Read on Twitter
Junior officer retention isn’t hard. Two years ago I was dead set on leaving the army. Now, I couldn’t be more excited about the next few years of my career and taking command. What happened? I left FORSCOM after about two years and spent a year in a nominative assignment. 1/5
That year reinvigorated my love for the army. Lieutenant life is hard. Before the snowflake comments start flying, let me explain. Comparatively yes, it isn’t overly difficult. But the average LT spends about 3-4 years in FORSCOM. 2/5
Maybe a year of that is as PL where the most exciting times are had. After that, it’s XO time. While important, the XO position lacks impact and substance. As a PL, a LT focuses on training and spending time with soldiers which is the single greatest part of the army 3/5
An XO does none of that. Millennials and zoomers (?) want to make an impact. We thrive off of that. That thrill disappears after PL time and never comes back as an LT. So how do we retain quality JOs? Don’t let them rot as XOs for years and years. 4/5
Change XOs out after a year. Offer unique and exciting opportunities to the best of the best and watch what happens. Put leaders in a position to make tangible impacts. We our soldiers the best leaders possible and retaining the best JOs is the way to do it. 5/5
