Characteristics of the Selected Reserve Enlisted Force
Representation Within Occupation

Chapter 5

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The assignment of Reserve Component personnel to occupations is based upon individual qualifications and desires, military requirements, and unit vacancies.  The changing missions of the Armed Services, including domestic and international humanitarian efforts, affect personnel assignment.  Table 5.13 shows the occupational area distribution of Reserve and Active Components.

Table 5.13.  Comparison of FY 1999 Reserve and Active Enlisted Occupational Areas (Percent)

Occupational Code and Area

Reserve

Active

0

Infantry, Gun Crews, and Seamanship Specialists

18.3

17.0

1

Electronic Equipment Repairers

4.5

9.4

2

Communications and Intelligence Specialists

5.0

9.0

3

Medical and Dental Specialists

6.9

6.9

4

Other Allied Specialists

2.8

3.0

5

Functional Support and Administration

18.6

16.0

6

Electrical/Mechanical Equipment Repairers

16.5

19.8

7

Craftsmen

5.8

3.5

8

Service and Supply Handlers

10.6

8.5

9

Non-occupational*

11.1

6.9

 

Total

100.0

100.0

Columns may not add to total due to rounding.
* Non-occupational includes patients, students, those with unassigned duties, and unknowns.
Also see Appendix Tables B-29 and C-21 (Occupational Area by Service/Component and Gender) and B-30 and C-22 (Occupational Area by Service/Component and Race/Ethnicity).

  Table 5.14 indicates that the occupational distribution among Active and Reserve Components varies. The differences reflect each Reserve Component's unique mission requirements and force structure. These differences may preclude some direct transfers from active duty to the National Guard and Reserve within the same skill.  For example, 13 percent of active Navy enlisted members serve in electronics specialties, but Naval Reserve requirements account for only 8 percent of this skill area.  On the other hand, only 10 percent of active Navy enlistees serve in administration while 21 percent of USNR enlistees serve in administration.  Similar occupational differences are found in each Service component.  Some occupational areas may not be able to absorb all transfers, while other areas may have to recruit more NPS individuals to fill unit vacancies or retrain those with prior service.  The occupational distribution percentages for FY 1999 are relatively similar to those of FY 1998.

Table 5.14. Comparison of FY 1999 Occupational Area Distribution of Enlisted Members, by Active and Reserve Components (Percent)

Active and Reserve

            Occupational Area*

Components

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

ARMY

 Active Component

Army National Guard

 Army Reserve

 

26.1

24.6

15.5

 

6.8

3.4

2.3

 

10.2

5.0

4.2

 

8.0

4.52

11.6

 

3.4

2.4

3.4

 

16.2

13.8

23.5

 

14.3

14.2

11.0

 

2.1

3.9

5.3

 

12.4

11.2

15.4

 

0.5

17.0

7.8

NAVY

 Active Component

 Naval Reserve

 

10.3

10.1

 

13.4

7.5

 

10.0

9.0

 

8.0

9.9

 

2.1

0.8

 

10.1

21.1

 

25.7

21.2

 

5.2

14.2

 

4.5

5.1

 

10.9

1.1

MARINE CORPS

 Active Component

 USMC Reserve

 

22.2

26.9

 

6.3

3.0

 

7.1

7.8

 

0.0

0.0

 

2.5

1.2

 

16.1

12.6

 

15.8

12.8

 

2.5

3.2

 

12.9

15.5

 

14.8

17.0

AIR FORCE

 Active Component

 Air National Guard

 USAF Reserve

 

8.9

7.9

11.9

 

10.1

10.1

5.4

 

7.5

3.6

3.0

 

8.1

4.9

11.0

 

3.8

4.8

3.3

 

22.1

22.4

26.4

 

23.2

27.0

24.2

 

4.3

7.4

6.2

 

4.9

6.0

4.8

 

7.2

6.0

3.8

* Occupational Area Codes:  0=Infantry, 1=Electronics, 2=Communications, 3=Medical, 4=Other Technical, 5=Administration, 6=Electrical, 7=Craftsmen, 8=Supply, 9=Non-occupational.

  Representation of minorities within occupations.  As shown in Table 5.15, about two-thirds of all Selected Reserve personnel are in four occupational areas:  infantry, administration, electrical/mechanical equipment repair, and service and supply.  The largest percentage of Blacks and “Others” are in functional support and administration, while combat occupations are the most prevalent among Whites and Hispanics.

Table 5.15.  FY 1999 Occupational Areas of Selected Reserve Enlisted Personnel within Race/Ethnicity (Percent)

Occupational Code and Area

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

0

Infantry, Gun Crews, and Seamanship Specialists

19.3

13.9

19.9

18.1

1

Electronic Equipment Repairers

4.9

3.5

3.7

4.5

2

Communications and Intelligence Specialists

5.5

3.7

4.6

4.4

3

Medical and Dental Specialists

6.3

8.5

7.5

8.4

4

Other Allied Specialists

2.9

2.4

2.4

2.3

5

Functional Support and Administration

16.3

26.9

18.6

20.2

6

Electrical/Mechanical Equipment Repairers

17.7

12.1

16.4

15.2

7

Craftsmen

6.3

4.2

5.2

5.2

8

Service and Supply Handlers

9.7

14.1

11.5

8.7

9

Non-occupational*

11.1

10.8

10.4

13.1

       Total

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Columns may not add to total due to rounding.
* Non-occupational includes patients, students, those with unassigned duties, and unknowns.
Also see Appendix Table C-22 (Occupational Area by Component and Race/Ethnicity).

Representation of women within occupations.  The assignment patterns for Selected Reserve enlisted men and women in occupational areas are reflected in Table 5.16.  Most National Guard and Reserve enlisted women are assigned to two occupational areas:  functional support (41percent) and medical (16 percent).  Enlisted men are assigned primarily to infantry (21 percent) and electrical/mechanical equipment repair (19 percent).


Table 5.16.  FY 1999 Occupational Areas of Selected Reserve Enlisted Personnel, by Gender (Percent)

Occupational Code and Area

Male

Female

0

Infantry, Gun Crews, and Seamanship Specialists

21.0

4.3

1

Electronic Equipment Repairers

4.9

2.3

2

Communications and Intelligence Specialists

5.2

3.9

3

Medical and Dental Specialists

5.3

15.9

4

Other Allied Specialists

2.8

2.4

5

Functional Support and Administration

14.5

40.8

6

Electrical/Mechanical Equipment Repairers

18.5

5.6

7

Craftsmen

6.4

2.4

8

Service and Supply Handlers

10.8

9.6

9

Non-occupational*

10.8

12.9

 

Total

100.0

100.0

 Columns may not add to total due to rounding.
* Non-occupational includes patients, students, those with unassigned duties, and unknowns.
Also see Appendix Table C-21 (Occupational Area by Component and Gender).

The April 1993 policy [1] to open more specialties and assignments to women resulted in new opportunities for women in both the Active and Reserve Components. Women are not permitted to serve in direct ground combat roles, but positions on ships and aircraft engaging in combat are now open to women.  In FY 1999, 4 percent of women served in infantry, gun crew, and seamanship specialties, as illustrated in Table 5.16 and the same as in FY 1998.

The proportion of Selected Reserve women in non-traditional occupations, such as technical and craftsmen, was relatively low in FY 1999.  Women were nearly three times more likely than men to serve in the traditional occupational areas of medical and administration.  In the future, the proportion of women enlisting in nontraditional positions in the National Guard and Reserves will depend to a considerable extent on the number of Active Component women in nontraditional skills, their willingness to join a Selected Reserve unit upon separating from active duty, and the proportion of technical skill vacancies in Guard and Reserve units.  However, with the end of the military drawdown, there are fewer prior service women available to enter the Selected Reserve.  Consequently, it is important to continue monitoring occupational trends by gender in both the Active and Reserve Components.    


[1]            Memorandum from Les Aspin, Secretary of Defense, Subject:  Policy on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces, April 28, 1993.


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