"Accessing Talent: The Foundation of a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy," is the fourth of six monographs focused upon officer talent management in the U.S. Army. In it, the authors continue their examination of how the U.S. Army accesses, develops, retains, and employs officer talent. In particular, they focus upon the ways in which dynamic labor market conditions and generational preferences have shaped service propensity among potential officer prospects. As in the previous volumes of this series, the authors first articulate a theoretical framework for improvement and then demonstrate how the application of those theories can yield desired results. In sum, they explain why a proper talent accessions strategy can create a "positive sum game" for the Army as perhaps nothing else can. Since the officer accessions process presents the Army with a dramatic opportunity to leverage talent investments made by others, the theories and programs discussed in this monograph merit thoughtful consideration.

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Introduction / Disparate yet complementary commissioning sources / Concerning trends in officer accessions / Theoretical considerations -- Competing in the market for talent -- Communicating with prospects: understanding behavioral economics / Fishing for talent in the right ponds / Marketing innovations -- Spanning segmented markets -- Targeted marketing / Building flexibility into the accessions process / Conclusion.