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TOPICS
High retention rates in military save Pentagon money
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Jones has said that his service's retention rate is the highest it has been in 18 years because young Americans want to stay in uniform to fight terrorism.
But hold on. Pentagon personnel chief Charles S. Abell, pointing to new charts, agrees that officers and enlisted people in all four armed services are sticking around at the highest rate since 1987, but he cited other reasons for this success. Higher pay, better benefits, a soft civilian economy, and "stop-loss" orders barring some soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines from leaving their services are also in the mix, Abell said.
There is no disagreement at the top of the Pentagon that the higher retention rates mean fewer civilians have to be enticed to serve in the military, and that saves big bucks. The Pentagon pegs the cost of recruiting each new civilian at $12,300.
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