Humanitarian service and recruitment and retention of uniformed services medical personnel.

A recent voluntary survey of 410 personnel from the U.S. Armed Forces Medical Departments and the Public Health Service indicated that humanitarian service experience has positive effects on recruitment and retention: 48% of respondents indicated that the opportunity to provide humanitarian service was a factor in their decision to join a uniformed service and 62% indicated that humanitarian service opportunities positively influenced their decision to remain in uniform. Humanitarian service requirements were a disincentive to remain in uniform for 25%. Pending further study, these preliminary implications can be applied to personnel policies and programs to recruit and retain uniformed health care professionals.