Recruitment, Officer

Officer recruitment involves identifying qualified officer candidates, providing them with information about military service, convincing them of the rationales for becoming an officer, processing them through one of the available officer programs, and then commissioning them as officers. This entry includes a brief history of contemporary officer recruitment, discusses the role of advertising in officer recruitment, details the various officer programs, and highlights the growing importance of women and minorities to officer recruitment.

There are significant differences between officer recruitment and enlisted recruitment. The numerical requirements of enlisted recruitment are much larger than those of officer recruitment. However, officer recruitment demands higher standards due to increased responsibility. While enlisted recruitment focuses primarily on the tangible benefits of military service, officer recruitment focuses more heavily on the ...