Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an overview of the manpower problems and how they might affect the future national security interests of the United States. It deals with problems related to the United States' North Atlantic Treaty Organization commitments and pilot retention in the Air Force. The book examines two phenomena associated primarily with the all-volunteer force: problems of institutional versus occupational values in the US military and problems of race and job satisfaction in the Army. It also deals with serious attitudinal problems that might be partially solved if the services adopted new policies, incentives, and managerial techniques. The book also examines problems facing the services in their efforts to integrate large numbers of women into jobs and career fields that have previously been either exclusively male domains or dominated by males.