I believe a zero based review of every personnel program the military services have will produce significant budgetary savings and more efficient use of available human resources.

Some of the programs requiring review are those designed for initial training and indoctrination of non-line officers awarded direct commissions.  Included in this group are medical, dental, chaplain and legal officers.  These officers first assignment, regardless of military service, should be to a Joint Military Officer Indoctrination Course (JMOIC).

All services send their non-line, direct commissioned, officers to an indoctrination course at various locations and for various lengths of time to learn the simple rules of military service, customs and courtesies and how to wear the uniform.  

Consolidation of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force commissioned officer training schools (COTS) would allow for the following:

• Standardized training from a DoD curriculum.
• Cost savings from consolidating three or four different training facilities.
• Reduction of human resources required to conduct training.
• An immediate indoctrination to Joint Service and an appreciation for the requirements of all branches of service.

Officers holding non-line commissions, with approval of Congress, could even be assigned to the Department of Defense, or the Joint Chiefs of Staff, JCS/J1, instead of the various military branches. 

Consolidation would increase the flexibility of DOD to balance non-line resources between services by a simple PCS move. Uniform and grade insignia would be representative of the service where currently assigned, or could be a new uniform design for non-line joint service officers. HR actions, such as Recruiting, Classification, Assignments, Promotion and Sustainment, including Retention bonuses and Retirement could be centrally managed by JCS/J1.

A Joint Military Officer Training Academy (JMOTA) should be established.  The academy would train all line officer candidates except those attending military academies.  This would allow consolidation of the individual services Officer Training Programs.

Officer candidates would be required to hold a minimum of a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher learning (College or University), recognized by the American Council of Education (ACE), in a discipline required by the active or reserve forces.

Candidates could be enrolled as service specific cadets (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps or Navy), or enter as an "Open Enrollee" and, upon graduation, be assigned to the military service with the highest priority.

The JMOTA could be co-located with an already existing military education and training facility, preferably in a central geographic location.  Military faculty and staff would be assigned to DOD on non-renewable three-year controlled tours—much the same as the military enlistment processing stations.

The Joint Military Officer Training Academy would provide DOD with the following:

• A single source of commissioned line officers whose class sizes could be flexed to accommodate a force reduction or surge.
• All candidates for JMOTA would be required to take the ASVAB, an Armed Forces Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) and an individual, objective assessment test to determine behavioral qualifications and suitability for military service.
• Behavioral assessment tests would be similar to those currently given by over 30 percent of Corporate Businesses in the United States, but tailored to military service.
• Candidates would have to pass all current Department of Defense legal, medical, mental and moral commissioning standards to be considered for entry into JMOTA.
• JMOTA would prepare junior officers in joint activities, interoperability of military forces, and help them develop "Purple" working relationships at the inception of their military careers.
• Current officer training/commissioning programs, operated by all four military branches, could be consolidated into one centralized location.  The consolidation would save millions of taxpayer dollars each year and enhance the overall joint military education of our newest commissioned officers. 

Lastly, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) units, on our nation's college campuses, exists by the hundreds, and are run by Army, Navy or Air Force active duty personnel.

There are thousands of active duty officers and enlisted members assigned to Reserve Officer Training Corps at colleges and universities and at ROTC headquarters.  Reserve Officer training should be conducted by Reserves.  Active forces should be returned to their primary specialties. 

If Reserves forces are not available to command, administer and teach ROTC Programs then change the Advanced ROTC Units to mirror High School Junior ROTC Programs and hire retired officers and enlisted members to run them.  Retired members provide a depth of experience, continuity and stability not possessed by active or reserve forces.  

Joint ROTC Programs staffed by a mixture of reserve Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines would teach cadet officers the traditions, responsibilities and requirements of all military branches.  Graduates could then choose, or be assigned the branch of active service, Guard, or Reserve with the highest requirement.

With continued emphasis on efficiencies to save money, material and manpower, consolidated joint training and commissioning programs should be a no brainer for DOD.