Military Recruitment

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Truth Decay and National Security, Gun Violence, Blockading Crimea: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Truth Decay and national security, America's gun violence problem, how Ukraine could blockade Crimea, and more.

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The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers

Recruiting older people to enlist in the Army could help increase numbers, quality, and talent. Individuals who enlist over the age of 21 perform better as soldiers on several metrics. Recruiters have noted that older recruits are of higher quality, more focused, and more motivated.

Ryan Haberman @RJ_Haberman, Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard

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50 Years Without the Draft: Behind the Bold Move That Ended Conscription, and What's Next for the All-Volunteer Force

On the 50th anniversary of the all-volunteer force, the important question is: “How has the move to manning the Army without relying on conscription fared?” The short answer: Quite well.

Bernard D. Rostker

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Removing Barriers to Diversity and Inclusion in the Military

Efforts to improve representation and remove barriers for personnel with protected characteristics are seen as essential steps for modern militaries, but have not gone without controversy. The UK Armed Forces could take a more-strategic approach to leveraging diversity to elevate it as a strategic enabler of military fighting power in the contemporary threat environment.

Linda Slapakova

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Russian Forces in Ukraine: Muddling Through

The Russian armed forces have suffered tens of thousands of casualties and lost more than 5,000 pieces of equipment. These deficits will make it hard for Russia to hold regions in Ukraine that it may soon try to annex. To succeed, Moscow will have to replenish personnel and equipment at scale—tasks that will prove extremely difficult.

Dara Massicot @MassDara

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U.S.-Russia Diplomacy, Citizen Science, America's Blood Supply: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on U.S.-Russia diplomacy in the context of the Ukraine crisis, the value of citizen science, strengthening the America's blood supply, and more.

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Afghan Refugees Are Being Recruited to Join an Iranian Paramilitary

As Western policymakers consider how to deal with Afghan evacuees, including former members of the Afghan security forces, they might consider how to prevent adversaries such as Iran from recruiting Afghan refugees for dangerous and destabilizing operations. Greater attention to these risks may become increasingly important as refugee flows from Afghanistan continue.

Erik E. Mueller @erikemueller, Andrew Radin @andrewmradin

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Army Enlistment Waivers in the Age of Legal Marijuana

Army recruits with a history of marijuana use can ask for a waiver like those who have diabetes or insomnia. They are just as likely as others to complete their first term and make sergeant, and are less likely to leave the Army for health or performance reasons.

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Why Women Belong in Coast Guard Crews

The Coast Guard benefits from the heightened respect that colleagues show each other in mixed-gender units, allowing personnel to focus and excel at their tasks at hand. When the Coast Guard zeroes in on evidence-based and appropriate accommodations for women and their physical capacities, as well as with parenting and family life, it will benefit everyone in uniform.

Robert C. Parker

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Is Japan's New Defense Plan Ambitious Enough?

Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan has significantly increased capabilities to meet increasing regional security challenges. But Tokyo may need to do more to manage the complex security environment surrounding Japan.

Michael J. Green, Jeffrey W. Hornung

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Just Let Them Compete: Raising the Next Generation of Wargamers

Wargames are games that simulate aspects of warfare at varying levels, aimed at analyzing human decisionmaking. To develop the next generation of avid wargamers, the first step is both radical and simple: Let them compete.

Sebastian Joon Bae

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Military Power Is All About People: A Return to Personnel Policy

Ensuring the strength of U.S. armed forces is critical to U.S. national security and the key source of strength is its people. True investment in personnel is a long-term legacy and an investment worthy of attention and policy debate to ensure the United States continues to recruit and retain the most effective fighting force in the world.

Radha Iyengar Plumb, Brad R. Carson, et al.

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Women in Special Security Forces: What the U.S. Can Learn from the Afghans

The contributions of the women in Afghanistan's special security forces demonstrate the unique value that women can bring to special operations forces in socially conservative societies. They are successful in tactical roles and in operations requiring interaction with the community.

Whitney Dudley, Robert Stewart

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The Military Should Increase Efforts to Find and Enlist Young Hackers

Some notorious cyberattacks have been carried out by computer-savvy teens. They don't all have criminal intentions, they just have a particular aptitude for writing code and operating in cyberspace. The U.S. military should consider embracing and cultivating this pool of talent.

Isaac R. Porche III, Chad C. Serena

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RAND Studies Help Inform Pentagon Decision to Open Combat Roles to Women

RAND researchers addressed topics such as whether members of U.S. special forces are ready to integrate women into their ranks and what lessons may be learned from other militaries that already have integrated women into combat positions.

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Investing in Military Human Capital

A new effort to review the military's personnel system will focus initially on policies to assign, evaluate, and promote service members. To truly address systematic challenges, however, the scope will need to widen to include how the various military services might size, structure, and support key missions.

Daniel B. Ginsberg, Raymond E. Conley

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Go Slow on Arming Recruiters

Several important voices have argued for arming military recruiters in the wake of the recent shootings in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Giving them a chance to fight back against an active shooter may be a sound proposition, but practicalities of military recruiting suggest a patient and thoughtful policy review.

Ben Connable

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We Need a Public-Private Approach to Supporting Veterans

Honoring the sacrifices of veterans should be front and center on our policy agenda and not limited to one day a year, says Terri Tanielian.

Terri Tanielian

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A Year After Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Despite the fears of some, but in line with the experience of every other institution, both in the US and abroad, that has experienced such a transition, there have been no significant problems, writes Bernard Rostker.

Bernard D. Rostker

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RAND Research Contributes to the 11th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation

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.

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U.S. Doesn't Need the Draft

Published commentary by RAND staff: U.S. Doesn't Need the Draft, in United Press International.

Bernard D. Rostker

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Should Uncle Sam Want You?

Despite some calls to reinstitute the draft, Beth Asch writes in an commentary that the all-volunteer military is working just fine.

Beth J. Asch