Military Personnel

Armed forces include active-duty and reserve personnel, officers, and enlisted corps. RAND research and analysis helps policymakers understand how to recruit, train, and educate the military workforce and provide cost-effective health care for military personnel and their families.

Research conducted by: RAND National Security Research Division; RAND Project AIR FORCE; RAND Arroyo Center; RAND Health; RAND Europe

All Items (762)

REPORT

A New Look at Gender and Minority Differences in Officer Career Progression in the Military — May 24, 2012

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 Extent of Restrictions on the Service of Active-Component Military Women — May 21, 2012

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.

PERIODICAL

RAND Review: Vol. 36, No. 1, Spring 2012 — May 11, 2012

Stories discuss Iran's nuclear threat, social security for Mexico's aging population, programs to help veterans and their families, the costs of crime and the value of police officers, psychological operations in Afghanistan, the U.S. health insurance mandate, legal representation in murder cases, marijuana legalization, U.S. competitiveness in educational achievement, and Louisiana's plan for a sustainable coast.

PERIODICAL

Calls of Duty: America Weighs Its Obligations to Veterans and Their Families — May 11, 2012

Ten RAND authors highlight seven ways in which the United States can help to ensure that veterans and their families receive health care, employment and education opportunities, and other benefits.

REPORT

Improving Army Basic Research: Report of an Expert Panel on the Future of Army Laboratories — Apr 18, 2012

This report describes the result of an expert panel assembled to consider how the Army can get the best long-term value from its investments in basic research. The panel examined trends in basic research and R&D and profiled several top-quality research laboratories, to gain insight into how the Army might better structure and fund its own labs. The report offers a number of recommendations for improving the Army research effort.

REPORT

Medical Readiness of the Reserve Component — Apr 16, 2012

The reserve components (RCs) must ensure that reservists are not only properly equipped and trained, but also free from health-related conditions that could limit their ability to carry out their duties. This volume identifies existing medical readiness requirements, quantifies current RC medical readiness, identifies obstacles to achieving compliance, and suggests options for improving medical readiness in a cost-effective manner.

REPORT

Assessment of the Content, Design, and Dissemination of the Real Warriors Campaign — Apr 16, 2012

The Real Warriors Campaign, launched in 2009, is a multimedia program designed to promote resilience, facilitate recovery, and support the reintegration of returning servicemembers, veterans, and their families. This report presents the results of an independent assessment of the campaign.

RESEARCH BRIEF

Identifying Civilian Labor Market Realities for Army Officers Making Stay/Leave Decisions — Apr 13, 2012

This report describes the socioeconomic environment officers will encounter if they leave active-duty service and analyzes its potential impact on Army retention and how it can be effectively communicated to officers making stay/leave decisions.

RESEARCH BRIEF

How Do Soldiers’ Deployments Affect Children’s Academic Performance and Behavioral Health? — Apr 9, 2012

With regard to Army families, the study examines the effects of long and frequent parental deployments on children’s academic performance as well as their emotional and behavioral well-being in the school setting.

BLOG

Celebrating the Month of the Military Child — Apr 5, 2012

April is the Month of the Military Child, a national initiative to support and honor America's service members and their families. The celebration is being recognized with events around the country, and is a key national initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama.

REPORT

Making Improvements to The Army Distributed Learning Program — Mar 28, 2012

An assessment of The Army Distributed Learning Program (TADLP) found that it has had a relatively narrow focus and has provided, at best, a modest benefit to unit readiness. Major changes are needed to meet increasing DL requirements within the Army. Several near-term initiatives are proposed for the Army's interactive multimedia instruction program to improve both the quality of the product and the efficiency and responsiveness of the…

REPORT

Compensation for Combat Deaths: Policy Considerations — Mar 15, 2012

This briefing identifies policy questions related to compensating service members and their survivors for fatality risk. After comparing patterns in the characteristics of combat fatalities with those of fatalities occurring in other contexts, it discusses the Department of Defense's current compensation programs. Policymakers may benefit from both empirical studies and comparisons with compensation programs that exist in other contexts.

REPORT

The Use of Standardized Scores in Officer Career Management and Selection — Mar 8, 2012

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

Incentive Pay for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Career Fields — Mar 6, 2012

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.

COMMENTARY

Military Families: What We Know and What We Don't Know — Mar 2, 2012

Never before in our nation's history have our service members and their families been so challenged and never before have their struggles (and successes) been the topic of so much scholarly attention, writes Sarah O. Meadows.

COMMENTARY

Colleges Can Learn from For-Profits' Emphasis on the Consumer — Feb 9, 2012

Though for-profit institutions had been criticized in the Senate report as offering credits that were hard to transfer elsewhere, it was the colleges' willingness to accept military transcripts that appealed to veterans who wanted to complete their degrees as fast as possible, writes Jennifer Steele.

REPORT

Reducing Attrition in Selected Air Force Training Pipelines — Feb 2, 2012

The Air Force has a continuing interest in reducing high attrition and training-block failure (washback) rates, as both increase training and recruiting costs. This report describes research into these issues for nine career fields.

PERIODICAL

Three Pots of Tea: Peace in Afghanistan Depends on Its Leaders, Neighbors, and Security Forces — Jan 13, 2012

There are three key ingredients for peace in Afghanistan. Afghan leaders must negotiate a peace. Afghan neighbors must respect the peace. And Afghan soldiers and police must keep the peace.

REPORT

Reshaping the Army's Active and Reserve Components — Dec 15, 2011

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…

REPORT

Expectations About Civilian Labor Markets and Army Officer Retention — Dec 15, 2011

This monograph develops a comprehensive picture of the socioeconomic environment officers will encounter if they leave active-duty service and analyzes the potential impact of these factors on Army retention and how major differences between military and civilian employment can be effectively communicated to officers making stay/leave decisions.

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