Research for Enlisted Personnel

Navy enlisted specialized skill training has increased consistently throughout the 1980s. This research memorandum examines the increase in the inventory of Navy Enlisted Classifications (NECs) between 1979 and 1986. Factors that explain the increase are considered. Trends in the utilization of NECs are examined for several alternative definitions of utilization. These trends are examined at the aggregate level and for samples disaggregated by rating and experience.

To make informed decisions concerning the allocation and management of military personnel, policymakers must have information that reflects the competence of their personnel -- the extent to which individuals can perform their job requirements. The Marine Corps Job Performance Measurement Project is a significant research effort to produce measures of job proficiency that will allow for such an absolute interpretation of test scores. This research contribution describes a test construction technique that results in the estimation of competency scores. Although the distribution of competency scores has implicit meaning with respect to a domain of job requirements, policymakers often have little knowledge of whether a particular score is acceptable or not. The interpretation of competency scores can be enhanced by establishing interpretative anchors for various performance levels of the competency score distribution. These interpretative anchors assist policymakers by providing a concrete reference against which to base their decisions and are essential in establishing the linkage of aptitude and job performance in determining enlistment standards.

Over the past two decades there have been numerous studies of military enlistment supply. This research memorandum analyzes several key econometric issues in the estimation of enlistment supply models. The analysis focuses on the role of goals, the problems of measurement error, and the simultaneity between the variables used in empirical analyses and unobserved factors. Several econometric methods are proposed as possible solutions.

This Research Memorandum presents technical appendixes to supplement the Total Force Enlistment Programs Simulation. It is divided into four sections. Appendix A contains a guide to assist users of the simulation methodology. In addition to a detailed example of the use of the simulation, it discusses some of the potential uses not explored in Volume I. Appendix B is a description of the methods used in computing the active-duty inventories and continuation behavior. It also lists some of the important active-duty data elements used in the simulation, as well as the major computer programs used to generate these data. Appendix C presents similar descriptions for the SELRES data. A flowchart of the simulation methodology and annotated versions of the simulation programs appear in Appendix D.