The U.S. military services have traditionally used a tiering system, including education credentials such as high school diplomas, in combination with Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) scores to help gauge the likelihood of a recruit persevering through his or her first term of service. But what about less traditional credentials, such as…

Each year, more than 150,000 young men and women enlist in the active component of the U.S. military. The experience of these enlistees while serving their country undoubtedly influences their long-run labor market outcomes, but exactly how is not well understood. Military service develops technical and other skills and subsidizes the cost of…

The U.S. military services send officers to graduate schools each year to pursue advanced degrees, primarily to fill billet requirements later. This can be costly, including such things as tuition, housing, and pay but also the opportunity cost of the officer not filling an operational billet. Participation in such a program incurs specific…

An implicit goal of Congress, the Department of Defense, and the armed services is that diversity in the armed services should approximate diversity in the general population. A key aspect of that diversity is the representation of Hispanics. Although polls of Hispanic youth show a strong propensity to serve in the military, Hispanics are…

RAND found that, for most military service members, college attendance is compatible with Reserve service. Many reservists successfully combine service with both civilian jobs and college, and use the educational benefits available to them. However, those who score the highest on the AFQT may want to pursue college more intensively than the…

Rising college enrollment may put college attendance in direct competition with the reserve components. Individuals can easily join a reserve unit while attending college because reservists are generally only obligated to drill one weekend per month and two weeks during the summer. However, reserve participation entails an increasingly high risk…

Rising college enrollment may put college attendance in direct competition with the reserve components. Individuals can easily join a reserve unit while attending college because reservists are generally only obligated to drill one weekend per month and two weeks during the summer. However, reserve participation entails an increasingly high risk…