Better Personnel Management Through Applied Management Science

Personnel managers at the U.S. Army Military Personnel Center (MILPERCEN) in Alexandria, Virginia are using operations research techniques to establish a systematic approach for economically and efficiently attracting and retaining professional soldiers of all ranks; to effectively utilize their skills; and to provide a framework in which these men and women are motivated toward top performance and are developed along career lines. This article discusses in limited detail how the computer and related management science techniques can and are providing support to the individual soldier in his career development and progression through the ranks of the U.S. Army.