The Army is currently undertaking one of the most ambitious modernization efforts in its history. From introducing new technologies to restructuring the ways units are organized, a host of unique challenges paves the road to this goal. As such, finding effective ways of attracting top talent has never been more important for the Armed Forces.

Responding to this challenging scenario requires the Army to not only attract new recruits, but to also retain the Soldiers who are already within its ranks.

Within I CORPS, a new type of formation, the Multi-Domain Task Force, has been so successful in its retention efforts that the Chief of Staff, Gen. James C. McConville, praised them for their success in a recent visit.

“…I’m really impressed with what’s happening here,” said McConville. “Every qualified Soldier that we retain is one less Soldier that we have to recruit, and we have high-quality Soldiers here. Organizations like this have exceeded their retention mission…we want [the MDTF] to retain everyone that they can.”

The 1st MDTF, located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, breaks new ground by combining space, cyber, and long-range firepower in a single unit. This allows the MDTF to compete with adversaries across all the domains of a modern theater.

The Soldiers of the MDTF have already made their voice clear: they like what they do, and they want to keep doing it. The 1st MDTF has been the back-to-back recipient of the I Corps commander’s Early Bird Award for meeting retention goals ahead of schedule.

“It’s a rare distinction for such a new organization, and it shows that our Soldiers are getting what they need from their careers and the unit,” said the task force career counselor.

Another rare distinction is that Soldiers assigned to the MDTF find themselves using their training in real-world applications on a daily basis, adding a sense of urgency and importance to the work they do, said Col. Bernard Harrington, the commander of the 1st MDTF.

“Our Soldiers come to work every day knowing they’re making a difference. Their accomplishments are shaping the future of joint power and actively contributing to a free and open Indo-Pacific for the United States and its allies and regional partners,” said Harrington.

As the MDTF continues to put people first and provide its Soldiers with a rewarding mission set, it showcases how the Army can retain its top talent, and how it can encourage the Soldiers of tomorrow to continue their service to the nation.