Abolish the 5-year Mandatory Rotation Rule for Overseas Department of Defense Employees.

The current Department of Defense (DOD) policy requires all civilian employees to rotate back to the continental United States from overseas locations every five years. These employees must pack up their family and household goods and return to the U.S. for a period of not less than 3 years before they can apply for another overseas tour. This policy places unnecessary stress on overseas military commands to recruit, hire, and transfer replacement employees to their location and results in the loss of experienced and knowledgeable employees. In addition, to the estimated $1 Billion the program cost the DOD each year the short tours limit the candidate pool of potential employees to those who are willing to accept an unstable career.