34-268 O Y4. V64/4: S. hrg. 98-1139 S. HRG. 98-1139 RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION READINESS ACT OF HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS NINETY-EIGHTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 1747, S. 1873 and Related Bills FEBRUARY 21, 1984 Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS ALAN K. SIMPSON, Wyoming, Chairman STROM THURMOND, South Carolina ROBERT T. STAFFORD, Vermont FRANK H. MURKOWSKI, Alaska ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania JEREMIAH DENTON, Alabama RUDY BOSCHWITZ, Minnesota ALAN CRANSTON, California JENNINGS RANDOLPH, West Virginia SPARK M. MATSUNAGA, Hawaii DENNIS DECONCINI, Arizona GEORGE J. MITCHELL, Maine ANTHONY L. PRINCIPI, Chief Counsel/Staff Director JONATHAN R. STEINBERG, Minority Chief Counsel/Staff Director (II) CONTENTS Opening statement of Hon. Alan K. Simpson, chairman of the Senate Com- mittee on Veterans' Affairs...... Bill S. 1747, as referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Agency Report of the Veterans' Administration (No. 55, November 8, Bill S. 1873, as referred to the Committee on Armed Services: Introductory statement of author, Hon. Alan K. Simpson, excerpts from the Congressional Record, vol. 129, No. 123, pp. S12751-S12752-Senate, Hon. William L. Armstrong, a U.S. Senator from the State of Colorado...... Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Manpower, Re- Dr. Kenneth J. Coffey, Associate Director for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics, National Security and International Affairs Division, Neil M. Singer, Principal Analyst for National Security and International 76 Hon. Alan Cranston, ranking minority member of the Senate Committee Hon. Strom Thurmond, a U.S. Senator from the State of South Carolina... Hon. Rudy Boschwitz, a U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota. Hon. William S. Cohen, a U.S. Senator from the State of Maine..... Hon. Ernest F. Hollings, a U.S. Senator from the State of South Carolina. Hon. Larry Pressler, a U.S. Senator from the State of South Dakota........... Hon. William L. Armstrong, a U.S. Senator from the State of Colorado...... Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Manpower, Re- Dr. Kenneth J. Coffey, Associate Director (Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics), National Security and International Affairs Division, Department of the Army. 145 Letter to Hon. William L. Armstrong, a U.S. Senator from the State of Colorado, from Gen. E. C. Meyer, U.S. Army (Ret.), dated November 3, 1983. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION READINESS ACT OF 1983 AND OTHER LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES FOR THE ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1984 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 a.m., in room SR-418, Russell Office Building, Hon. Alan K. Simpson (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Chairman Alan K. Simpson (presiding), Senators Strom Thurmond, and Spark M. Matsunaga. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ALAN K. SIMPSON, CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS Chairman SIMPSON. Good morning and welcome to this hearing in which we consider two legislative proposals designed to address problems that may arise in the future in the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel in the Armed Forces. We will also hear testimony regarding the track record to date of the VEAP program-Veterans' Educational Assistance Program. It's a great pleasure to have my good friend and neighbor to the south and colleague Bill Armstrong with us here today. And I want to welcome him and other distinguished witnesses. Since the beginnings of the All-Volunteer Force there has been a great deal of discussion and debate concerning how we might best insure that the All-Volunteer Force is to consist of high quality personnel. And fortunately, during the last several years the Armed Forces have enjoyed some historical highs in the recruitment and retention of high quality personnel. However, it is held by some that the current recruitment and retention successes being enjoyed by the armed services are but temporary and that future shortfalls are indeed inevitable. S. 1747 was introduced by Senator Armstrong and others in an effort to address these possible shortfalls. And I commend the proponents for their recognition, one which I share by the way, of the great importance which should be placed on maintaining a strong qualified military force. While I also believe that Congress should be prepared to take any necessary action in the event of recruitment and retention shortfall, I do have a bit of a problem with the concept that serious shortfalls are inevitable in October 1987 or at any other future time that we may choose to identify or that we should take any (1) |