A robust finding in the literature on skill maintenance is that extended skill-retention intervals (SRIs) lead to decreased task performance. We investigated three potential moderators of the SRVtask performance decrement relationship: (a) degree of initial skill learning, (b) performer aptitude, and (c) degree of task difficulty. Results in eight samples of enlisted U.S. Air Force personnel (N = 1,544) generally supported a --negative SRIItask performance relationship, but support for moderator effects was mixed. Implications for skill maintenance in actual work settings are discussed.It is not unusual for employees to receive training on skills that they may not be called on to use for some time later. Police officers may go weeks or months without firing a weapon or apprehending a dangerous felon. Disaster teams may go years without evacuating residents from affected areas, managing evacuation routes, and rescuing survivors. Major wars are, thankfully, infrequent, yet when military reserve personnel are called into active duty, they are expected to perform their missions effectively. Each of these scenarios depicts a situation in which significant performance decrements may incur over extended periods of skill nonuse. The purpose of this article is to investigate, in realistic field settings, factors that may mitigate against performance decrements over extended skill-retention intervals (SRIs). BACKGROUND

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Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES14. ABSTRACT To assess whether individuals (n=89) could be put on a trait dimension of fatigue resistance (c.f., Von Dongen, Maislin, & Dinges, 2004), we observed performance on cognitive tasks in a single 48-hour sustained-wake protocol. Individual differences in task performance were largest late in the protocol. Next we developed methods for classifying a participant as fatigue resistant or susceptible, as part of a larger project investigating genetic factors in fatigue-resistance. We considered a rule based on percent-change decrement with fatigue and another rule based on residuals of task performance predicted by (presumably non-genetic) sleep behaviors, which were shown to bias raw percent-change classifications. Classifications based on ranking residuals were less confounded by sleep behaviors than similar classifications based on percent change. Finally, we assessed the SAFTE fatigue model (Hursh, Redmond, Johnson, Thorne, Belenky, Balkin, Storm, Miller, Eddy, 2004) on sustained performance across the different tasks. While this model is a simulation theory of physiological fatigue, and as such task-independent, we discuss relatively simple ways to put theory and task performances on the same quantitative scale to assess model adequacy. SUBJECT TERMS ABSTRACTTo assess whether individuals (n=89) could be put on a trait dimension of fatigue

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