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Military Personnel

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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.

Commentary
Limiting Access to Reproductive Health Care May Undermine National Security
What signal does revoking policies related to improved access to reproductive health care send to young women who are considering the military as a possible path for them? Given an already concerning recruiting environment, can we really afford to further alienate an entire gender when it comes to protecting our national security?
Jul 6, 2023
Commentary
Service Members and Their Families Are Paying for the Air Force's Fiscal Shortfalls
The United States faces the critical task of rebalancing long-term military personnel funding for sustainable workforce development and utilization. Otherwise, it could fail to keep the faith with the U.S. military's most precious asset: people and families.
Jul 31, 2023

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Research Brief
Striving for Diversity: Observations on Racial and Ethnic Talent in the Regular Army's Senior Officer Corps
This brief discusses research on the progression of racial and ethnic minority officers through the ranks and ways to improve promotion rates to increase diversity in senior Army leadership.
Nov 30, 2023
Report
Retention of Racial-Ethnic Minorities in the Regular Army
To help the Army accomplish its diversity goals, RAND Arroyo Center examined retention of racial-ethnic minorities in the Regular Army's enlisted and officer ranks and how racial-ethnic composition changes as soldiers progress in their careers.
Nov 30, 2023
Brochure
RAND Research on Harmful Interpersonal Behaviors
The U.S. Department of the Air Force seeks to prevent harmful interpersonal behaviors among airmen and guardians and keep victims of these behaviors safe. This document provides an overview of selected work that RAND has conducted in this area.
Nov 16, 2023
Brochure
RAND Research on Military Recruiting
The Department of the Air Force seeks more diversity and technical knowledge in its recruits and the pool of eligible candidates who have a desire to serve is shrinking. This document provides an overview of work that RAND has conducted in this area.
Nov 13, 2023
Blog
Supporting Veterans, Israel-Hamas War, AI and Geopolitics: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on supporting America's veterans, what Israel's ground offensive in Gaza can and cannot accomplish, how AI might affect the rise and fall of nations, and more.
Nov 10, 2023
Essay
Why Are U.S. Military Families Experiencing Food Insecurity?
Around a quarter of active-duty service members qualify as “food insecure.” But what's causing that, how to fix it—even what it means—is not clear. Food insecurity is a multifaceted problem that needs multifaceted solutions.
Nov 6, 2023
Report
A Revised Recruiting Resource Model for Achieving the Army Personnel Strategy: Accounting for Digital Advertising
Using an updated version of RAND’s Recruiting Resource Model, the authors analyze how observed and alternative mixes of advertising, recruiters, and bonuses affect the Army’s ability to achieve recruiting goals and the cost of doing so.
Nov 6, 2023
Multimedia
Keeping Up with the Joneses: How Can DoD Address Its Technical Talent Shortage?
The U.S. Department of Defense recognizes that it is struggling to recruit and retain the technical talent it needs. An October 2023 panel discussion examined the factors behind the department’s current shortage of technical talent.
Oct 30, 2023
Report
Today's Army Spouse Panel Methodology: 2018 and 2022 Cohorts
The Today’s Army Spouse Panel offers the opportunity for spouses of U.S. Army soldiers to provide valuable feedback for the Army to use in data-driven decisionmaking. This report details the methodology used to establish this panel.
Oct 24, 2023
Report
Air Force Readiness Assessment: How Training Infrastructure Can Provide Better Information for Decisionmaking
Investments in U.S. Air Force training infrastructure to improve readiness assessment can better inform decisions amid changing environments, an increased pace of warfare, and the potential loss of superiority.
Oct 19, 2023
Research Brief
How Training Infrastructure Can Improve Assessments of Air Force Readiness
This brief summarizes research on how investments in U.S. Air Force training infrastructure to improve readiness assessment can better inform decisions amid changing environments, an increased pace of warfare, and the potential loss of superiority.
Oct 19, 2023
Report
Examples of Why Gender Diversity Matters in Military Missions
Studies suggest that peace and security efforts are more likely to succeed when women play a role in them. Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) is the recognition of women's impact on peace and security decisionmaking, and the disproportionate impact that conflict has on women. WPS principles and gender perspectives have been applied in DoD mission areas.
Oct 18, 2023
Report
Army Enlistment Options Optimizer: Research Approach, Findings, and Implications
The authors developed a wide set of Army enlistment options that bundle bonus and less-costly non-bonus incentives. Survey respondents choose the option they most value. This can increase satisfaction and potential enlistments and decrease costs.
Sep 27, 2023
Journal Article
Findings from the Sustaining Delivery of the Covenant Programme
This study, conducted on behalf of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), evaluates the grant funding provided through the AFCFT’s Strengthening Delivery Programme (SDP) and Sustaining Delivery Programme.
Sep 18, 2023
Report
Impact of Individual Augmentation Policy on Navy Reserve Force Readiness
The authors examine the evolution of individual augmentation—from a stopgap to standard practice—and the effects on the Navy Reserve in terms of readiness and deployment times, specifically relating to anti-terror operations and the 2019 pandemic.
Sep 7, 2023
Research Brief
Insights on Implementing Technology-Enabled Human Resources Capabilities in the U.S. Air Force
This brief describes three key steps to implement digital talent management systems in human resources.
Sep 5, 2023
Commentary
Potential Changes to Veterans' Benefits Under the Major Richard Star Act: Veterans' Issues in Focus
The Major Richard Star Act would drop the “offset” that reduces retirement pay for some disabled veterans. If it is signed into law, what could change for veterans’ benefits, and how many veterans would see an increase in their compensation?
Aug 31, 2023
Research Brief
Military Academy Students Can Now Retain Parental Rights: Department of Defense Options for Managing the Change
As of 2023, DoD allows enrolled cadets and midshipmen to retain parental rights. This brief explores potential DoD policy changes that could help cadet and midshipman parents care for their children, succeed in school, and become exemplary officers.
Aug 22, 2023
Report
Ensuring Parental Rights of Military Service Academy Cadets and Midshipmen: Policy and Cost Implications
This report characterizes legal, policy, practice, and cost implications of U.S. Department of Defense options to comply with a new congressional requirement allowing service academy cadets and midshipmen who become parents to retain parental rights.
Aug 22, 2023
Report
Russian Military Personnel Policies and Reforms 1991–2021
In the initial post-Soviet years, the personnel system of the Russian Armed Forces experienced pervasive challenges because of budget limitations and collapse of prestige. Reforms in recruitment, retention, and proficiency made some progress but multiple problems remain.
Aug 15, 2023

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Maria McCollester

Political Scientist

Maria McCollester (she/her) is a political scientist at the RAND Corporation. McCollester's educational and professional experience coalesces around institutional and organizational development, coordination, and governance, especially within the U.S. federal government and military,…
James R. Broyles

Senior Operations Researcher

James R. Broyles, Ph.D., is an operations researcher at the RAND Corporation with interests in military logistics, military personnel, personnel capacity planning, healthcare delivery, stochastic processes, computer simulation, and applied statistics. Broyles leads research on improving repair…

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