Executive Summary of the
2003 Population Representation in the Military Services

This is the 30^th annual Department of Defense (DoD) report on social representation in the U.S. Military Services, including the Coast Guard. The 2003 report consists of data for DoD applicants, the active and reserve components, the Coast Guard and time-series information.

This report covers fiscal year (FY) 2003—October 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003. The FY 2003 end-strength of the Active Components was slightly more than 1.4 million and the Selected Reserve (comprising the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve) totaled more than 875,000. Additionally, there were more than 279,000 people in the Individual Ready Reserve/Inactive National Guard.

In FY 2003, approximately 176,000 non-prior service (NPS) recruits were enlisted to the Active Components and approximately 8,400 prior service recruits were returned to the Active Duty ranks. Almost 23,000 newly commissioned officers reported for active duty. Furthermore, about 64,000 recruits without and nearly 89,000 with prior military experience were enlisted in the Selected Reserve. Just over 16,000 commissioned officers entered the National Guard or Reserves in FY 2003 as well.

Highlights of Important Data Collection Changes for FY 2003

Changes in reporting race and ethnicity. The fiscal year 2003 Population Representation in the Military Services report represents a sea change in the way race and ethnicity data are calculated and reported. To begin, “Hispanic” is no longer reported as a subset of Race/ethnicity. Prior to January 2003, race categories had three values, Black, White and Other. The “Other” category combined Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian. Those who self-identified as “Hispanic” were defined in the data as such, without regard to race, and included as a discrete category within all race/ethnicity tables. The result was a combined race/ethnicity coding as follows.

On October 30, 1997, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published “Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.” The OMB standard motivated a change in data collection policy, making it possible for federal agencies, including DoD, to collect information that reflects the increasing diversity of the United States population. Under this new guideline, DoD agencies are now required to offer respondents the option of self-identifying as one or more of the following five race categories:

• American Indian or Native Alaskan
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• White

A separate question asks respondents their Hispanic identity:

• Hispanic
• Not Hispanic

The fiscal year 2003 Population Representation in the Military Services report is compliant with this OMB reporting guideline. As such, race and ethnicity information, when reported separately, will henceforth include the following categories:

Impact of race/ethnic data changes on reporting. The changes in race and ethnicity data collection have created reporting issues that require some explanation. Because the new OMB guidelines took effect on January 1, 2003, most of the military services did not start collecting the new race and ethnicity information prior to the start of the 2003 calendar year (January 2003). As a result, only second through fourth quarter breakouts by these categories were available to report for the 2003 fiscal year, which began in September of 2002. In order for observers to be able to compare race/ethnicity population totals with non-race/ethnicity population totals, first quarter subtotals for the fiscal year were added. For example, Table A-1 provides the number of active component enlisted applicants from October 2002 through September 2003. Table A-3 provides race and ethnicity data for the same group of applicants, but only from January 2003 through September 2003. In order to compare totals across tables, first quarter subtotals were added to tables where race and ethnicity were reported. Also, on those race/ethnicity tables where there is a civilian comparison group, population estimates for civilians were based on January through September of 2003 data. For non-race/ethnic tables with civilian comparison groups, civilian population estimates were based on full fiscal year totals, October 2002 through September 2003. As a result, the civilian population totals for the same age group will differ. For an example of this, compare the civilian totals on Tables B-3 and B-6.

Change in use of 2000 Census data for civilian comparison groups. FY 2003 is the first year that estimates of the demographic characteristics of the civilian population are based on the 2000 Decennial Census. That census provided a more accurate (and somewhat larger) estimate of the proportion of Hispanics and other minorities in the civilian population than did the 1990 Census(1). As a result of this change, the estimated proportion of Hispanic youth in the civilian population is approximately 2 percentage points higher than the estimates found in earlier editions of this report. Therefore, representation of Hispanics among military accessions and members will appear reduced due to the increase in the estimated ethnic composition of the civilian comparison population.

Population Representation Highlights: Active Component

Women

• There has been a slight but steady decline in NPS female enlistment over the past few years. Levels for FY 2003 are similar to 1996 when women were represented at a ratio of just over 17 percent. Enlistment for NPS women reached nearly 19 percent in FY 2000 and has decreased slightly since.
• NPS female enlistment remains highest in the Air Force at nearly 24 percent, a drop of 4 percentage points from 28 percent NPS enlistment in 1997.
• The Marine Corps has enlisted NPS women at a smaller, but more constant rate of approximately 7 percent every year since 1996.
• The proportion of female officer accessions, on the other hand, reached an all-time high in FY 2003, at just under 21 percent.

African Americans

• In FY 2003, African Americans were equitably represented in the military overall. In the enlisted force, African Americans were slightly overrepresented among NPS active duty enlisted accessions at 15 percent relative to 14 percent of 18-24 year-olds in the civilian population.
• African American officer accessions are fairly representational at just under 9 percent compared to just over 8 percent in the civilian comparison group.

Hispanics

• Hispanics continue to be underrepresented, with just under 12 percent among NPS accessions compared to just over17 percent for 18-24 year old civilians.
• Hispanics make up 5 percent of officer accessions compared to a 7 percent ratio among 21-35 year old college graduates in the non-institutional civilian population.

Other Racial Groups

• American Indians and Alaskan Natives are represented among NPS accessions at 2 percent, compared to 1 percent for 18-24 year old civilians.
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders represent slightly less than one-half of one percent of all NPS accessions, the same percentage as found in the comparable civilian group.
• Asians are underrepresented among NPS accessions at approximately 1 percent. Asians are represented in the civilian comparison group at just over 4 percent.

Geographic Representation

• In FY 2003, 35 percent of NPS accessions were coming from the Northeast and North Central regions of the U.S. compared to 64 percent coming from the South and West regions. See Table B-10 for a more comprehensive view of geographic representation by state.

Population Representation Highlights: Reserve Component

Women

• In FY 2003 NPS Selected Reserve female enlistment was 25 percent compared to 17 percent NPS active duty female enlistment.
• In FY 2003 18 percent of Selected Reserve officer accessions were women compared to just under 21 percent in the active component.
• In FY 2003 women made up 17 percent of Selected Reserve enlisted members compared to 15 percent of active duty enlisted members.

African Americans

• As with the active duty enlisted force, African Americans were slightly overrepresented among NPS Selected Reserve enlisted accessions at 15 percent relative to just under 14 percent of 18-24 year-olds in the civilian population.
• African Americans represented 10 percent of the Selected Reserve officer accessions in FY 2003 compared to just over 8 percent African American college graduates in the civilian comparison population.

Hispanics

• Hispanics are underrepresented to a greater extent in the Reserve components compared to the active duty components with just 9 percent among NPS accessions in the Selected Reserve compared to 12 percent for active duty NPS accessions. Hispanics represent 17 percent of the comparable civilian population of 18-24 year olds.
• Hispanics make up just over 4 percent of officer accessions into the Selected Reserve, compared to nearly 7 percent ratio among 21-35 year old college graduates in the non-institutional civilian population.

Other Racial Groups

• American Indians and Alaskan Natives are proportionally represented among NPS Selected Reserve enlisted accessions at 1 percent, compared to 1 percent for 18-24 year old civilians.
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders represent slightly less than one-half of one percent of all NPS Selected Reserve accessions, the same percentage as found in the comparable civilian group.
• Asians are underrepresented among NPS Selected Reserve accessions at just over 2 percent. Asians are represented in the civilian comparison group at just over 4 percent.

Population Representation Highlights: Coast Guard

Women

• In FY 2003 the Coast Guard’s NPS active duty female enlistment was 14 percent compared to 17 percent of DoD’s NPS active component female enlistment.
• In FY 2003 21 percent of the Coast Guard’s active component officer accessions were women—the same as DoD’s female active component officer accessions.
• In FY 2003 women comprised 19 percent of the Coast Guard’s NPS Reserve enlisted accessions compared to 25 percent women in DOD’s NPS Selected Reserve enlistment.

African Americans

• African American representation in the Coast Guard remains smaller compared to DOD Active and Reserve components. In FY 2003 African Americans made up nearly 8 percent of the Coast Guard’s NPS active duty enlisted accessions.
• African Americans represented 3 percent of the Coast Guard’s active component officer accessions in FY 2003.
• In FY 2003 African American representation among Coast Guard’s Reserve enlisted accessions stood at 4 percent.

Hispanics

• Hispanic representation in the Coast Guard’s NPS active component enlisted accessions was at 11 percent in FY 2003.
• Hispanics represented slightly more than 6 percent of the Coast Guard’s FY 2003 active component officer accessions.
• In FY 2003 Hispanic representation among Coast Guard’s Reserve enlisted accessions was just under 13 percent.

Other Racial Groups

• As with DoD’s NPS Selected Reserve enlisted accessions, American Indians and Alaskan Natives are also represented in the Coast Guard’s active duty NPS enlisted accessions at 1 percent in FY 2003.
• In FY 2003 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders represent slightly less than 1 percent of the Coast Guard’s active duty NPS enlisted accessions.
• In FY 2003 Asians comprised 1 percent of the Coast Guard’s active duty NPS enlisted accessions.

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Appendix A | Appendix B | Appendix C | Appendix D | Appendix E