Administrative Assistant for the research group.

The project was designed to identify factors affecting skill retention and skill loss, to determine programs of initial and refresher training which will maintain technical proficiency, and to develop predictive models for programming cost-effective training and retraining programs. This report presents the lit-erature review organized around a preliminary model. The model covers organiza-tional and collective (i.e., crew, group, team, and unit) factors as well as individual factors influencing skill retention. Objectives of subsequent phases of the research are testing and refinement of the model, and development of a methodology for improving research that will result in more cost-effective col-lective training. Important to this will be any assessment of the costs of training and the cost implications of skill loss. The present research was greatly assisted by the advice and support of many individuals and organizations outside Litton Mellonics. Most importantly, the authors recognize the invaluable assistance provided by Dr. J. Dexter Fletcher, DARPA, and LTC William Valen, TRADOC. The authors also extend their special appreciation to COL Ronald J. Rabin and his staff at U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Systems Analysis Activity (TRASANA), who supplied the REDEYE data and descriptive materials contained in Chapter 3 and Annex D