According to statistics obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Associated Press (AP), the number of enlisted personnel leaving the military each year has increased from 8.7 percent in 2002 to 10.5 percent in 2005. These statistics are based upon the fact that enlisted loses, including people whose enlistments had expired, increased from 118,206 in 2002 to more than 137,465 in 2005. During that same period, officer losses increased from 5,619 to more than 7,500.

While the reasons for leaving vary in each branch of the military, some of the more common reasons include pregnancy/parenthood, drug abuse, and weight problems. Pregnancy and parenthood have steadily increased as a reason for personnel losses, particularly in the Army. For example, last year 4,238 soldiers were discharged from the Army for pregnancy and parenthood, up from 2,862 in 2002.

According to a 2001 report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, prior to our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, the major reasons first-term personnel gave for leaving the military were basic pay (45%), amount of personal and family time (17%), quality of leadership (17%), job satisfaction (15%), and deployments (10%). While the prospect of deploying or redeploying to Iraq and Afghanistan may be a major reason behind not reenlisting or leaving before completing one’s enlistment in some branches of the military, there are steps that can be taken to discourage people from abusing drugs, getting pregnant or putting on weight simply to be discharged.

Even though the military has a zero tolerance for drug abuse, commanders may need to be granted a certain leeway in retaining personnel whom they feel may have used drugs simply to avoid deploying. One can learn a lesson in this regard from the Navy that had a problem with women who were getting pregnant on ships simply to get out of being deployed. When the Navy discovered that a number of women were having abortions following their return to their homeports, they instituted a policy wherein women would be seen by medical personnel regularly following their return and would be required to return to their ships if they were no longer pregnant. Such a policy change helped to reduce the number of women who were getting pregnant simply to avoid deployments.

While personnel should not be allowed to use pregnancy, drug use or weight gain to avoid deploying, the various branches of the military could learn lessons from each other as to how to handle some of these problems in an effective manner. For example, in an effort to reduce the number of personnel being separated for weight problems, one branch might learn why its mandatory exercise program is not too effective by consulting another branch that has implemented an exercise program in conjunction with a diet program. How much weight can a sailor lose if he or she exercises for an hour every morning but then eats a high calorie and high carb diet throughout the day? 

The more the military can do to promote retention and reduce the number of personnel who are leaving, the less pressure recruiters will have to fill quotas that are tied to retention figures. Just as recruiters need to address and respond to the reasons people have for joining the military (e.g., pay, benefits, education, training, travel), so too do military leaders need to look critically at the real reasons people have for leaving. While not everyone is cut out to make the military a career and some people indeed need to be separated because of drug abuse, pregnancy/parenthood or weight problems, others who sign an active duty or reserve contract should be held accountable to fulfill their commitment and not be allowed to escape their obligations under false pretenses. It often requires a wise commander with the help of an experienced and knowledgeable staff to distinguish between the two.                

Gene-Thomas Gomulka – “A voice for military families”
Columnist and author of The Survival Guide for Marriage in the Military available at www.plaintec.net

Have a question or comment? Write Gene-Thomas at letters@plaintec.net