Research for All Volunteer Force

Since the onset of the volunteer military almost 30 years ago (1973), the American full-time workforce has become more diverse, and the active-duty military reflects that diversity. This paper considers comparisons of full-time, military-age (18 to 44 years) civilian workers and active-duty military personnel in 1970 and 2000. In that 30-year period, percentages of civilian workers changed from 89 to 70 percent white, from 10 to 12 percent black, and from 1 to 18 percent other racial categories. The percentage of women in the civilian workforce rose from 29 to 41 percent. Percentage differences in the active-duty military population between 1970 and 2000 are comparable: from 83 to 65 percent white, from 11 to 20 percent black, and from 6 to 14 percent other racial/ethnic backgrounds. The percentage of women in the military increased from 2 to 15 percent. This research memorandum begins with a discussion of this increased diversity with the Gates Commission and the beginning of the all-volunteer force, and of how representative of society the all-volunteer force is today.

Drawing upon new data from the Navy's enlisted force, this study estimates the effect on military reenlistment rates of several major policy variables: eligibility for the Vietnam-era G.I. Bill, draft-pressure at the original enlistment point, and the amount of formal training given to enlistees in their first term. These specific effects are all shown to be substantially adverse, even after statistic controls have been established for other key determinants of military retention.

Discusses the question-- Should we keep the All Volunteer Force or return to conscription?

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the relationship between pay and retention during the All Volunteer Force era. The report also derives estimates of the relationship between pay at one decision point and retention at future decision points.