Effective military leaders help nations meet their strategic goals, and the retention of these leaders is essential to preserving morale and unit readiness. RAND has conducted extensive research on training and career development programs that are designed to attract and retain personnel with the most promising mix of knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience.
REPORT
RAND research conducted in the late 1990s documented differences in rates of promotion and retention among male, female, white, and minority officers in the U.S. military. This volume updates the earlier RAND study, using data from January 1988 through September 2010. It also examines the career progression of women serving in military occupations that are partially closed to them.
REPORT
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 mandated a review of gender-based assignment restrictions. To support this effort, RAND researchers analyzed service data to describe and quantify the military occupations that are closed to women, as well as occupations that are open with some positions that are closed.
REPORT
This report provides an overview of how standardized tests are used as part of a broader selection system for each of the services at different points in an officer's career, and a discussion of key issues that should be considered when using standardized tests, including the relationship between tests and racial and ethnic group differences, which could affect minority representation within the officer corps.
REPORT
An econometric assessment of the effectiveness of incentive pays in retaining remotely piloted aircraft pilots and sensor operators. Civilian pilot and sensor operator salaries are higher than those of other officers or enlisted personnel, indicating that incentive pays should be continued, along with reenlistment bonuses, because failure to retain enough personnel would cause serious problems with filling critical positions.
REPORT
To analyze policy options that would improve utilization of reserve forces, the authors assess how Army active and reserve forces are used. Converting billets from low-use to high-use career fields within a component could partially, but not completely, rebalance the reserve components. Converting billets from a low-use career field in one component to a high-use career field in another is unlikely in the near term, but an option in the…
RESEARCH BRIEF
Identifies and describes the knowledge, skills, and abilities that enable Army officers to succeed in joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational contexts.
REPORT
The relationships among stakeholders involved in manpower, personnel, and training processes for managing the U.S. Navy information systems technician rating are discussed. The authors examine the effects of these different stakeholders on efficiency and effectiveness measures for the information technician community in general and the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services program specifically.
REPORT
Over the past decade, U.S. Marine Corps intelligence has had to tailor its organization to meet the evolving demands of the operational environment. A broad review of its design examined how to align it efficiently and effectively with current and future missions and functions.
REPORT
This report describes a process for achieving and maintaining the balance between requirements for rated personnel and inventory. The process includes (1) recategorizing positions; (2) streamlining conversion of recategorized positions; (3) planning for effects of major actions on rated requirements; (4) redesigning positions to concentrate tasks requiring rated expertise in fewer rated positions; (5) making aircrew management more…
REPORT
Examines "reachback" -- the use of contracting capability outside of the theater of operations to accomplish contracting tasks for customers in-theater -- as a potential means for reducing the deployment burden on military contracting personnel. The authors find that reachback might improve performance in some areas and has the potential to reduce deployments, but other issues also need to be addressed to reduce stress on the contracting…
REPORT
Based on interviews and focus groups, this monograph identifies and describes the knowledge, skills, and abilities that enable Army officers to succeed in joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational contexts. Researchers identified the kinds of assignments that develop the needed capabilities and used inventory modeling to assess the Army's ability to develop and maintain a cadre of properly qualified officers.
REPORT
The Air Force needs to develop a second occupational competency, or paired skill, in many of its future colonels and generals. The authors report how a team of Air Force officers and RAND staff derived the minimum percentage of each occupation's future new colonels who should have each paired skill. The minimums could help occupational overseers guide appropriate numbers of officers into appropriate paired skills.
REPORT
Sending officers to graduate schools is costly to the services. While officers incur specific service requirements in return, does that recoup the investment? The authors found that, in the U.S. Navy, breaking even financially is not always realistic. But the skills and general knowledge that officers gain in the process extend the value of their degrees beyond their majors, particularly in careers leading to flag rank.
REPORT
The Air Force relies on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) as part of its officer selection process. Despite concerns about the test, the authors conclude that it is a good selection test that predicts important Air Force outcomes and is not biased against minorities or women. The Air Force would not benefit by replacing the AFOQT with the SAT, although other valid selection tools could be used to complement the AFOQT.
REPORT
The relative lack of minorities in certain military career fields has a significant impact on the diversity of the senior leadership. The relationship between career field choice, race/ethnicity, and membership in the senior officer corps appears to stem, at least in part, from racial and ethnic differences in the occupational preferences of officer cadets. The authors urge a full-scale study to learn the reasons behind these preferences.
REPORT
A RAND simulation model adapted to address general and flag officer management subject to provisions of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 assesses the complexity and feasibility of managing new end- and grade-strength accounting rules. The model schedules assignments, holds positions open as needed, and forecasts retirements and promotions. The results indicate that GFO end-strength management is…
REPORT
As part of a broader research effort examining officer education and development in joint matters, the authors use data analysis and complex modeling to identify billets that that provide and/or require joint experience; and determine whether there are sufficient numbers of officers with joint experience to fill such billets.
REPORT
This research, part of a larger project examining the preparation and support of leaders in the medical field, evaluates the need for and feasibility of qualifying health care officers as “joint” officers. An extensive policy review and assessment of data from the 2005 Joint Officer Management survey suggest that such officers are indeed serving in billets that need and provide joint duty experience for which they should…
REPORT
Because test scores that are part of its enlisted promotion system are not standardized, the U.S. Air Force emphasizes longevity and test-taking ability differently and randomly across and within specialties. Random emphasis implies that the Air Force cannot be sure it promotes individuals with the highest potential. The authors discuss a range of predictable outcomes the Air Force could achieve by adopting various standardization…
REPORT
Discusses initial steps that the Department of Defense (DoD) should take in developing a department-wide strategic plan to achieve greater diversity within its active duty and civilian leadership. Key questions include how diversity will be defined, how progress toward diversity will be measured, and how DoD leaders will hold themselves and others accountable for such progress. Includes a summary of findings from the 2007 DoD Diversity…
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