A TS-SCI +Clearance and 4 years experience he would easily start in the $90-100k range, without a degree. With a degree about 20% higher.
With the retirement benefits structure, the limited geographic opportunities for assignments and the job market, he will likely be out.
If Uncle Sam were to charge Uncle Sam the true price for technical training, the offset would be quicker. I once asked accounting and finance how much it cost per student for my tech school. The amount they came up with made me think I was working for an Ivy League school. The DFAS folks reminded me the amount included paying for the school building. The building was over 50 years old; if it wasn’t paid for by then there must have been a big problem with the bonds.
That pic is the Mobile Infantry. Although, it may be part of the Space Force.
On the bounce!
Wonder why that was not used in the movie???
The coed shower scene, though…
Yes! I would like to know more!
*sigh*
Not quite what I had in mind, but thanks anyway.
Well, honestly, I’d like to know more thereabouts (wouldn’t we all) too… she does look cute.
Because the director didn’t want to make Heinlein’s book, which he didn’t finish reading (and the parts he did read he didn’t like). He wanted to make a space shoot-’em-up with CGI bugs and co-ed showers, but whatever that mess was, it was not Starship Troopers.
I always said the author’s name in the credits should have read “Based very, very, very, very loosely on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein.”
Anyone who enjoyed the book was insulted by the movie.
I believe RAH would have approved of the co-ed showers, though.
I read the book at age 19 and when the movie came out a couple of years later, I was very disappointed in the way it was made. Heinlein wrote the book to specifically address the Cold War and how he viewed the political systems involved. Obviously, the screenplay writer had a different perspective.
Director wanted a kinky sex/violence fest (he made The Fourth Man and Basic Instinct, too).
Is that where they get the door gunners for the space shuttle?
Probably — it’s been so long since I read the book. But I did get the training!
Chip and I both work for the same agency — so it was easier to get into the school.
Requalified 4 Jul 22
Gee somethings never change. I spent a good year in schools to become a 3522 advanced auto tech back in the day. I had friends that spent more time than that to be 3524’s.
Guess what? Damn near everyone of us got out after a first enlistment. It was not to hard to choose an $18.00 an hour job over the $1,200 a month we were making.
Today we are talking about the difference between maybe $4K a month and $8k+ a month. Even with a good reup bonus (often Tier 10) it is hard to compete.
I joined the Navy under the Advanced Electronics Program. I was required to serve six years vs four years once I completed “A” School.
They could simply force todays graduates to serve eight years once you sign the contract. After serving four years active they could have you serve up to another four years active since enlisting obligates you to serve eight years.
Maybe I wasn’t paying attention in military history class or am rusty, but I could have sworn this issue was party why they created Specialist grades way back in the early 20th century — or “artificers” prior to that.
We had a veteran in the class who always strongly recommended that whole system come back or that they bring back “technicians,” like in WW2. Either way — not my area of expertise. Fun class though…
Actually compared to civilian sector wages the extra pay probably still wouldn’t entice many to stay. Guess it worked better in another era, or maybe not even back then as well as expected.
It wouldn’t apply here in any case because wait for it…. Cyber is… a Combat Arms Branch. Before you say; “no wai!” the logic is inescapable.
Yeah, I’m waiting for the Combat Cyberperson Badge. To quote Riley from “The Boondocks”: That’s some ol’ bullshit.
The truth is that cyber can cause untold billions in infrastructure damage and kill loads of people without every leaving their desk.
Pshaw!
All in a days work for Washington bureaucrats.
OT, but… Google pushing .webp imagery out there to make it harder to download images and make memes, especially with cellphones. Folk not liking it:
True, but harder to quickly make snarky comments w/ bitchin’ graphics on cellphone than before.
Point.
I don’t do interwebz on my cellphone, but that’s ’cause I’m a paranoid (i.e., I know too much) computer geek.
I cheat. Save image as .webp, open/play with Paint, save as .jpeg
exempli gratis
Sounds about right.
Still think Space Force is trying to look like Lincoln F. Sternn from Heavy Metal:
At least he had a plan.
True.
“Take it easy Charlie. I’ve got an angle”
Pick the guy with the glowing green marble…
Get the skills then make sure you either lose a dick or pick up a dick before you walk.
All on the taxpayer’s dime….
But what if you want to KEEP your dick?🤣
You are considered an extremist and booted out.
Back before Hack Stone secured that sweet sweet gig as Director of Media Relations for a proud but humble woman owned business that sells software to the Federal Government formerly located in Bethesda Maryland, he was a slimy contractor working in the bowels of the Pentagon. Had a kid (early twenties) come on to the contract. He initially enlisted in the Air Force, who sent him over to DLI. A tough school, we can all agree on. Unfortunately, he failed out at some point, like a majority of the students, as Hack has heard that DLI has one of the highest attrition rates of military schools. So the Air Force looked at his ASVAB, saw that he had the scores that would qualify him for Technical Control. He attends, he graduates, he gets the diploma and clearance, then the Air Force says “We have too many Technical Controllers. We’ll pay you a shitload of money to leave the Air Force.”
You don’t have to be Rocket Surgeon to figure out that with a highly marketable skill with a TS/SCI clearance, plus a sweet departure gift of somewhere north of $20,000, you would be an idiot not jump ship.
DLI usedta require a 3 year commitment to the Army if they chose the language, 4 year if you chose (especially if you picked one which paid a bonus once you finished yor real AIT afterwards.)
Re the tough part: we started with 24 in two sections and graduated 13 eventually. Most weren’t fails, but had problems obtaining a clearance. No clearance, no job.
Around 1979-80 the Active Duty Service Commitment for Pilot training was increased from 5 years to 6 years. From memory in the mid 90s this was moved to 10 years.
ADSC for Cyber can be made lengthier as long as its announced up front and not attempted retroactively.
Stars and Stripes 12/29/2022:
‘More stringent service obligations are needed to ensure that Army and Marine cyber specialists don’t bolt for big private-sector paydays immediately after receiving high-priced training at taxpayer expense, according to a government watchdog agency.‘
Probably a fraction of a percentage point, but I wonder how many cyber-gurus were booted for not getting the jab?
Given the way DOD has become woke, I wouldn’t be surprised more people will leave, all the while, all of the services will continue to struggle with retention, recruiting, and filling high tech MOSs.
It’ll he okay. Austin will waive felonies, education, ASVAB scores, physical and mental health, and drug use to fill the ranks.
But wait, there’s more:
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2022/12/28/woke-and-broke-u-s-army-now-accepting-recruits-with-adhd-other-behavioral-challenges-n520398
“It’ll he okay. Austin will waive felonies, education, ASVAB scores, physical and mental health, and drug use to fill the ranks.”
And THAT, Comrade, will make it much easier to fill today’s Military with those of the mindset that today’s ruling party wants, NOBODY with a mind of his or her own, just mindless minions who will carry out whatever order given regardless.
Yes, even if the order is to round up citizens and put them on the train or buses to the camps.
ADHD has been way over diagnosed. The shrinks claim it in 10% of the juvenile population. More than any other illness. No other country in the world has such a thing. All to sell Ritalin. Creating future meth heads.