Examines the social & budgetary costs & benefits of the DoD's wide array of retail stores & consumer services at military bases, & various alternatives for their future. Discusses: issues raised by the commissary system, the past & present rationale for the system, its patrons & sales, benefits compared with costs, & trends in appropriations; DoD's non-appropriated fund activities (NAF); the military exchange system, exchange patrons in the U.S. & overseas & benefits they receive, NAF earnings & costs, & issues raised by the exchange system; & alternative strategies for DoD retail activities. Charts & tables.

Military, political, and academic experts analyze recent reforms in military personnel policies, including the shift to a smaller, all-volunteer force, improved working conditions, increased pay, and better quality of life for military families.

The war in Iraq and the problematic military occupation of that country have called into question the adequacy of America's all-volunteer force. Politicians and others have expressed doubts about its equity and capability; some have called for the reinstatement of the draft. Yet over the past twenty years the all-volunteer military has become a technologically advanced force that has contributed to America's overall military advantage. This book analyzes current military pay and personnel policies and identifies changes needed to maintain and improve America's all-volunteer force. Filling the Ranks argues that to attract qualified and motivated volunteers, the armed forces need to offer better tangible inducements—pay, benefits, and training—to accompany such intangible rewards as pride in serving one's country. Many of the policies related to tangible rewards were established shortly after World War II and are no longer effective. Filling the Ranks presents detailed assessments of US military pay and personnel policies in light of the strategic, demographic, economic, and labor realities of the future. It identifies specific problems that today's military career patterns, training, pay, and benefits pose for officers and enlisted men and women in both active duty and reserve forces, discussing such issues as competition with the private sector for talent, the need to restructure compensation, and provision of family support. It offers recommendations for more flexible, adaptive, and effective policies and a blueprint for achieving them.