Medical Total Force Management

This report identifies inconsistencies and challenges in total medical force management and develops recommendations for improvements to management practices that would allow for and promote more efficient total medical force management. The research team found that some force mix challenges have improved (e.g., understaffing of operationally required specialties) while others have grown worse (e.g., use of military for non-military essential functions). The team developed a number of recommendations for changing the incentives faced by local and Service-level decision makers that would lead to improved force mix management within the medical community.