The Variable Tour Experiment in the Army Reserve Components

Abstract

This report analyzes the results of an experiment in the Army Reserve Components to test whether reducing the term of enlistment for nonprior servicemen would have a substantial effect on recruiting. Guard and Reserve units in certain states were permitted to offer potential recruits the option of enlisting in a reserve unit for only three or four years instead of the usual six-year term. The effectiveness of these options in attracting new recruits is evaluated using a cross-sectional analysis of recruiting performance across states. It appears that the three-year option (with three years in the Individual Ready Reserve) resulted in a 20-40% increase during the experimental period, and the four-year option (with two years in the IRR) yielded a 10-30% increase. The experiment is critiqued and the method for analyzing the data spelled out in detail.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1975
Accession Number
ADA016815

Entities

People

  • Gus W. Haggstrom

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Attrition
  • Business Administration
  • California
  • Databases
  • Department Of Defense
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Information Science
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Science
  • National Guard
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Random Variables
  • Statistical Analysis
  • United States

Readers

  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.
  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Systems Analysis and Design