Development and Evaluation of Counseling Training for Commanders to Enhance U.S. Army Company Grade Officer Career Continuance

Abstract

We developed and evaluated a retention counseling training program targeted at influencing factors identified as important to company grade officers' retention decisions. Training was given to Company Commanders, Battalion Commanders, XOs, and S3s in four brigades. The impact of training was evaluated by administering pre-and post-surveys (four months after training) to company grade officers under the trainees' command. Trainee feedback was used to revise the training program. Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for Time 1 satisfaction demonstrated that both the quantity and rated quality of counseling were related to Time 2 satisfaction levels on many factors believed to have the strongest connection to career continuance. Among those who received counseling from someone we trained, there was a significant increase in intention to stay in the Army from Time 1 to Time 2. The training focused on the importance of conducting informal counseling in addition to formal counseling, and results showed that both types of counseling interact to influence variables such as career satisfaction, leadership satisfaction, and morale. Recommendations are made to introduce training similar to that used in this intervention to officers early in their career, with periodic retraining of the counseling strategies and behaviors throughout an officer's career. 15. SUBJECT TERMS company grade officer retention, officer retention training, officer counseling training, career continuance SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF 19.