Research for Personnel Incentives

The Family Service Centers (FSCs) present a diverse set of services to Marines and their families. This report presents the results of a study of Marine Corps family programs provided by the FSCs. These services include personal, family, and financial counseling, employment assistance, help for victims of domestic violence, and other services. Data from the 1985 DOD Member and Spouse surveys, USMC exit questionnaires, administrative records, and special purpose surveys of FSC directors and Marine unit commanders are used to assess the success of FSCs in meeting the objectives of serving commanders and Marines and their families and to estimate the impact of family programs on Marine retention.

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.