Numerous studies and discussion sessions have focused on the military personnel shortages extending through the year 2000. The manpower problem promises to be acute, according to demographers, as government, industry, and the military compete for a share of the shrinking pool of young work-age personnel. Military personnel and training planners face an increasingly difficult dilemma on how to stretch their manpower to meet pressing combat unit requirements and, at the same time, to deal with greater training loads brought about by new weapons systems and high personnel turnover. The Services, particularly the Army, believe they need to reduce the number of personnel committed to the training function in order to free skilled and experienced key NCOs and officers for field duty.

This paper offers analysis suggesting one answer to this serious training manpower problem-more training performed by contractors. Training by contractors is certainly not new but it has been largely utilized in the past for limited, highly specialized, often one-time, training efforts associated with the introduction of new weapon systems. A broader-scaled contractor, training effort might offer better training continuity, more professional staffing, ways to meet capital investment costs involving new sophisticated computer-based training equipment, and yet produce a quality trained technician in a cost effective and expeditious manner. A pertinent, limited case study provides illumination in this area. The paper also addresses the disadvantages and problems, such as inflated costs, associated with a contractor developed and run training program and suggests contractor responsibilities in this regard. The anticipated manpower crisis demands a search for solutions. An increased training role for contractors might ease the armed services manpower crunch while reducing the expected industrial competition for some of the same manpower resources.