Posted on Aug 5, 2016
How much continuity and production is lost due to service members PCSing every 3 years?
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RP Members and Connections - Another Great question came up from one our Members Responses.
How much continuity, lost production, and expense is lost due to service members constantly PCSing?
Is there another formula that would work?
Here are three major problems that I see by the short term PCS move (3 years or less) - Just my Opinion and I'm looking for your feedback!
Cost Implications. Replacing service members can be expensive. While the cost varies, total costs of replacement, including training and lost production, can range from 90 percent to 200 percent of what we are actually paying that service member.
Overall Unit Performance. In addition, oftentimes the service members who remain are less productive and less efficient during turnover of service members in key positions. This is because they must absorb the responsibilities of the vacant positions, train new service members upon their arrival, and deal with a depressed work culture and environment.
Turnover can Affect the Culture of a Unit. A culture of high turnover feeds off of itself, leading to lower and lower production within the unit. Not always, but sometimes It can be hard to manage a workforce that is constantly in flux!
SGT (Join to see) SSG Philip Bruley CPT (Join to see) SSG Steve Niebergall PV2 (Join to see) 1st Lt Mike Roetheli SA McGarry Ocheltree PO3 (Join to see) SPC Phillip Hames CPL Scott Haas Sgt Chris Dennis LCpl Darrell McGraw SSgt (Join to see)CPL Josh ClarkMaj Bobby Newman CAPT Eric Stilwell SFC Robbie Myers COL Diana Bodner Sgt (Join to see) SFC Philip Kaough
How much continuity, lost production, and expense is lost due to service members constantly PCSing?
Is there another formula that would work?
Here are three major problems that I see by the short term PCS move (3 years or less) - Just my Opinion and I'm looking for your feedback!
Cost Implications. Replacing service members can be expensive. While the cost varies, total costs of replacement, including training and lost production, can range from 90 percent to 200 percent of what we are actually paying that service member.
Overall Unit Performance. In addition, oftentimes the service members who remain are less productive and less efficient during turnover of service members in key positions. This is because they must absorb the responsibilities of the vacant positions, train new service members upon their arrival, and deal with a depressed work culture and environment.
Turnover can Affect the Culture of a Unit. A culture of high turnover feeds off of itself, leading to lower and lower production within the unit. Not always, but sometimes It can be hard to manage a workforce that is constantly in flux!
SGT (Join to see) SSG Philip Bruley CPT (Join to see) SSG Steve Niebergall PV2 (Join to see) 1st Lt Mike Roetheli SA McGarry Ocheltree PO3 (Join to see) SPC Phillip Hames CPL Scott Haas Sgt Chris Dennis LCpl Darrell McGraw SSgt (Join to see)CPL Josh ClarkMaj Bobby Newman CAPT Eric Stilwell SFC Robbie Myers COL Diana Bodner Sgt (Join to see) SFC Philip Kaough
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Edited 8 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 20
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There's actual data out there that someone looking to do a PhD in Econ might take a turn at. The Commonwealth armed forces, especially Brit Navy, had a long term policy of permanent assignment to a ship and homeport. Promotions were up when vacancies occurred, etc. So with those results you'll also have to work in the cost of cultural inbreeding, etc. We tend to look at only one side of the equation and not apply a value to the benefits of moving every 3-5 years. One thing for sure, it spreads the Alpha Hotels around so they don't make the whole organization go septic.
Cost aside, I think the more important question is does PCSing like we do increase our lethality and survivability or not? That's where you'd do the sensitivity analysis.
Cost aside, I think the more important question is does PCSing like we do increase our lethality and survivability or not? That's where you'd do the sensitivity analysis.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
I would think the National Guard would experience something similar to what you describe as well.
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MCPO Roger Collins
CAPT KEVIN BALL, when I started thinking about this from a Navy perspective, I missed your final point. Of course, being a submarine sailor for my entire career, that should have been first on my list. Submarine crews are in a constant state of flux and it is critical to our survival that we know the ship and how to fight her. How ever, there were a command or two that would have made me leave the service had that been the case. Excellent observation.
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Cross-pollination of people, ideas, and knowledge. I was at Ft. Riley for 8 years......8 years.......I can't get those back.
I was the senior Signal warrant officer and had the biggest head known to mankind. Whereas I shared and supported the sharing of knowledge and experiences, professionally, it was time for me to move on and let someone else take the reins so they could take over. I also needed to move on to bigger and better things. You know that 'vast potential to serve in areas of increased responsibility' or 'unlimited potential' they write about in evals?
Some cultures need a shock. Toxic leaders need to move up to the Pentagon so they get a taste of humble pie. Good leaders and troops need to move on to broaden experiences and make good units great.
And to Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS 's point, isn't the Culture of the Whole more important than the Culture of the Unit?
I was the senior Signal warrant officer and had the biggest head known to mankind. Whereas I shared and supported the sharing of knowledge and experiences, professionally, it was time for me to move on and let someone else take the reins so they could take over. I also needed to move on to bigger and better things. You know that 'vast potential to serve in areas of increased responsibility' or 'unlimited potential' they write about in evals?
Some cultures need a shock. Toxic leaders need to move up to the Pentagon so they get a taste of humble pie. Good leaders and troops need to move on to broaden experiences and make good units great.
And to Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS 's point, isn't the Culture of the Whole more important than the Culture of the Unit?
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None of us can answer this. We can only offer a hypothesis (a fancy word for "opinion"). My hypothesis is that the constant roil of personnel turnover has some costs but these are outweighed by an increase in adaptability. Unit cohesion and adaptability isn't tied to personalities when those personalities are constantly changing. But, that's just an opinion. Someone else will have to develop the methodology and invest the time and effort in proving or disproving it.
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