兰德公司-美国空军特种作战和作战支援专业训练成功（英文）-2018-135页-1mb

Summary of "Training Success for U.S. Air Force Special Operations and Combat Support Specialties"

Core Content

The U.S. Air Force is focused on improving the recruitment, screening, and development processes for high-demand, high-attrition (HDHA) specialties, including Combat Control (CCT), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Pararescue (PJ), Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE), Special Operations Weather Team (SOWT), and Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). These specialties are critical to the Air Force's mission, but they face persistent challenges in training attrition, which remains high despite past efforts.

The report was commissioned by the Air Force in fiscal year 2016 to investigate the factors associated with training attrition, identify gaps in current recruitment and screening practices, and recommend methods to enhance the success of candidates entering these HDHA specialties.

Main Questions and Findings

Question 1: What Factors Are Associated with Training Attrition?

• Key Predictors: Physical fitness (measured by PAST scores) and cognitive ability (measured by ASVAB scores) were found to be the most significant factors related to training success.
• Simulation Results: A notional fitness training program could reduce attrition if recruits achieve fitness gains over a four- or eight-week course.
• Additional Factors: The Basic Water Skills Test (BWST) was identified as a useful tool to improve the prediction of training success for PJ candidates.

Question 2: What Are the Gaps in Recruiting and Screening?

• Recruiting Gaps:

  • Lack of awareness among recruits about the mission and training requirements of HDHA specialties.
  • Insufficient information provided by recruiters about these specialties.
  • Unrealistic recruitment quotas for HDHA specialties.
  • Field developers are not integrated effectively into the recruitment process.

• Screening Gaps:

  • Existing tools (ASVAB, PAST, TAPAS) do not comprehensively measure the six key KSAOs required for success in HDHA training.
  • These KSAOs include physical fitness, persistence, teamwork, stress tolerance, critical thinking, and water confidence.
  • Screening methods need to be expanded to include more direct and comprehensive assessments of these traits.

Question 3: What Methods Should the Air Force Consider?

• Recruiting Recommendations:

  • Balance marketing efforts with realistic job previews.
  • Expand in-service recruiting.
  • Implement an incentive structure for recruiters based on candidate success.
  • Expand the BA Training Group concept to include recruitment.

• Development Recommendations:

  • Consider developing a fitness course to reduce attrition.
  • Offer additional fitness training during basic military training (BMT).
  • Establish fitness goals linked to training success.

• Screening Recommendations:

  • Explore the feasibility of biographical data inventories and structured interviews.
  • Consider a two- to three-day selection course at the end of BMT for final screening.
  • Re-evaluate the role of personality assessments like TAPAS, NEO-PI, and EQ-i.
  • Upgrade the physical components of the PAST.
  • Introduce a water skills test for specific HDHA specialties.

Key Information

• Methodology: The study used a mixed-methods approach, including literature review, expert interviews, and quantitative analysis using generalized boosted models (GBMs).
• Data Sources: Included administrative data, such as PAST, ASVAB, and TAPAS scores, as well as demographic and background data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Limitations: Current administrative data are insufficient for developing sophisticated predictive models. A dedicated researcher could help integrate and analyze data more effectively.
• Cost Considerations: A fitness course could be cost-effective if it leads to significant improvements in recruit fitness and reduces attrition.
• Recommendations: Summarized in Table S.1, which organizes recommendations by category (recruiting, development, screening) and ease of implementation.

Conclusion

The report emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to improving the recruitment, screening, and development of HDHA-specialty candidates. It highlights the importance of physical fitness, the limitations of current screening tools, and the need for better recruitment practices and more comprehensive assessment methods. The recommendations aim to address these gaps and improve the overall effectiveness of the Air Force's HDHA-training pipeline.