1. New Recruit Survey Wave 1 Findings (October 2012–March 2013)

2. 1 Study Overview and Methodology  The New Recruit Survey (Wave 1) fielded from October 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013.  The survey was administered at Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) across the country. It was designed to be a census of all new recruits who entered a Delayed Entry Program (DEP) for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force.  Service personnel at the MEPS administered the survey. They were instructed to hand out the survey materials to all new recruits on the day they entered the DEP.  Recruits filled out their responses on a Scantron sheet, which they sealed in a business return envelope. MEPS liaisons collected all completed surveys and mailed them back throughout the fielding period. Please see the New Recruit Survey – Wave 1 Technical Report on DMREN.org for full details on the study methodology.

3. 2  At the end of the Wave 1 fielding period, all survey responses were aggregated into one data set. Estimates in this briefing deck are based on the aggregate Wave 1 data set.  The final Wave 1 data were weighted to be representative of all Active Duty new recruits who entered the DEP between October 2012 and March 2013.  The table below provides the number of recruits from each Service who were eligible to take the survey and the number of completed surveys received from each Service.  Due to the large number of respondents, many estimates in this deck differ significantly between subgroups. Since so many differences exist, they are not noted throughout the deck; the reader can reasonably assume that large differences in estimates between subgroups are significant. New Recruit Population ServiceTotal Recruits Processed Completed Surveys Received Completion Rate* Army30,15710,56435% Navy21,23313,19762% Marine Corps18,74610,93758% Air Force14,8838,15055% Total85,01942,84850% *Although the survey was designed to be a census, some liaisons did not fully participate and did not hand out surveys to all recruits. Other liaisons were unable to hand out all surveys due to lack of time or other constraints. Recruits were also permitted to refuse the survey.

4. 3  Most recruits are intrinsically motivated to join the Military. Across all Services, most recruits feel that the Military will better their lives in some way – either improving them as a person or opening up the possibility of new future opportunities.  However, the economy continues to have a strong positive impact on recruits’ decision to enlist. This is especially true among high-quality recruits.  Recruits also report that the health care and education benefits offered by the Military were particularly influential on their decision to enlist.  The Active Duty branches face strong competition among themselves for attracting the core group of military-propensed youth.  Competition between branches is greatest for high-quality recruits, who are the most likely to consider joining multiple Services.  The Army and Marine Corps tend to compete for the same recruits, while to a lesser degree the Navy and Air Force compete for the same recruits.  The Air Force is the most widely considered branch among all new recruits, regardless of which branch they ultimately join.  Most recruits have not made many specific decisions with regard to their future careers within the Military. Although some recruits desire a specific job, many have not yet made up their minds about how long they will serve. Key Findings: The Enlistment Decision and Process

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6. Air Force Army Navy Marine Corps 5  Some new recruits are “core joiners” who indicate they have been interested in military service for the past five years or longer. Although more than half of new recruits are core joiners, other recruits only recently began thinking about serving in the Military – some as recently as several weeks before joining.  The Marine Corps has the highest proportion of core joiners, while Navy and Air Force recruits are the most likely to report having developed their interest in joining the Military only recently. When did you first start thinking about serving in the Military? Q1: When did you first start thinking about serving in the Military? Note: Bars may not add up to 100% because of respondent refusals. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Length of Interest in Serving By Service

7. 6  Almost all recruits indicate they had a conversation with their parents or guardians about their decision to join at some point. Most new recruits began having these conversations between the ages of 15 and 19.  Core recruits tend to begin talking to their parents about serving at a younger age than non-core joiners. Close to one-quarter of core joiners (22%) talked to their parents about serving when they were 14 years old or younger, and almost two-thirds of core joiners (63%) talked to their parents before they turned 18. At what age did you first start talking with your parents/guardians about serving in the [Service]? Q3: At what age did you first start talking with your parents/guardians about serving in the [Service]? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Conversations about Joining By Service Close to two-thirds of Marine Corps recruits talked to their parents about serving before they turned 18.

8. 7  Recruits turn to various sources to learn about the Military and their branch prior to joining.  New recruits were most likely to report that the information a recruiter provided them was important to their enlistment decision. Personal connections such as family members and friends were also important– though not as universally important as the recruiter.  Recruits also look to the Internet to provide them with information about their Service. Recruits from the Air Force were more likely than other recruits to rate the information they found online playing an important role in their decision to enlist, as noted in the circles below. % Important/Very Important on decision to enlist Q41: How important was each of the following on your decision to enlist in the [Service]? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Sources of Information By Service Personal connections Online sources

9. 8  New recruits do not perceive the information they get from Service advertising to be as important to their enlistment decision as information from other sources. Less than one-quarter of recruits ranked information from different types of advertising as important.  Army and Marine Corps recruits were more likely than Navy and Air Force recruits to report that information they got from Service advertising played an important role in their decision to enlist.  Recruits were more likely to indicate that information from a TV advertisement was important than information from other types of Service advertising. Q41: How important was each of the following on your decision to enlist in the [Service]? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Sources of Information By Service % Important/Very Important on decision to enlistArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir Force Information from a recruiter71%75%77%76% Information from the [Service]’s website47%50%48%60% Information from a friend who served/is serving47%43% 45% Information from a family member who served/is serving45%43%35%47% Information I read on the Internet40%43%40%48% Information from a TV advertisement for the [Service]24%21%28%18% Information from a Service-sponsored event21%15%22%14% Information posted at school20%15%20%13% Information I received in the mail18%16%20%12% Information in an email17%14%16%13% Information from an ad on the radio14%10%13%8%

10. 9  Recruits were most likely to cite intrinsic motivations for joining their branch (e.g., pride/self- esteem, better my life).  Reasons for joining vary across Service. Those reasons for joining that were ranked more prominently by recruits from one Service are circled below.  Recruits from the Marine Corps tended to focus on more intrinsic benefits, such as pride/self- esteem and challenge, than other recruits.  Navy and Air Force recruits were more likely than other recruits to indicate benefits, such as pay/money and pay for future education, as reasons why they wanted to join. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 % selectedArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir Force Pride/self-esteem/honor73% 84%75% Travel67%83%58%77% Better my life66%69%66%70% Gain experience/work skills61%69%57%73% Pay/money63%69%45%70% Experience adventure54%63%52%62% Develop discipline53%55%63%54% For the challenge50%51%68%51% To pay for future education49%58%42%61% To help others50%52%50%53% Reasons for Joining the Branch By Service Q18: What were your main reasons for wanting to join the [Service]? (mark all that apply)

11. 10  The benefits offered by the Military also play an important role in recruits’ enlistment decisions.  Recruits were most likely to identify education benefits and health care benefits as influential on their decision to enlist. Other benefits did not have as strong of an impact on the enlistment decision.  Marine Corps recruits were less likely than other recruits to report that benefits influenced their decision to serve. How influential were each of the following benefits on your enlistment decision? % Very Influential/Extremely Influential Q35: How influential were each of the following benefits on your enlistment decision? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Impact of Benefits By Service

12. 11  Military benefits were most likely to be influential for lower-quality recruits.  Cat I recruits were the least likely to indicate that benefits played an influential role in their enlistment decisions.  Education benefits appear to be more universally important to the enlistment decision than other benefits. Education benefits are ranked as important by generally similar proportions of recruits across AFQT categories. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Impact of Benefits By AFQT Score How influential were each of the following benefits on your enlistment decision? % Very Influential/Extremely Influential Q35: How influential were each of the following benefits on your enlistment decision?

13. 12  Although few recruits report they are joining their Service because they are unable to find a job, economic conditions were an important driver of the enlistment decisions of some recruits.  Over one-third of new recruits report that the condition of the economy made them more likely to apply to serve.  For Marine Corps recruits, the War on Terrorism is more likely to be a positive driver of enlistment than the economy. For each of the following, please indicate whether it made you more likely or less likely to apply to serve in the [Service]. Q26: For each of the following, please indicate whether it made you more likely or less likely to apply to serve in the [Service]. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 % More Likely Impact of Current Events By Service

14. 13 % of Recruits Indicating the Economy Made them More Likely to Apply to Serve Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Q26: For each of the following, please indicate whether it made you more likely or less likely to apply to serve in the [Service].  High-quality recruits are more likely to be sensitive to economic conditions than those with lower AFQT scores.  This trend is particularly strong among Navy and Air Force recruits. Approximately half of Navy and Air Force Cat I recruits report that the economy increased their likelihood to apply to serve in their branch. Impact of the Economy By Service and Quality

15. 14  A little more than one-quarter of new recruits indicate they have a parent who has served in the U.S. Military.  Air Force recruits are the most likely to have a parent who has served in the Military, while Army recruits are the most likely to report that a parent has served in their same branch of Service.  The majority of recruits report having at least one family member (parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or cousin) who has served in the Military. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Family History of Service By Service Q10: Have any of the following individuals served in the U.S. Military? Q11: Have any of the following individuals served in the [Service]? % of recruits who have a family member who has served in: ArmyNavy Marine Corps Air Force The U.S. Military79%82%77%86% Their branch of Service59%51%37%46% % of recruits who have a parent who has served in…. Marine Corps recruits are the least likely to have a parent or family member who has served in their branch.

16. 15  A relatively small proportion of recruits indicate that their family members played an influential role in their decision to join their Service. Recruits are more likely to rate their parents as important than their grandparents or siblings.  Those recruits who indicate that an influencer has previously served in the Military are more likely to rate that person having an influence on their decisions to join.  Recruits with lower AFQT scores are the most likely to view their family members as having an influence on their decisions to join. Q12: Please rate how much the following people influenced your decision to join the [Service]. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Family Members’ Influence on Joining By AFQT Score Please rate how much the following people influenced your decision to join the [Service]. % A Lot/A Great Deal

17. 16  There is no single concern about joining the Military that a large proportion of new recruits has.  Recruits’ current connections to their family and friends are important to them; across all Services the primary concern reported by new recruits is leaving their family and friends.  Other top concerns revolve around the military lifestyle (e.g., job, duty location) and the physical aspects of military service (possibility of injury/death, boot camp, combat).  Close to two-fifths of new recruits (17%) did not have any concerns about joining their Service. Q20: What were your most significant concerns when deciding to join the [Service]? (mark all that apply) Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Concerns when deciding to joinArmyNavy Marine Corps Air Force Leaving family/friends 36%39%35%37% Job/MOS* 25%23% 19% Possibility of physical injury/death 28%17%24%18% Duty location 15%21%14%21% Boot camp/basic training 13%16%17%16% Going into combat 16%15%12%16% Ship date/date to report to boot camp/basic training 9%13%10%14% Meeting enlistment standards 10%11%12%11% Deployment 11%12%7%13% Rank/promotion path 10% 8%9% Concerns About Joining By Service *Wording represents terminology used in the Army and Marine Corps surveys. For Navy, the option appeared as “Job/rate” and for the Air Force it appeared as “Job/Occupational Specialty or Classification.”

18. 17  Female recruits are more likely than males to have at least one concern about joining their branch.  Both male and female recruits are most likely to select “leaving family/friends” as a primary concern when deciding to join.  Male recruits are relatively more concerned about job and career type items (e.g., job, duty location, rank/promotion path), while female recruits express relatively more concern about physical aspects of military service (boot camp/basic training, going into combat). Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Top concerns – male recruits Top concerns – female recruits Concerns About Joining By Gender Q20: What were your most significant concerns when deciding to join the [Service]? (mark all that apply) *Wording represents terminology used in the Army and Marine Corps surveys. For Navy, the option appeared as “Job/rate” and for the Air Force it appeared as “Job/Occupational Specialty or Classification.”

19. 18  Recruits’ concerns about joining differ by racial/ethnic group.  Black recruits are relatively more concerned about going into combat and relatively less concerned about leaving their family and friends than other recruits.  White recruits are the least likely to express concern about the possibility of injury/death or going into combat. Q20: What were your most significant concerns when deciding to join the [Service]? (mark all that apply) Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Concerns About Joining By Race/Ethnicity Asian recruits were more likely to be concerned about their job in the Military than other recruits. Black recruits expressed more concern about going into combat than other recruits. *Wording represents terminology used in the Army and Marine Corps surveys. For Navy, the option appeared as “Job/rate” and for the Air Force it appeared as “Job/Occupational Specialty or Classification.”

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21. 20  New recruits tended to develop a more recent interest in serving in their particular branch than in serving in the Military in general. Across all branches, the majority of new recruits report that they only first started thinking about serving in the particular branch they joined in the past year.  This suggests that the decision to join a specific Service is a separate decision that occurs quite a bit after the recruit’s initial decision to join the Military. Q1: When did you first start thinking about serving in the Military? Q2: When did you first start thinking about serving in the [Service]? Note: Bars may not add up to 100% because of respondent refusals. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Army recruits Navy recruits Marine Corps recruits Air Force recruits Length of Interest in Serving By Service “Realization struck that I hadn’t chose a branch of the military yet and I picked the one I believed best suited me.” – Army recruit When did you first start thinking about serving in the…

22. 21  The majority of recruits, regardless of Service, considered several branches before enlisting in their Service.  High-quality recruits were more likely than low-quality recruits to consider multiple branches.  For the Army and Navy, less than one-third of high-quality recruits solely considered this branch prior to enlisting. Q4: Which branches did you consider when deciding to join? Note: High-quality (HQ) defined as recruits who were Cat IIIA or higher. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Considered: ArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir Force HQNon-HQHQNon-HQHQNon-HQHQNon-HQ Only the branch they joined 28%36%27%33%38%44%36%41% 2 branches 48%46%49%50%43% 44%42% 3 branches 19%15%19%14%15%11%16%13% 4 or 5 branches 5%3%5%3%4%2%3%4% Branches Considered Joining By Service and Quality % of recruits who considered branches other than the one they joined:

23. 22  The Air Force is the branch that is most often considered by new recruits. Approximately one-third of recruits from other Services also considered joining the Air Force.  Navy recruits are the most likely to have also considered joining the Air Force. Q4: Which branches did you consider when deciding to join? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Branches Considered Joining By Service Army recruitsNavy recruits Marine Corps recruits Air Force recruits ---22%30%25% 23%---23%30% 32%25%---21% 35%43%24%--- 6%12%6%11% Branches considered:

24. 23  Recruits differ in which branches they considered based on their AFQT scores.  Recruits with higher AFQT scores were more likely to consider the Navy and Air Force.  Recruits with lower AFQT scores (Cat IIIA and Cat IIIB) were most likely to consider joining the Army. Q4: Which branches did you consider when deciding to join? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Branches Considered Joining By AFQT Score Which branches did you consider when deciding to join? Cat I recruits are most likely to consider joining the Air Force. The majority of Cat IIIB recruits considered joining the Army. They are more likely to consider the Army than other recruits.

25. 24  Recruits from different racial/ethnic backgrounds also differ in their consideration of different branches.  The Navy and Air Force are considered by similar proportions of recruits of all races/ethnicities.  Hispanic recruits are relatively less likely to consider the Army and more likely to consider the Marine Corps than recruits from other racial/ethnic groups.  In contrast, Black and Asian recruits are relatively less likely to consider the Marine Corps. Q4: Which branches did you consider when deciding to join? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Which branches did you consider when deciding to join? Branches Considered Joining By Race/Ethnicity

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27. 26  The majority of new Active Duty military recruits report that they initiated the first contact with their recruiter.  Air Force recruits are the most likely to report that they initiated the first interaction with their recruiter, while Marine Corps recruits are much less likely to initiate this first interaction than recruits from other Services.  A little less than one-fifth of recruits report their first interaction was not initiated by them or by a recruiter, but occurred because of the actions of a relative or friend. Who initiated your first interaction with a [Service] recruiter? Q23: Who initiated your first interaction with a [Service] recruiter? Marine Corps recruits were the most likely to indicate that their recruiter contacted them first or that the interaction occurred because of the actions of a relative or a friend. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Recruiter Interaction By Service

28. 27  The majority of new Army, Navy, and Air Force recruits first met with their recruiter at a recruiting office.  Approximately two-fifths of Marine Corps recruits report their first interaction with a recruiter was at a high school or high school event. This was the most common location for a first interaction between Marine Corps recruiters and recruits. Where did your first interaction with a [Service] recruiter take place? Q22: Where did your first interaction with a [Service] recruiter take place? The Marine Corps reaches a higher proportion of its recruits at high schools and high school events than other Services. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Recruiter Interaction By Service

29. 28 % Satisfied/Very Satisfied  Ultimately, youth who end up joining the Military report high levels of overall satisfaction with their military recruiters.  A very small proportion of new military recruits indicate they were concerned about the honesty of their recruiters. Overall, how satisfied have you been with your recruiter? Concerned about honesty of the recruiter: Q20: What were your most significant concerns when deciding to join the [Service]? Q25: Overall, how satisfied have you been with your recruiter? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Satisfaction with Recruiter By Service

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31. 30  Most new recruits who had a specific job in mind before going to MEPS were interested in military-specific fields (armor/artillery, special forces) or in highly technical jobs (health care, aviation).  A notable proportion of new recruits were unsure about their job path in the Military. Close to one-fifth of recruits either selected multiple jobs from the list of options or indicated they didn’t have a specific job in mind prior to going to MEPS. Before you went to MEPS, which of the following represents the job you wanted to receive? Q29: Before you went to MEPS, which of the following represents the job you wanted to receive? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Desired Job By Service *Results not presented for Navy and Air Force because they do not offer jobs that fall under this category. Note: Responses only provided for those jobs selected by more than 5% of all new recruits. ArmyNavy Marine Corps Air Force % selected multiple jobs10% % did not have a job in mind5%9%11%5%

32. 31  The jobs desired by high-quality recruits differ from those preferred by lower-quality recruits. High-quality recruits were more likely to want a job relating to health care, intelligence, aviation, or special forces.  Lower-quality recruits were more likely to report that they were interested in jobs in armor/artillery/infantry and protective services.  Lower-quality recruits were also more likely than high-quality recruits to indicate they did not have a job in mind or to select multiple jobs of interest. Q29: Before you went to MEPS, which of the following represents the job you wanted to receive? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Desired Job By Quality ArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir Force Desired JobHQNon-HQHQNon-HQHQNon-HQHQNon-HQ Armor, Artillery, or Infantry*16%18%-- 20%24%-- Health care or Medicine13%8%13%15%1% 10%6% Special Forces8%5%11%5%8%6%10%9% Aviation6%4%10%11%10%6%8% Protective Services5%8%6%8%7%9%8%18% Intelligence11%2%7%2%7%2%5%1% Did not have a job in mind/selected multiple jobs 12%18% 22%20%24%16% Note: High-quality (HQ) defined as recruits who were Cat IIIA or higher. *Results not presented for Navy and Air Force because they do not offer jobs that fall under this category.

33. 32  While male recruits tend to desire jobs in armor/artillery/infantry and special forces, females are most likely to indicate they wanted a job in health care or medicine, as indicated below.  Since the Marine Corps does not offer positions in health care, female Marine Corps recruits exhibit different preferences from other female recruits. They are more likely than those from other Services to indicate they were interested in a job in the intelligence field. Almost one-third of female Marine Corps recruits are either unsure what job they wanted or selected multiple jobs of interest to them. Q29: Before you went to MEPS, which of the following represents the job you wanted to receive? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Desired Job By Gender ArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir Force Desired JobMaleFemaleMaleFemaleMaleFemaleMaleFemale Armor, Artillery, or Infantry*20%2%-- 23%3%-- Health care or Medicine8%28%9%27%1%3%6%25% Special Forces8%<1%13%2%8%1%12%2% Aviation6%3%11%6%9%8%9%4% Protective Services6%8%6%5%8% 9%6% Intelligence8% 6% 5%11%5% Did not have a job in mind/selected multiple jobs 14%17%18%22%20%29%15%18% *Results not presented for Navy and Air Force because they do not offer jobs that fall under this category.

34. 33  Many new recruits had not planned out their military career paths prior to enlisting.  Approximately two-fifths of recruits indicate they have not yet decided or have not even thought about how long they will serve. Most new recruits are also unsure whether they will serve in the Reserve or Guard after they complete their Active Duty service.  Non-core joiners are more likely than core joiners to be unsure of their future plans in regard to military service. Q30: How many years are you expecting to serve in the [Service]? Q31: Do you plan to serve in the Reserve or Guard after completing your Active Duty service? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 How Many Years Are You Expecting to Serve? ArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir Force My current contract length only 9% 11%8% More than my current contract length 22%18%19%18% Retire after at least 20 years of service 30%26%24%31% Have not decided/Have not thought about it 38%46%45%42% Plans for a Military Career By Service Do you plan to serve in the Reserve or Guard after completing your Active Duty service?

35. 34  Although high-quality recruits are more likely to have a specific job in mind before they join, they are less likely to have decided how long they would like to serve in the Military. More than half of Cat I recruits report they have not yet made this decision.  Cat IIIB recruits are the most likely to indicate they expect to retire from the Military after serving 20 or more years. Q30: How many years are you expecting to serve in the [Service]? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Plans for a Military Career By AFQT Score How many years are you planning to serve in the [Service]?

36. 35  Hispanic and Asian recruits are the most likely to report they plan to serve for only their current contract length.  Black recruits were the most likely to indicate they plan to retire after serving 20 or more years. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Plans for a Military Career By Race/Ethnicity How many years are you planning to serve in the [Service]? Q30: How many years are you expecting to serve in the [Service]?

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38. 37  The New Recruit Survey is continuously fielding. Wave 1 marks the first administration of the survey. As fielding continues, key survey metrics will be tracked over time.  Data collection is divided into waves that field for six months each. In addition to core survey items that are tracked continuously, every wave contains a module of questions that focuses on a particular topic.  The Wave 1 survey module focused on recruits’ media habits and social media use.  Wave 2 of the survey (April 2013–September 2013) includes a module on influencers and the role they play in the enlistment process.  Data from the survey is aggregated on a monthly basis in order to provide the Services with timely access to survey results. Authorized users may gain access to monthly data and reports by accessing the New Recruit Survey online data portal at https://portal.newrecruitsurvey.com.https://portal.newrecruitsurvey.com  This briefing deck is the first to examine the data collected from Wave 1 of the New Recruit Survey. Data from Wave 1 of the survey will be used for additional analyses that examine Service-specific trends and special topics of interest, such as diversity in the Military. Results will be released as they become available. Future Directions

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40. 39  Although the majority of recruits from all Services are White, two-fifths of new military recruits are of a minority racial/ethnic group.  The Navy has the smallest proportion of White recruits. The Army has the highest proportion of Black recruits, while the Marine Corps has the highest proportion of Hispanic recruits.  The Navy has the highest proportion of females, comprising approximately one-quarter of their new recruits. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Army NavyMarine CorpsAir Force Racial/Ethnic Composition ArmyNavy Marine Corps Air Force % male83%76%91%80% Gender and race/ethnicity information provided by USMEPCOM. Who’s Joining the Military? Gender and Race/Ethnicity Note: Charts may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

41. 18.7 40  The majority of all new Active Duty recruits are under the age of 20. Marine Corps recruits are younger than other recruits, with more than three-quarters of their recruits under the age of 20. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Current Pursuits:ArmyNavy Marine Corps Air Force Going to high school26% 48%18% Working part-time25%30%28%33% Working full-time23%21%16%23% Full-time college student8% 7%9% Part-time college student4%5% 7% Q6: Which of the following describes your current situation? Age data provided by USMEPCOM.  New recruits are most likely to indicate they are either going to high school or are working part-time prior to enlisting. Marine Corps recruits are much more likely to be currently enrolled in high school than recruits from other Services.  Air Force recruits were the most likely to be enrolled in a college program, either full-time or part-time. Who’s Joining the Military? Age and Current Pursuits Age Composition Mean Age 20.3 20.0 19.9

42. 41  The Air Force has the highest proportion of high-quality recruits (i.e., scored a Cat IIIA or higher on the AFQT).  The Army has a higher proportion of recruits who scored a Cat IIIB on the AFQT than the other Services – more than one-third of their new recruits fall into this category.  The Army and Marine Corps provided waivers to a relatively higher proportion of recruits than the Navy or Air Force. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 AFQT and waiver data provided by USMEPCOM. AFQT Scores ArmyNavy Marine Corps Air Force 15%11%14%10% % of recruits receiving a waiver Who’s Joining the Military? Quality

43. 42  White recruits and those from Other racial/ethnic groups were most likely to have a family member who has served in any branch of the U.S. Military.  Asian recruits were least likely to report that someone in their family has served. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Have any of the following individuals served in the U.S. Military? WhiteBlackHispanicAsian Other Race Your mom6%10%3%2%6% Your dad30%28%17%19%33% Your stepmother1%2%1% Your stepfather6%7%5% 6% A grandparent60%24%23%19%51% A brother/sister14%15%12%11%16% A cousin26%32%25%18%32% An aunt/uncle40%38%28%24%42% Total % who have a family member who has served87%77%64%55%86% Family History of Military Service By Race/Ethnicity Q10: Have any of the following individuals served in the U.S. Military?

44. 43 Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 % selectedArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir Force Pride/self-esteem/honor 73% 84%75% Travel 67%83%58%77% Better my life 66%69%66%70% Gain experience/work skills 61%69%57%73% Pay/money 63%69%45%70% Experience adventure 54%63%52%62% Develop discipline 53%55%63%54% For the challenge 50%51%68%51% Pay for future education 49%58%42%61% Help others 50%52%50%53% Develop leadership skills 48%47%55%49% Belong to something elite 45% 65%50% Educational opportunities within service 44%55%40%60% Job security 41%48%35%54% Health and medical benefits 41%46%34%50% Duty/obligation to country 42%39%43%42% Make a positive difference in my community 39%40%36%42% Opportunity for teamwork 35% Pension and retirement benefits 32%35%26%40% Provide for my family 28%24%23%26% Family tradition of service 19%20%17%21% Unable to find a job 8%7%5%6% Q18: What were your main reasons for wanting to join the [Service]? Reasons for Joining By Service

45. 44  Recruits tend to indicate that the number one reason they are joining their branch is because military service will improve their lives in some way.  The most frequently chosen reasons for joining were pride/self-esteem/honor and “better my life.”  The Marine Corps was the only Service whose recruits clearly selected one main reason for joining – pride/self-esteem. Responses for the other Services were more evenly divided across several reasons for joining. Q19: Please review the reasons you selected above. Of these, which was the number one reason that you wanted to join the [Service]? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Number One Reason for Joining the Branch By Service

46. 45  Only about one-quarter of recruits report that the Post-9/11 GI Bill was influential on their decision to enlist. This proportion is much smaller than the proportion of recruits who report that education benefits were influential on their enlistment decisions.  The discrepancy between these numbers suggests that some new recruits may not be fully aware of the benefits available to them through the Post-9/11 GI Bill. However, only 15% of new recruits report that they are not familiar with the Post-9/11 GI Bill. % Very Influential/Extremely Influential Q33: How influential was the Post-9/11 GI Bill on your enlistment decision? Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 Impact of Post-9/11 GI Bill By Service

47. 46  Female recruits were much more likely than male recruits to report that this change in policy would have impacted their decision to enlist. However, they were somewhat divided as to whether this change would have made them more likely to enlist or less likely to enlist.  Few male recruits reported that allowing women to serve in combat roles would have affected their decision to join the Military. Those that reported it would have had an impact were more likely to report that it would have had a negative impact than a positive impact. Q27: For each of the following, please indicate whether these potential changes would have made you more likely or less likely to apply to serve in the [Service]. Source: DoD New Recruit Survey, Wave 1 MalesFemales More LikelyLess LikelyMore LikelyLess Likely Army8%12%27%17% Navy6%9%22%14% Marine Corps6%12%32%13% Air Force5%7%19%13% Impact on Likelihood to Apply to Serve: Potentially allowing women to serve on hazardous duty Impact of Allowing Women to Serve on Hazardous Duty By Service and Gender