Military Enlistment Standards

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Military Enlistment Standards
Dr. Jane M. Arabian, Assistant
Director Accession Policy Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Personnel and
Readiness) Prepared for The Alliance for
Excellent Education November 17, 2003
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Military Force FY2002
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Enlisted Recruiting Mission - FY 2002
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The Recruiting Challenge
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Enlistment Standards

• Selection, first, to determine service
  eligibility
• Education
• Aptitude
• Medical
• Moral Character
• Age
• Dependents
• Classification, second
• Person-Job Match
• Depending on Service, Specific or
• Open Contract

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Education is Important

• High School Diploma 80
• Other Credential (e.g., GED) 60
• Non-Graduates 50

Education Credential is the best single predictor
of first-term attrition
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Aptitude Predicts Performance
Mean Hands-On Performance Scores
AFQT
Category
I II
IIIA
IIIB
IV
Job Experience (Months)
AFQT Percentile I (93-99) II (65-92) IIIA
(50-64) IIIB (31-49) IV (10-30)
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ASVAB Composition
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DoD Recruit Quality Active Duty Enlisted
High School Diploma Graduates
Percent of Recruits
Category I-IIIA
Benchmarks
Fiscal Year
ASVAB Misnorming, 1977-81. Data from Services
for 1981-2001 Previous data is DMDC.
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Challenges and OpportunitiesChanging
Demographics

• By 2025, 15-19 year-old population will be nearly
  24 Hispanic
• Challenges
• 2002 High School completion rates for 25-29 year
  olds
• 62 for Hispanics
• 88 for Blacks
• 93 for whites
• Language barriers, particularly when talking with
  parents

Source U.S. Census Bureau.
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Challenges and Opportunities The College Market
Enrollment Rate
Graduation Rate (4 yr)
Percent of HS Seniors who enroll in college after
graduation
Graduation Rate (2 yr)
Source Digest of Education Statistics 2000
ACT News Release, National College
Dropout and Graduation Rates, 1999
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OSD Challenges

• Adhere to codified recruit quality standards
• 90-60-4
• Implement new ASVAB norms
• Nationally representative sample of youth
  population
• Ensure recruiter access to high schools and
  colleges
• Maintain research and studies support