goldenlion
5-Year Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2011
- Messages
- 132
With the incoming class of 2016 being much small at the academies this year (and ROTC???), I find myself wondering what affects that will have on their future careers, etc.
For instance, since they are starting with such a small class, what will the attrition rate be? Do you think it will be lower than normal since they really can't afford to wash out too many?
What will their first assignments be? Will those hard-to-get jobs be easier to get since there are fewer competing for them?
What will their promotion rates be for 0-4, 0-5, and 0-6? Will they actually be higher than normal since there will be fewer of them?
Since the year groups ahead of them are larger, how will that possibly affect their careers?
Finally, since they are downsizing so much right now the active duty force, by the time they graduate in 4 years, and hopefully the economy will be better by then, will the active duty force actually have too few officers and the pendulum will swing to the opposite extreme?
I understand that none of us really know the answers to these questions, but was wondering if we could make some educated guesses. Or if there is anyone else like me that is wondering the impact the small class size will have.
This reminds me of the 90's when the Air Force was banking pilots and the incoming classes at USAFA had very few "pilot qualified" cadets. Then, a decade later, all of a sudden there was a shortage of pilots. It seems that the military is good at bouncing from one extreme to the other.
For instance, since they are starting with such a small class, what will the attrition rate be? Do you think it will be lower than normal since they really can't afford to wash out too many?
What will their first assignments be? Will those hard-to-get jobs be easier to get since there are fewer competing for them?
What will their promotion rates be for 0-4, 0-5, and 0-6? Will they actually be higher than normal since there will be fewer of them?
Since the year groups ahead of them are larger, how will that possibly affect their careers?
Finally, since they are downsizing so much right now the active duty force, by the time they graduate in 4 years, and hopefully the economy will be better by then, will the active duty force actually have too few officers and the pendulum will swing to the opposite extreme?
I understand that none of us really know the answers to these questions, but was wondering if we could make some educated guesses. Or if there is anyone else like me that is wondering the impact the small class size will have.
This reminds me of the 90's when the Air Force was banking pilots and the incoming classes at USAFA had very few "pilot qualified" cadets. Then, a decade later, all of a sudden there was a shortage of pilots. It seems that the military is good at bouncing from one extreme to the other.