This
is the 27th annual Department of Defense (DoD) report on social
representation in the U.S. Military Services. In response to a mandate
by the Senate Committee on Armed Services (Report 93-884, May 1974), the
Directorate for Accession Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of
Defense (Force Management Policy) has provided annual data addressing
the quality and representativeness of military personnel since fiscal
year (FY) 1975. Originally, the report was limited to an assessment of
the active duty enlisted force only. In keeping with an increased emphasis
and reliance on a Total Force, Accession Policy has expanded this effort
to include statistics not only for enlisted personnel but also for officers
and reservists. In addition to presenting data on each of the Military
Services, since FY 1998, data on the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) have been
provided. Although an armed force, the Coast Guard is part of the Department
of Transportation except in times of war and national emergency when it
reports to the Department of the Navy.
This
report presents a broad array of characteristicsbeyond routine demographics
(e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity) of the nations largest and most
diverse employer. Estimates of cognitive ability (e.g., education, reading
grade level, Armed Forces Qualification Test [AFQT] scores) and service
characteristics (e.g., years of service and pay grade) also are used to
describe the force. Further, historical data are included to aid in analyzing
trends to render the statistics more interpretable. Thus, recruit quality,
representation rates, and the like can be viewed within the context of
the preceding decades. These data are invaluable to military personnel
policymakers and analysts as well as others interested in monitoring the
characteristics of people serving in the Military Services.
The
aim of the Population Representation report is to disseminate facts
regarding the demographics and other characteristics of applicants, new
recruits, and enlisted and officer members of the Active Forces and Reserve
Components. Aptitude, education levels, age, race/ethnicity, and gender
are among the mainstay statistics that shed light on the formidable task
of recruiting and maintaining the force. Years of military service and
pay grade provide measures of the degree of personnel experience as well
as career progress that are particularly informative when examined by
gender and race/ethnicity. Representation levels may change only slightly
from year to year but monitoring racial/ethnic and gender participation
together with additional relevant factors maintains needed attention on
the characteristics and quality levels of the men and women who defend
our country.
A
special chapter on the characteristics of deployed Servicemembers is included
in this report. Representation of forces deployed to Bosnia, Kosovo, and
the Persian Gulf during FY 2000 is analyzed. Such analysis allows policy
makers to monitor whether undue burdens of serving in the Armed Forces
are being placed disproportionately on particular social or demographic
groups.
The chapters
that follow provide a narrative description with selected tables and graphs,
as well as a detailed set of technical appendices addressing many of the
traits and characteristics of current military personnel. This chapter
sets the tone and provides some interpretive guidance with regard to the
comprehensive contents of the Population Representation report.
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