Developing and offering the appropriate military compensation packages—including wages, health care, reenlistment bonuses, retirement, leave, dependent benefits, and survivor benefits—is necessary to attract and retain active duty and reserve personnel with essential skills. RAND has conducted extensive research to advise policymakers on developing compensation options to attract and retain a military workforce capable of meeting a nation's strategic goals.
Report
This report analyzes reform of the reserve retirement system, discusses the goals and obstacles to reform, and provides a quantitative assessment of the reserve retention and cost effects of possible reform proposals.
Report
Examines the adequacy of disability compensation to offset the reduction in civilian earnings opportunities that are associated with veterans' service-connected disabilities.
Research Brief
Examines the possibility for the Department of Defense to save money on military pay while sustaining a high-quality force.
Report
Assembles the latest available data on recruiting, retention, and military versus civilian pay, and recommends a slower increase in military pay. Discusses implementation strategies if the Defense Department moves forward with limited pay increases.
Blog
Adequate compensation is critical to recruiting and retaining an all-volunteer force—in peacetime and wartime alike. To assess the effectiveness of U.S. military pay and benefits, the president directs a review of military compensation every four years. Four RAND studies contributed to this review.
Report
Over the first four years following the death of a service member, recurring benefits offset more than two-thirds of the losses in estimated household earnings, on average. When combined with the lump-sum benefits the family receives, the benefits are likely sufficient to fully replace the lost earnings for several decades.
Report
Because of disability compensation, the income of military service members who suffer serious or very serious injuries is on average about 36 percent higher four years following deployment than what would have been expected had they not been injured.
Report
A new pay structure proposed for members of the U.S. military reserves would be more similar to that of active duty members, cost less than the current system and would not adversely affect recruitment and retention.
Report
The military's TRICARE Reserve Select program offers reservists the option of purchasing health insurance through the military on terms that compare favorably with typical employer benefits, but the program does not appear to be effectively targeting those most likely to be uninsured.
News Release
Disability payments made to veterans injured during combat adequately compensate them for the earning losses they experience in the civilian job market.
News Release
A new pay structure proposed for members of the U.S. military reserves would be more similar to that of active duty members, cost less than the current system and would not adversely affect recruitment and retention.
Report
This briefing identifies policy questions related to compensating service members and their survivors for fatality risk. It compares combat fatality patterns with fatalities occurring in other contexts and discusses current compensation programs.
Report
An econometric assessment of the effectiveness of incentive pays for retaining remotely piloted aircraft pilots and sensor operators.
Report
Military enlistment increases earnings about 40 percent in the first few years following application, then diminishes to about 11 percent 14–18 years later. While enlistment delays college education in the short run, it increases the likelihood of attaining a two-year college degree.
Report
The Post-9/11 GI Bill increased the higher education benefits available to eligible individuals, but its implementation presented challenges to both student veterans and campus administrators.
News Release
Data on the experiences of student veterans and campus administrators during the first year of the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Research Brief
The Post-9/11 GI Bill increased the higher education benefits available to eligible individuals. Offering benefits to nearly 2 million veterans, it is more generous than previous bills but beneficiaries report challenges in using the new benefits.
Report
While most U.S. government officials working in Iraq believe the use of armed private security contractors has been a useful strategy, many worry that the contractors have not always had a positive effect on U.S. foreign policy objectives.
News Release
The increased use of cash bonuses by the U.S. Department of Defense to encourage military enlistment and reenlistment had a positive effect on recruiting and retention in the armed forces.
Past Event
James Hosek and Beth Asch will describe the cost-effectiveness of increased U.S. Department of Defense spending on bonuses in regards to its impact on wartime military recruitment and retention efforts and on attrition.
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