Outsourcing reduces business costs by hiring temporary workers (temps). Although they do the same jobs as fulltime workers, temps receive reduced benefits and are paid only when they are used. The military services have a different term for outsourcing: the Total Force concept.
Military reserve forces have devolved from a strategic reserve to a pool of temps. The change resulted from the U.S. strategic supposition that we could fight two regional wars simultaneously, which largely is a fantasy. Active units have atrophied since Operation Desert Storm to the point they cannot maintain the pace of routine operations—the National Guard and reserves make up 38% of U.S. military forces. For example, they provide 71 % of theater airlift, 65% of the airborne tanker fleet, and 40% of Air Force fighters. In 1989, reserve components of all services performed 1 million man days; in 2000, they performed 13 million man days. Many military capabilities reside only in the reserves, and all hands, active and reserve, are extremely busy.
The Total Force concept is faulty in several respects. First, if the reserves are committed routinely to daily operations, the United States has no strategic reserve. Without it, we are vulnerable when engaged in a regional war. Imagine a Chinese thrust across the Taiwan Straits while U.S. carrier battle groups are tied up on the other side of the world.
Second is the critical matter of sustainability. Total Force employment is wearing out its welcome with reservists and those who employ them. The General Accounting Office reported that 16% of National Guard and reserve pilots resigned or transferred to nonflying duty before the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks; another 18% reported they were planning to leave. Their reasons included anthrax inoculations (which can have career-ending side effects for commercial pilots) and high deployment tempo. Patriotism and economic necessity have slowed the trend since then—but, as time passes, those who leave active service will grow less likely to work active-duty schedules for reserve pay and benefits.
Employers are growing tired of the hassle, The cost of the military services generally is spread across society. By contrast, extensive use of the reserves for operations formerly accomplished by regulars constitutes an unfunded mandate that tends to target certain businesses. The airline industry has been hit especially hard. Consider the situation in reverse: a military air wing commander is under great budgetary pressure and overruns can cause him to be relieved. About 20% of his pilots have airline commitments that take perhaps one week per month and may call them unpredictably to duty stretches lasting from several weeks to as much as a year. The extra pilots needed to support this constantly fluctuating structure must be trained, paid, and provided benefits. If too few of them are hired, military operations will suffer. Hire too many, you are fired for blowing your budget. Hire too few, you are fired for blowing your mission. Welcome to the world of the airline chief executive officer.
Although many laws protect reservists' rights in the civilian workplace, employers can comply grudgingly and make it difficult for employees to stay in the reserves. I left a reserve F-16 squadron early for a nonflying assignment when work and family obligations put too many demands on my time—and that was during the Cold War. We were well trained and proficient, but were not deployed for several months each year to help police a no-fly zone.
Last but not least is the issue of equity. Reservists receive much less total compensation than active-duty personnel. The difference in benefits between a reserve and active retirement is huge. Instead of the regular retiree's half pay at 20 years, a reservist's benefits start at age 60 and usually work out to be about a third of active-duty base pay. Reserve medical benefits also are delayed until age 60.
We must move quickly to expand the active forces and reconstitute a strategic reserve—or face a manning crunch that disables U.S. national security policy. No matter how "transformational," high-tech, and well trained it is, a unit can be only in one place at one time. The crisis in Iraq has granted a reprieve. Eventually, however, patriotic fervor will give way to the pressure of overcommitment and inevitable reserve retention problems. The current Total Force is a good plan for bean counters in Washington. For regulars, reservists, and the nation at large, it is a bad deal.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Clausen served as a naval aviator before transferring to the Air Force Reserve. He is a senior commercial airline pilot.