Marygail K. Brauner

Senior Operations Research Analyst

Off Site Office

Education

Ph.D. in engineering and operations research, University of California, Los Angeles; M.A. in mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles; A.B. in biological sciences, Stanford University

One Page Bio

Overview

Marygail Brauner is a senior operations research analyst. She analyzes complex real-world problems, models them, and develops solutions. Recently, she helped designed a model to allocate ventilators and respiratory therapists so as to minimize patient wait time; identified how to manage the supply chain–related risks to election cybersecurity and integrity; and used evidence-based analysis to inform the rebuilding of Puerto Rico. Her past research focused on military force planning and logistics, to include the financial implications of resource allocation decisions. She has also led studies on matching competencies to job requirements and on cost effective solutions for military medical readiness. As a member of the Army Science Board, Brauner led three studies and received the Commander's Award for Public Service.

Research Focus

Concurrent Non-RAND Positions

Recent Projects

Managing Distribution of New Army Dress Uniforms: Options to Achieve Cost Neutrality
FEMA Cost Validation for Puerto Rico Hurricane Recovery
Improving spare parts support in dynamic environments
Inventory reduction without regret
Future of Aeromedical evacuation and en route casualty care

Selected Publications

Keating, Edward G.; Brauner, Marygail K.; Galway, Lionel A.,, "Air Force Medical Corps' Status and How Its Physicians Respond to Multiyear Special Pay," Military Medicine, 174(11), 2009

Brauner, Marygail K., John F. Raffensperger, and Edward W. Chan, Inventory Reduction Without Regret: Balancing Storage and Rebuy Costs, RAND Corporation (PE-138-A), 2015

Keating, Edward G., Marygail K. Brauner, Lionel A. Galway, Judith D. Mele, James J. Burks, and Brendan Saloner, Air Force Physician and Dentist Multiyear Special Pay: Current Status and Potential Reforms, RAND Corporation (MG-866), 2009

Brauner, Marygail K., H. G. Massey, Craig Moore, and Darren D. Medlin, Improving Development and Utilization of U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officers, RAND Corporation (TR-628), 2009

Folkeson, John R., Marygail K. Brauner, Improving the Army’s Management of Reparable Spare Parts, RAND Corporation (MG-205-A), 2005

Dumond, John, Marygail K. Brauner, Rick Eden, John R. Folkeson, Kenneth J. Girardini, Donna J. Keyser, Eric Peltz, Ellen M. Pint, and Mark Y.D. Wang, Velocity Management: The Business Paradigm That Has Transformed U.S. Army Logistics, RAND Corporation (MR-1108-A), 2001

Peltz, Eric, Marygail K. Brauner, Edward G. Keating, Evan Saltzman, Daniel Tremblay, and Patricia Boren, DoD Depot-Level Reparable Supply Chain Management: Process Effectiveness and Opportunities for Improvement, RAND Corporation (RR-398-OSD), 2014

Honors & Awards

Commander's Award, Assistant Secretary of the Army
Golden Hammer Award, Under Secretary of the Army
Bronze Medal, RAND

Publications

Report
Securing U.S. Elections Against Cyber Threats: Considerations for Supply Chain Risk Management
The supply chain for components of U.S. election systems and equipment is at the core of election security. The authors of this Perspective describe the supply chain–related risks to election cybersecurity and integrity and how they can be managed.
Sep 22, 2020
Report
Planning Hospital Needs for Ventilators and Respiratory Therapists in the COVID-19 Crisis
The coronavirus disease 2019 crisis has caused shortages in ventilators and respiratory therapists, increasing risk for patients. The authors describe a model they developed to allocate these resources among hospitals to minimize patient wait time.
May 13, 2020
Report
Inventory Reduction Without Regret: Balancing Storage and Rebuy Costs
The Army should assess the cost of inventory not on its total dollar value but instead on long-term factors such as storage costs, repair costs, and the risk of rebuy.
Jun 17, 2015
Report
DoD Depot-Level Reparable Supply Chain Management: Process Effectiveness and Opportunities for Improvement
Examines Department of Defense depot-level reparable supply chain management to identify the most common reasons for apparent inventory excess and customer support shortfalls and associated process improvement opportunities.
Jun 9, 2014
Research Brief
Improving Medical and Dental Readiness in the Reserve Components
Describes options for Department of Defense policy that would help the reserve components of the U.S. military achieve higher levels of individual medical readiness, including dental readiness.
Jun 5, 2012
Report
Medical Readiness of the Reserve Component
Provides options for Department of Defense policy that would help the reserve components of the U.S. military achieve higher levels of individual medical readiness.
Apr 16, 2012
Report
Using Field Data to Improve Authorized Stockage List Push Packages
Looks at the feasibility of using demands for sustainment parts experienced by initial equipment fieldings to improve parts availability as the equipment is fielded to successive units.
Dec 15, 2011
Report
Improving Development and Utilization of U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officers
Describes an approach to develop systematic and effective career strategies for U.S. Air Force officers.
Jul 14, 2009
Report
Air Force Physician and Dentist Multiyear Special Pay: Current Status and Potential Reforms
Discusses the tendencies of Air Force physicians and dentists to accept Multiyear Special Pay.
May 6, 2009
Journal Article
The Air Force Medical Corps' Status and How Its Physicians Respond to Multiyear Special Pay
Examines the effect of multiyear special pay on attrition from the U.S. Air Force medical corps.
2009
Report
Advancing the U.S. Air Force's Force-Development Initiative
Steps to take for consistent, efficient, and effective plans and means for improving the development of U.S. Air Force officers across and within their career fields.
Dec 13, 2007
Research Brief
How to Improve the Army's Management of Reparable Spare Parts
To determine how the Army's reparable spare parts management process could be made more effective, Arroyo researchers conducted a case study centered on improving the availability of the engine of an armored recovery vehicle.
Nov 25, 2005
Report
Improving the Army’s Management of Reparable Spare Parts
Making the Army’s inventory-management and component-repair processes more efficient and responsive to customer requirements: an integrated approach.
Mar 1, 2005
Research Brief
CWT and RWT Metrics Measure the Performance of the Army's Logistics Chain for Spare Parts
This research note compares and contrasts the Army's customer wait time (CWT) and requisition wait time (RWT) performance metrics.
2003
Report
Right Price, Fair Credit: Criteria to Improve Financial Incentives for Army Logistics Decisions
In this document, the authors introduce a set of criteria to assess price and credit policy changes in terms of their effectiveness in meeting the overall objective of maintaining the logistics customer's ability to meet mission requirements while ...
2002
Report
Velocity Management: The Business Paradigm That Has Transformed U.S. Army Logistics
Velocity management has brought a new way of doing business to U.S. Army logistics, with a renewed focus on the Army customer and a powerful approach for process improvement that cuts across three critical performance dimensions: time, ...
2001
Report
Dollars and Sense: A Process Improvement Approach to Logistics Financial Management
This report documents analysis conducted in support of the Velocity Management Financial Management Process Improvement Team.
2000
Report
Evaluating Five Proposed Price and Credit Policies for the Army
As the Army moves toward implementation of a Single Stock Fund, some of the important decisions to be made involve the pricing and credit policies that will be adopted.
2000
Report
ISM-X Evaluation and Policy Implications
This document is the final report on RAND's evaluation of the Army's expanded Integrated Sustainment Maintenance (ISM-X) demonstration.
1997
Report
An Approach to Understanding the Value of Parts
This report proposes a way to think about the stockage decisions service maintenance depots must make.
1994
Report
Using Value to Manage Repair Parts
This report documents a briefing that presents a method for examining the effect that various stockage policies have on the length of time weapon replaceable assemblies (WRAs) spend waiting for parts.
1993
Report
Is Consolidation Being Overemphasized for Military Logistics?
This issue paper suggests that such practices may be what the DoD needs to deliver responsive logistics at the least cost.
1993
Report
Revamping the Infrastructure that Supports Military Systems
This issue paper presents the results and recommendations of a workshop addressing whether the industrial infrastructure that supports military systems should undergo fundamental redesign.
1993
Report
Assessing the Structure and Mix of Future Active and Reserve Forces: Effectiveness of Total Force Policy in the Persian Gulf
This paper asks two questions: (1) Did Total Force Policy make the numbers and types of reserve forces needed available to the National Command Authority? (2) Were those forces ready to carry out their assigned missions?
1992
Report
Assessing the Structure and Mix of Future Active and Reserve Forces: Final Report to the Secretary of Defense
This study examines the structure and appropriate mix of active and reserve forces. It analyzes policy issues surrounding the Total Force (that is, active and reserve forces), to include history and effectiveness during the Persian Gulf War.
1992
Report
Improving Naval Aviation Depot Responsiveness
This report examines the consequences of increasing the Navy depot's role in the logistics system by directing its resources toward the day-to-day needs of the fleet.
1992
Report
Manning Full-Time Positions in Support of the Selected Reserve
Discusses problems related to manning full-time support (FTS) positions in the Selected Reserve. Focuses on systemic problems that currently exist and that would most likely exist even if the size and structure of the Selected Reserve were to change.
1991
Report
The Robust Separation Projection Method for Predicting Monthly Losses of Air Force Enlisted Personnel
Describes the robust separation projection method of predicting monthly losses and reenlistments.
1991
Report
Time Series Models for Predicting Monthly Losses of Air Force Enlisted Personnel
This report describes time series models that predict monthly losses and reenlistment using an assortment of modeling approaches. These include constant rate, regression, autoregressive, and straight-line running-average models.
1991
Report
What's on the Enriched Airman Gain/Loss File
This Note describes the Enriched Airman Gain/Loss (EAGL) file, an annually prepared data file that supports the Air Force's Enlisted Force Management System.
1989
Report
What's on the Year-At-Risk File
This Note describes the Year-at-Risk (YAR) file, a SAS (Statistical Analysis System) software system data file, that is the primary source of data for building, testing, and maintaining the models in the Air Force's Enlisted Force Management System.
1989
Report
Middle-Term Loss Prediction Models for the Air Force's Enlisted Force Management System: Specification and Estimation
Specifies equations for models that predict the loss and reenlistment behavior of airmen.
1987