Marvin W Williams

Relationship of the Officer Evaluation Report to Captain Attrition Marvin W Williams

Publisher Marketing: This monograph links the current Officer Evaluation Report (OER) system (DA Form 67-9) to Captain attrition being experienced by the US Army at the turn of the century. The Army Research Institute (ARI) conducted a written survey on October of 2000, which identified the OER as one of the top twenty reasons that junior officers were dissatisfied with the US Army. ARI's survey did not examine perceived problems with the OER contributing to attrition. It was useful only as a method of identifying the factors leading to attrition. A focus group survey of US Army Combined Arms and Staff School (CAS3) students was therefore designed to examine the perceived root problems regarding the current OER and its impact on junior officer attrition. The empirical research conducted in the resultant focus group is the centerpiece of evidence presented in determining the linkage of the OER to Captain dissatisfaction. There were a total of 161 officers in thirteen staff groups interviewed. (CAS3 is centered on small group instruction with each staff group consisting of twelve or thirteen officers of varying specialties and backgrounds.) The sample size was specifically chosen to provide statistical significance to the survey report. The findings of the focus group suggest that Captains are very dissatisfied with the current OER system. Two major contributing factors caused discontent and possible attrition among junior officers. The first, the lack of formal counseling from senior officers, has a decidedly negative impact on how junior officers view the US Army. Findings in the CAS3 focus group relating to formal OER counseling are very similar with those in a monograph recently published by Dr Wong from the Strategic Studies Institute. Dr Wong's monograph cites that the differences between Generation X officers and Baby Boom officers are evident with regard to counseling. His study established that Generation X officers require more counseling and mentoring than Baby Boomer generati