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Show HILLTOP TIMES Friday, April 5, 1985 n editorials Personnel retention decline under control A recent decline in Air Force personnel retention was anticipated and is being managed, according to the Air Force's top personnel officer. Lt. Gen. Duane H. Cassidy, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, made this clear in an interview with Air Force News Service. "Retention has peaked out and is starting to come down," he said. "But it's not coming down rapidly. We predicted what is happening and our goal is to manage and control the losses." Air Force statisticians reported that fiscal 1983 and 1984 were the highest retention years in the serv- ice's history. They said that despite the fiscal 1985 downturn, retention is still very good. Retention trends for the overall force are fairly consistent with enlisted force retention trends, officials said. In fiscal 1980 -- one of the worst years for enlisted retention rates were 36 percent for and 63 percent for second-termerIn fiscal 1983, the figures jumped to 66 percent and 83 percent, respectively. Current retention rates are about two or three per- In order to keep retention strong, Air Force and Defense Department leaders work with Congress each year to get benefit packages Air Force people deserve, General Cassidy said. He added, "It is up to military leaders to present the Air Force's position in an enlightened fashion." He complimented current leaders for doing that. "We (military leaders) have said (to Congress) that our people are most important," he said. "All the airplanes and missiles you build are nothing but space-ag- e Tinker Toys without the people it takes to oper- ate them. "The Soviets or any adversary can reverse-enginehardware, but they can't reverse-enginethe American fighting man," he said. "The difference is any combat situation is going to be the American." er er rs s. centage points down from the record-hig- h off- marks, 20-ye- ar "Our retirement system has served us very well over the years and that's one of the things that brings people in and keeps them with us," he said. Military leaders also insist that pay and allowances keep up with inflation so members don't lose buying power, he added. Personnel improvements being pursued this year on Capitol Hill involve families. Among the requests will be an increase in family'support centers, dependent dental care and increased moving allowances. "We know that a career decision in the Air Force is a family decision," General Cassidy said. "Fami-- . lies are under more pressure and have more problems than every before." To support his claim, the general said there are currently more than 25,000 military couples and more than 8,000 single-parefamilies in the Air Force. "We've got to find ways to help them out," he added. General Cassidy discouraged people from react- - ent first-terme- Regarding compensation for Air Force people, General Cassidy singled out the retirement system as "the most important thing in the minds of all our people, no matter-wha- t age or rank they are. "It is very crucial that they get the retirement that they have been promised," he continued. "People in the civil sector do not have to take an unlimited liability, which means giving my life for my country, or moving an average of eight times in a career. He doesn't have to put up with all that. "Security is a principle issue," General Cassidy said. "So our retirement system has to provide security and has to be a system Congress is not going to tinker with regularly." He assured that all military leaders are committed to protecting the retirement system. icials said. "It was very unlikely that we would stay as high," said General Cassidy. "We now have to make sure our losses are in the areas we can handle and we don't lose the wrong people." The most crucial personnel losses, according to the general, are "the principle part of our combat force," and he said aircrew losses are "steeper" than in the overall force, but they are "not alanriing and not higher than we predicted." To keep experienced fliers in the Air Force, General Cassidy said, Twill take whatever actions I can nt take." These actions include leadership and management tasks such as "sensitizing our force to all the things that make people get out." To do this, personnel offi-- ? rials will send a retention manual this month to commanders throughout the Air Force, and a manual about leadership will follow. A management project concerning aviators is being headed by general officers in the Military Airlift Command and the Air Force Manpower and Personnel Center. They are reviewing problems that fliers face and will recommend solutions, General Cassidy mcr tn rpnf mtrWo affonfi spending, saying, "The American public at large has supported the military because they know the need fork." .v. . His advice to someone making a career decision is not to listen to everything on the radio or in print. "I would try to get an overall look at things," he said. "Don't just look at earnings for tomorrow, but look at earnings over a lifetime. Look at the camaraderie of our people, and look at the job you have and know that' whatever we do is going to have an effect on mankind, not just one man -- myself." (AFNS) said. '. Situations change All people have some leadership traits By Col. William J. Haugen We are all born with some degree of leadership. Some have to work to develop it more than others. How you are treated as you grow up and progress through your early career affects the way. your leadership style develops. You observe and evaluate others as they lead, and probably adapt your style ; slightly after each observation. Even a bad example has merit if you learn from it. ; , u; a all in leader the time Being every situation is not necessarily a good thing. Others need opportunities to develop their leadership abilities. Even when you are the designated and acknowledged boss, you should let others develop. Solicit their ideas -good things can happen. If they are actively involved, they are getting training by defining the problem, formulating . Deputy Commander for Operations 63rd Military Airlift Wing, Norton AFB, Calif. There have been many articles written on leadership and there will, no doubt, be many more. ; ; .; However, most articles address various leadership traits, techniques or qualities needed to improve how you lead. In reality very few people are leaders all day or followers 100 percent of the time. We generally have different roles at work and at home, as well as in various tasks around the community. No matter what our jobs are, we are leaders at sometime in our day, be it, at work, as a soccer coach, in the church choir, the carpool, the scout troop, as a parent at home, or captain of the bowling team. ' i;- Pubished by MorMedta Sales, 1 1 52 West Riverdale Road, Ogden, Utah 84405. phone Deadlines: Editorial, 4 p.m. Monday before publication date; announcements for "Around the HI," 1 0 a.m. Monday before publication date; classified ads, 2 p.m. Wednesday before publication date. Articles may be turned in at Room 118, BWg. 1102, be 394-965- Ur ; . a plan of attack to solve it, evaluating the pros and cons, and then explaining the issue. The ability to get people to carry out decisions is important and must be developed. In peacetime, participative leadership is highly desirable. But rapid obedience to legitimate orders has to be the standard when in combat. This relationship must also be developed be: tween leaders arid their people. These are not two mutually exclusive styles; the trust and confidence will strengthen the rapid obedience response needed in a crisis. The "do as I say, not as I do" approach to leadership is never going to work for long. My father and I never talked much about leadership, but my observation is that he believed in the tenet, "Never ask someone to do what tween 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday throuah Fridav The Hill Top Times receives Air Force News Service (AFNS), AF Logistics Command News Service ), Tactical Air Command News Service (TACNS), and American Forces Press Service (AFPS). Unless otherwise stated, afl photos published are official U.S. (LOG-NEWS- Air Force photos. ; you are not willing to do yourself." Throughout a long and distinguished military career, in peace and war, his people would follow him anywhere and do anything he asked. He listened to what' they said with sincere interest, evaluated their ideas, involved them in the solution -- and quietly led. He never had to raise his voice; people wanted to hear what he had to say. One of the basic strengths of America is that leadership comes up oiitfof our ranks. We are not lost when the designated leader is disabled 7 another person steps forward to lead In countless battles over the last two centuries, this has been true. This is a national resource we need to preserve -- by training those we lead. (AFNS -- Courtesy of Globetrotter, Norton AFB, Calif.) Everything advertised in the Hill Top Times must be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to the race, creed, color, national origin or sex of the purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser will result in the refusal to print advertising from that source. 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