New Look at Gender and Minority Differences in Officer Career Progression in the Military.

摘要

Although military accessions of women, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and persons of other racial backgrounds have increased over time, the proportions of these groups in the senior officer corps remain relatively low. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, for example, these groups had a lower proportion of O1 to O3 officers than they had of accessions, a lower proportion of O4 to O6 officers than they had of O1 to O3 officers, and a lower proportion of general and flag officers than they had of O4 to O6 officers. The Military Leadership Diversity Commission has concluded that two contributors to the underrepresentation of women and racial and ethnic minorities among senior military leaders are their lower rates of promotion and retention relative to those for white males. This research explores the relative contribution of each of these factors. RAND research conducted in the late 1990s found that women had lower promotion and retention rates than white men and that black men, in comparison with white men, had lower promotion but similar retention rates. Focus groups conducted for the earlier work found that women perceived themselves to have limited occupational roles and had concerns about harassment and family obligations. Black officers reported difficulty in forming peer and mentor relationships and were more likely to receive assignments, such as recruiting, that were not typical for their occupation. Since then, several policies and events have affected military careers, including retention and promotion opportunities. The drawdown of the 1990s reduced retention and promotion opportunities. The September 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States and the subsequent military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan changed perceptions about military service and had a negative effect on high-quality enlistments.