Pentagon Testing a New Approach to the War on Talent
Struggling to find enough doctors, nurses and linguists for the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon will temporarily recruit foreigners who have been living in the United States on student and work visas, or with refugee or political asylum status.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently authorized the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps to recruit certain legal residents whose critical medical and language skills are “vital to the national interest,” officials said, using for the first time a law passed three years ago.
Though the military previously has taken recruits with green cards seeking permanent residency, Gates’ action enables the services to start a one-year pilot program to find up to 1,000 foreigners who have lived in the states legally for at least two years on certain types of temporary visas.
The new recruits into the armed forces would get accelerated treatment in the process toward becoming U.S. citizens in return for serving in the U.S. military.
What’s the urgent need? The Pentagon’s doctor and nurse corps remain 1,000 short of the numbers needed to treat armed forces patients. It is hoped that the program would fill the gaps. It also needs people with special language and cultural skills for a war on terrorism that has taken the armed forces across the globe.
There is some precedent here. The armed forces have used foreigners since the War of 1812 - over the years some 700,000 have served. There are now 29,000 non-citizens in uniform today. With roughly 8,000 more enlisting every year. The difference is that up until now U.S. citizenship was not part of the equation.
But because of the counterterrorism war begun after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America, President George W. Bush signed an executive order making foreigners who join the military eligible to apply immediately for citizenship. They essentially go to the head of the line among citizenship applicants, having their cases processed in about three years as opposed to the usual five years it takes others.
These benefits, however, do not come without cost to the job-seeker. All recruits will have to pass the same physical, mental and aptitude tests required of all who join the armed forces. In addition, Health care workers will have to meet all medical professional criteria to practice, be proficient in English, and agree to enlist either for three years on active duty or six years as reservists. The linguists/culture experts will have to enlist for four years of active duty service.
As talent agents for some of the most seasoned and experienced professionals in the workforce M Squared Consulting has a unique view into the dynamics of the labor market. Given the current cycle of negative economic news and a steady stream of layoff announcements it seems odd to be talking about the war for talent. The reality is that the U.S. workforce is aging, there are already shortages of skilled labor (particularly in the sciences and professional ranks), and the problem will only grow over time. Today’s negative economic reality is merely masking the problem.
When we enter an economic recovery these problems will once again be brought to the forefront. One can’t help but wonder if the Pentagon’s approach to “importing” skilled labor, with the promise of expedited U.S. citizenship, will be one that we are forced to expand to the private sector.
Time will tell.
