Measuring the Costs and Benefits of Army Service.
Abstract
This research puts the costs and benefits of Army service into a social accounting framework. The traditional budget cost and defense readiness perspective is expanded to account for joint product effects of Army service. The analysis concentrates on Army personnel and training programs, noting that the value of military experience and training in the civilian sector is a major area in which the social value of Army service is likely to exceed the private value. The social value of certain forms of unit training and exercises is scrutinized to detect potential structural changes that yield additional social benefits. The analytical framework developed helps the Army to better understand the true social costs and benefits of its personnel and training programs; to choose ways of achieving a given level of military readiness that produces the greatest net social value; to articulate to Congress the social value, in addition to the military readiness value, of some of its programs, thus producing more informed decisions concerning defense and non-defense uses of taxpayer resources; and to explain to potential recruits and to the taxpayer the value of some Army programs to other sectors of the economy. (AN)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA289935