Help wanted: Army seeks 250 infantry and armor lieutenants to transfer to support positions

The Army has an unusual problem — too many infantry and tank officers and not enough accountants and human resource specialists.

In a statement, the country’s largest military service says it is trying to entice hundreds of officers in more traditional fields to transfer to other branches such as administration, finance and the Signal Corps. Army officials this week blamed the staffing woes on a “misalignment between officer inventory and Army manning requirements.”

“Infantry and armor branches are both overstrength, while there are too few Adjutant General, Finance and Signal Corps officers,” the Army said, adding that 250 lieutenants were being asked to sign up for the career change.

The Army will face a shortage of battalion and brigade-level personnel, logistics and signal officers if it doesn’t take steps to rebalance the force, officials said.

“That not only impacts Army manning but also our readiness and ability to take care of soldiers in the future,” said Col. Charlone Stallworth, with the Army’s Human Resources Command.

Despite the critical shortages in some positions, the Army says no officer will be forced to change their career field. But officials will “strongly encourage” junior officers to consider the move as an opportunity to serve in a different capacity.

“Adjutant General, Signal, and Finance officers are equally dedicated and passionate about their branch as the infantry and armor,” said Col. Miles Gengler. “I commissioned as an armor officer and re-branched to [Adjutant General] when the opportunity arose. I went on to command at the battalion and brigade level.”

The Adjutant General Branch is the second-oldest branch in the Army, functioning as the human resources and staffing arm for commanders in the field.

At this point, the Army is looking only for infantry and armor officers who were commissioned in 2021 to transfer to new jobs. The request could be expanded, however, depending on the success of the pilot program, officials said.