Congressional Newsletter

National Security

U.S Marines static line jump from a KC-130J Hercules over Drop Zone Basilone on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., December 10, 2020, photo by Lance Cpl. Drake Nickels/U.S. Marine Corps

Lance Cpl. Drake Nickels/U.S. Marine Corps

Sexual Assault Doubles the Odds of Military Separation

Exposure to sexual assault in the U.S. military doubled the odds that a service member would separate from the military within 28 months, and sexual harassment was associated with roughly eight percent of all military separations during this same time period. Those are findings from a RAND report that examines the effect of exposure to sexual assault and sexual harassment on future separation.

To address these challenges, the authors recommend that the Department of Defense could prioritize sexual harassment training, prevention, and response, including highlighting its prevalence among both male and female service members.
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Testimonies

Chinese and Taiwanese flags are displayed around souvenir shops, ahead of the 60th anniversary of Second Taiwan Straits Crisis against China, in Kinmen, Taiwan, August 19, 2018, photo by Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Factors Shaping China’s Use of Force Calculations Against Taiwan

Mark Cozad

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A Taiwanese coast guard points at a map showing the waters surrounding Matsu islands and mainland Chinese coast, at a coast guard office on Nangan island, the main island of the Taiwan-controlled Matsu islands, January 28, 2021, photo by Ann Wang/Reuters

Ann Wang/Reuters

U.S. Allied and Partner Support for Taiwan: Responses to a Chinese Attack on Taiwan and Potential U.S. Taiwan Policy Changes

Bonny Lin

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National Security Research Division

Supporters of the Houthi movement take part in a rally marking the anniversary of launching their motto (Sarkha) in which they call for death to America and death to Israel in Sanaa, Yemen, June 28, 2019, photo by Mohamed al-Sayaghi/Reuters

Mohamed al-Sayaghi/Reuters

Building an Enduring Peace in Yemen: Lessons from Five Years of RAND Research

Daniel Egel et al.

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JakeOlimb/Getty Images

Influencing Adversary States: Quelling Perfect Storms

Paul K. Davis et al.

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A B-52 Stratofortress, assigned to the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., prepares for an operational demonstration of the Quickstrike-ER (QS-ER) Naval mine project at the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, May 28, 219. The QS-ER project was initiated by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command as part of ongoing efforts to modernize and enhance military readiness throughout the joint forces in the Indo-Pacific region, photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather Redman/U.S. Air Force

Tech. Sgt. Heather Redman/U.S. Air Force

Comparing the Cost-Effectiveness of Expendable Versus Reusable Small Air Vehicles

Thomas Hamilton

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A U.S. Marine with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa 19.1 loads equipment onto a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130 at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, Dec. 13, 2018. SPMAGTF-CR-AF is deployed to conduct crisis-response and theater-security operations in Europe and Africa, photo by Cpl. Bethanie Ryan/U.S. Marine Corps

Cpl. Bethanie Ryan/U.S. Marine Corps

Equipping the 21st Century Marine Corps: Alternative Equipping Strategies for Task-Organized Units

Joslyn Fleming et al.

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Project Air Force

Two Air Force F-22 Raptors fly over Syria, February 2, 2018, while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, photo by Staff Sgt. Colton Elliott/Air National Guard

Staff Sgt. Colton Elliott/Air National Guard

The Air War Against the Islamic State: The Role of Airpower in Operation Inherent Resolve

Becca Wasser et al.

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Read the research brief »

Global network and social media connections

sdecoret/Adobe Stock

Managing Risk in Globalized Supply Chains

Caolionn O'Connell et al.

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An F-16 Fighting Falcon an F-35A Lightning II from Eielson Air Force Base and an F-35A from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, fly over the installation in Alaska, May 15, 2020. With the arrival of the F-35As, the 354th Fighter Wing is now home to fourth and fifth-generation fighter aircraft, photo by Tech. Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla/U.S. Air Force

Tech. Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla/U.S. Air Force

Fighter Basing Options to Improve Access to Advanced Training Ranges

Bradley DeBlois et al.

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Yozayo/iStock/Getty Images and Bamlou/DigitalVision Vectors

Department of the Air Force Civilian Compensation and Benefits: How Five Mission Critical and Hard-to-Fill Occupations Compare to the Private Sector and Key Federal Agencies

Ginger Groeber et al.

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Two U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors fly over Joint Base Langley-Eustis' Felker Army Airfield at Fort Eustis, Virginia, June 12, 2018. Felker Army Airfield represents the success of consolidating Army and Air Force operations through a joint base as the airfield continues to support aerial missions while being operated by the Air Force's 1st Operations Support Squadron, photo by Tech. Sgt. Natasha Stannard/U.S. Air Force

Tech. Sgt. Natasha Stannard/U.S. Air Force

Winning the Battle of the Airfields: Seventy Years of RAND Analysis on Air Base Defense and Attack

Alan J. Vick et al.

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RAND Congressional Resources Staff

Jayme Fuglesten
Director, Office of Congressional Relations

Kurt Card
National Security Legislative Analyst

Nathaniel Lutovsky
Legislative Analyst

Experts and Research Available to You

Members of Congress and staff can receive free copies of RAND reports and engage with researchers. To request reports, briefings, or meetings, or to invite researchers to testify, please contact:

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(703) 413-1100, ext. 5643.

Countering Truth Decay

“Truth Decay,” the diminishing role of facts in U.S. public life, poses a grave threat to evidence-based policymaking and to American democracy. RAND continues to study this phenomenon to learn more about its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.

Explore the research.

The Congressional Relations’ National Security newsletter includes the latest research by RAND’s three national security Federally Funded Research and Development Centers.

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. We serve the public interest by helping lawmakers reach informed decisions on the nation’s pressing challenges.
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