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Chapter 5:

 

Race/Ethnicity

Table 5.3 presents the racial/ethnic makeup of FY 2002 NPS enlisted accessions by Selected Reserve Components. These figures are similar to those seen in FY 2001, however the proportions of white NPS accessions have increased across all components, the highest in the USAFR at just over 5 percent and the lowest in the ANG at just over 1 percent. There has been a corresponding decrease in Black accessions for all components particularly in the USAR and ARNG who had decreases of 6 and 4 percent respectively. The percentages of Hispanic and other race/ethnicities remained about the same at 9 and 6 percent, respectively for FY 2001 and 9 and 5 percent respectively for FY 2002. This trend is not the same for Prior Service accessions where there has been an overall 2 percent increase in Black accessions. This increase is due almost entirely to a 5 percent increase in prior service Black accessions in the ARNG. Prior Service Black accessions remained virtually the same for all other components except the USMCR where it decreased 2 percentage points in FY 2002.

Table 5.3. FY 2002 Selected Reserve Non-Prior Service and Prior Service Enlisted Accessions, by Race/Ethnicity, and Civilians (Percent)
Race/
Ethnicity
Army National Guard1
Army Reserve
Marine Corps Reserve
Air National Guard
Air Force Reserve
Total
DoD
Civilians*
NON-PRIOR SERVICE
White
75.3
61.0
64.8
71.0
78.2
64.7
70.0
65.1
Black
13.6
20.8
17.0
8.7
9.5
21.7
15.5
14.2
Hispanic
7.1
12.7
11.6
13.3
6.1
7.2
9.5
15.6
Other
4.0
5.5
6.6
7.1
6.2
6.4
5.1
5.1
PRIOR SERVICE
White
70.6
54.4
68.5
63.8
76.7
70.9
65.9
67.3
Black
16.9
27.1
16.8
12.4
11.5
17.3
19.1
12.9
Hispanic
7.2
8.9
8.9
18.1
7.1
6.8
8.4
14.5
Other
5.4
9.7
5.8
5.7
4.7
5.0
6.6
5.3
TOTAL ACCESSIONS
White
73.0
57.7
67.5
68.1
77.5
68.8
67.8
  
Black
15.2
24.0
16.9
10.1
10.5
18.8
17.4
  
Hispanic
7.2
10.7
9.6
15.2
6.6
6.9
8.9
  
Other
4.7
7.6
6.0
5.7
6.5
5.5
5.9
  

Columns may not add to total due to rounding.
* NPS civilian comparison is 18- to 24-year-old civilians; prior service civilian comparison is 20- to 39-year-old civilian labor force.
Also see Appendix Tables C-3 (NPS Race/Ethnicity by Component and Gender) and C-11 (Prior Service Race/Ethnicity by Component and Gender).
Source: Civilian data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey File, October 2001 – September 2002.

Since the inception of the All Volunteer Force, Blacks have been somewhat overrepresented in the active duty ranks, while Whites and Hispanics have been underrepresented as compared to the nation's youth population as a whole. We would expect this to be reflected in the makeup of the Reserve Forces. Table 5.3, however, demonstrates that in the USMCR and ANG, the proportion of non-prior service Black accessions is lower compared to their representation among the 18- to 24-year-old civilian labor force, the comparable civilian group. In the other components the proportion of non-prior service Black accessions is higher than in the civilian labor force, except for the ARNG where the proportions are the same (14 percent, respectively). Hispanics are underrepresented across the board, with the exception of the USMCR’s prior service recruits. In previous years, Whites also have made up a smaller proportion of Reserve accessions than of the comparison group. However, since FY 2000, the proportion of NPS White accessions in the ARNG, USMCR, and ANG was higher than in the civilian comparison groups. Prior service White accessions in the ARNG, USNR, ANG, and USAFR are also higher than in the civilian comparison group.

Across the Reserve Components, among female accessions the proportion of Black women was 24 and 34 percent for NPS and prior service, respectively. Among male recruits, Black men, although more numerous than Black women, accounted for only 13 and 16 percent of NPS and prior service accessions, respectively (see Appendix Tables C-3 and C-11). The USAR had the highest proportion of Black female NPS recruits (30 percent) and Black female prior service recruits (43 percent).

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