In this episode of the MWI Podcast, John Amble is joined by Dr. Casey Wardynski, the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs. His office has a remarkably wide portfolio, and the work they do touches the careers and lives of soldiers, Army civilian employees, contractors, family members—virtually everybody in the Army enterprise. He and his staff, for example, have to grapple with challenges like how the Army can recruit the people it needs—not just the right number of soldiers, but the right number of the right soldiers. He discusses that challenge and some of the broader economic and social dynamics that have reshaped employment in the private sector for decades, but which the Army must also adapt to. And he explains the major changes the Army is making to the way it manages talent—many of our listeners will be using parts of that new system in the months to come.
You can listen to the full episode below. And if you aren’t already subscribed to the MWI Podcast, be sure to find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss an episode!
Image credit: Sgt. Henry Villarama, US Army
Really enjoyed this topic. The idea that we could use a Networked, TM AI to quickly put together teams that have the right KSB's/KSAOs to solve complex problems will provide a key advantage in MDO. I can definitely see the requirement to change how we value talent if a team member is from another command that may not even be in theater – but believe a kind of team/problem evaluation on what the member brought to the solution/outcome to a demonstration of their KSBs/KSAOs could work. It could be a composite NC/OER with the actual CDR's evaluation being proportional to the distribution of the rated officer/NCO's time to problems/work. The AI could roll up the rating against the expected KSBs based on a 360 framework, and perhaps give a potential bonus based on new KSBs either learned or demonstrated that were not associated with the problem.
It'd be great to get a KSB/KSAO identification tool in the hands of recruiters (Officer, Enlisted and Warrant). Something that could be deployed on SM that linked to an eBRC that would help identify talent that we miss because they are not where we traditionally are, or because they can't see themselves with an Army identity. Gamify it so the performance data automatically (with transparent consent) populates a TM data base. We might be able to avoid using surrogate criteria and align incentives to specific KSBs.