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Allowing lateral entries at higher ranks might be effective in decreasing deficits for field grade officers in some career fields

• Airmen who were interviewed were generally positive about this flexibility, although some expressed concern about lateral-entry candidates meeting physical requirements.

Merit-based timing can accelerate promotions to higher ranks and — in some cases — produce promotion results similar to those achieved using below-the-zone promotions

• The majority of interviewees in all career fields had positive views about this flexibility. Officers reported believing that the current promotion system is outdated or arbitrary and that this new flexibility would incentivize individuals to perform better. The most frequently expressed concern centered on how individuals would be rated and ranked by promotion boards..

The flexibility to opt out of promotion board consideration could help encourage risk-taking in seeking assignments

• The most commonly discussed reasons why this flexibility might be useful were that it would allow a person to remain in a job to improve their skills and it would allow individuals to decide when they are ready for promotion.

If promotion rates are made equal across the competitive categories, establishing such categories will increase promotion rates for some career fields and decrease them in others

• The application of different flexibilities, such as merit-based promotion timing, moderates these effects. The majority of interviewees supported the implementation of new competitive categories and this corresponding flexibility.

Human resource management practices that limit career flexibility, neglect and underuse individual talents, and fail to consider employee motivations might hinder the military services' abilities to effectively manage their human capital. The fiscal year (FY) 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorized new options for officer career management that the military services can choose to implement. The authors of this report examined the potential utility of five of the new flexibilities (Sections 501, 502, 504, 505, and 507 of the NDAA) for improving the management of Air Force human capital. Results showed that most of the options examined have the potential to be useful in many career fields, and officers are open to their use. In addition, new officer management flexibilities might permit more-tailored career development for individuals and also allow greater diversity in how Air Force officers advance in different career fields. However, there is variation among career fields in how the options would best be implemented.

• Chapter One

  Introduction

• Chapter Two

  Sections 501 and 502: Allowing Older Accessions and Enhancing Constructive Credit

• Chapter Three

  Section 504: Adjusting Promotion Lists Based on Merit

• Chapter Four

  Section 505: Authority for Officers to Opt Out of Promotion Board Consideration

• Chapter Five

  Section 507 and Related Considerations: Alternative Promotion Authority for Officers in Designated Competitive Categories

• Chapter Six

  Summary and Conclusions

• Appendix A

  Increasing Opportunities for Cross-Flow

• Appendix B

  Assessing the Supply of Potential Lateral-Entry Candidates

• Appendix C

  Military Career Model and Baseline Simulations

• Appendix D

  Additional Officer Interview Comments

• Appendix E

  Interview Approach and Protocol