Socioeconomic Determinants Impacting Air Force Officer Retention
Abstract
This thesis analyzes retention and attrition behavior of Air Force captains with four to 11 years of service, extracted from 1985 DoD Survey of Officer and Enlisted Personnel. All occupations were examined except medical, dental, nursing, chaplain, and legal professions. Logistic regression models were estimated for all officers. These models included demographic, attitudinal, and economic data. The results showed that as Air Force captains with four to eleven years of military service gained more experience, they were more likely to leave the military. Total family income was found to have a negative effect on retention. Separate models estimated retention behavior by marital status and gender. Gender and total family debt were significant for married officers. The models contrasting men and women indicated that advanced degree attainment had a negative impact on female retention. The predictive capabilities of the models were evaluated. Recommendations for follow-on studies also discuss limitations of this analysis which may be addressed in future DoD surveys.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA205731
Entities
People
- Scott E. Payne
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School