The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Evaluating the Impact of Changes to the Air Force Officer and Enlisted Evaluation Systems
English Summary
This RAND report evaluates the 2023 overhaul of the U.S. Air Force’s performance evaluation systems, finding that while the transition to narrative formats and major performance areas has improved clarity, it has created new challenges for promotion boards in differentiating between top performers. Based on surveys of over 10,000 airmen and interviews with talent management stakeholders, the study identifies widespread confusion regarding new stratification policies and significant technical frustrations with the 'myEval 2.0' interface. The report recommends that the Air Force provide more robust writing guidance and explore ways to reintegrate quantitative indicators to ensure the system effectively supports long-term talent management and career development. Ultimately, successful refinement of these processes is critical for maintaining a meritocratic promotion system and aligning personnel development with core organizational values.
中文摘要
這份蘭德 (RAND) 報告評估了 2023 年美國空軍績效評估系統的全面改革，發現雖然改採敘述格式與主要績效領域提高了透明度，但也為晉升委員會在區分頂尖人才方面帶來了新挑戰。基於對超過 10,000 名空軍人員的調查以及與人才管理相關者的訪談，研究指出基層對新分層政策存在普遍困惑，且對「myEval 2.0」介面感到顯著的技術挫折。報告建議空軍應提供更完善的撰寫指南，並探索重新整合定量指標的方法，以確保系統能有效支持長期人才管理與職涯發展。最終，成功完善這些流程對於維持功績晉升制度，以及使人員發展與核心組織價值觀保持一致至關重要。
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