I'm not sure how many AD guys visit this site, but I figure it couldn't hurt to post this here.
Apparently retention is a hot-topic these days, and has been brought to the forefront by
this blog post. While much of it is aviation-centric (it was written by a pilot), it does shed some light of issues that are pervading the fleet, namely high optempo and the negative perception that COs and Major Commanders care more about jeapordizing their own careers than doing the right thing. Even the
CNP has taken notice, although strangely missing from a post soliciticing feedback is any contact information to provide it.
I see a lot of parallels to what ADM Richardson identified as COMSUBFOR and tried to fix. Unfortunately, I see this initiative going much the same way, if for no other reason than because it's really difficult to institute a large culture shift in a span of just 3-4 years while holding a billet.