Army Research Institute Officer Retention Study

The U.S. Army identified the retention of qualified personnel as a key component of its personnel management strategy, and therefore ARI established a research program on Strategies to Enhance Retention. This program, called “STAY,” sought to improve both enlisted and officer retention, with the AIR work focused specifically on improving the retention of the Army’s junior, company-grade officers beyond the first active duty service obligation (ADSO) by developing and evaluating interventions for use in a comprehensive and integrated Army program for managing personnel continuance. AIR supported this project by conducting a feasibility assessment of potential interventions to improve retention and by evaluating one primary intervention based upon the reflections of former Army officers who chose to leave prior to retirement.