Military Personnel: Perspectives of Surveyed Members in Retention
Critical Specialities (Briefing Report, 08/16/1999, GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR).

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the quality of life
and retention in the military, focusing on: (1) military personnel's
overall intentions to stay or leave the military; (2) military
personnel's levels of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the
military; (3) factors that affect dissatisfaction and intent to leave
the military; and (4) factors that affect satisfaction and intentions to
stay in the military.

GAO noted that: (1) overall, more than half of the approximately 1,000
officers and enlisted military personnel GAO surveyed said they were
dissatisfied and intended to leave the military after their obligation
or term of enlistment was up; (2) dissatisfaction and intentions to
leave the military were more apparent among enlisted personnel than
officers; (3) on average, 52 percent of enlisted personnel surveyed said
they were dissatisfied with the military, whereas 46 percent of officers
were dissatisfied; (4) similarly, 62 percent of enlisted personnel
surveyed said that they intend to leave the military after their
obligation is up, whereas 40 percent of officers said they intend to
leave; (5) the majority of factors concerning dissatisfaction were
associated with work circumstances such as the lack of equipment and
materials to successfully complete the demands of daily job
requirements, the undermanning of units, the frequency of deployments,
and the lack of personal time for family; (6) the nature of military
compensation such as base military pay and retirement pay was also
important, but these factors accounted for less than a quarter of all
the factors military personnel were dissatisfied with; (7) in addition,
the nature of military benefits such as medical care for military
dependents and access to medical care in retirement accounted for 15
percent of all the factors military personnel were dissatisfied with;
(8) the quality of life factors that are top sources of satisfaction for
military personnel were traditional morale, welfare, and recreation
activities and services, such as fitness and sports activities, as well
as commissaries and exchanges, and chaplain services; (9) military
personnel support programs, including youth and adolescent programs and
military family support services, were also sources of satisfaction for
the officers and enlisted military personnel GAO surveyed; (10) one
factor associated with work circumstances that both officers and
enlisted personnel were satisfied with was their immediate supervisors;
(11) the survey findings generally suggest that actions to address the
retention of military personnel in retention critical specialties or to
develop effective and reliable assessments of military quality of life,
should place special attention on aspects of military servicemembers'
work circumstances; and (12) improving pay and benefits is an important
concern for military personnel, but there seems to be a much greater
need to address other quality of life issues in the retention of
military personnel, including the nature of their work circumstances.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  NSIAD-99-197BR
     TITLE:  Military Personnel: Perspectives of Surveyed Members in
	     Retention Critical Specialities
      DATE:  08/16/1999
   SUBJECT:  Military enlistment
	     Enlisted personnel
	     Quality of life
	     Working conditions
	     Job satisfaction surveys
	     Wage surveys
	     Military officers
	     Attrition rates

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1-LG-BW logo.eps GAO United States General Accounting Office

Briefing Report to Congressional Requesters

August 1999 MILITARY PERSONNEL

Perspectives of Surveyed Service Members in Retention Critical
Specialties

GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR

  GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR

Page 1 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention United
States General Accounting Office

Washington, D. C. 20548 National Security and International
Affairs Division

B-281031 Letter August 16, 1999 The Honorable Pete V. Domenici
Chairman, Committee on the Budget United States Senate

The Honorable Ted Stevens Chairman, Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate

The Honorable George R. Nethercutt, Jr. House of Representatives

Concern has been expressed within the Congress and the Department
of Defense (DOD) regarding the ability to retain members of the
Armed Forces and maintain an adequate level of overall quality of
life. The percent of military personnel who were away from home
due to military deployments or training in fiscal year 1998
increased by more than 60 percent from the percent deployed 10
years earlier, during the Cold War

period. This increase in personnel tempo has occurred against the
backdrop of a 34- percent decrease in the number of active duty
military personnel between 1988 and 1998 and a 34- percent
decrease in real defense outlays during the same period.

At your request, we are reviewing quality of life and retention in
the military. One component of your request asked us to address
how quality of life and retention varies among the military
services and between ranks. As part of our review of this issue,
from December 1998 through March 1999, we administered a survey on
quality of life and retention to approximately 1,000 Army, Navy,
Air Force, and Marine Corps active duty military personnel at 5
military installations. Participants were selected from the
population of individuals at the five military installations
working in job specialties that DOD believed were experiencing
retention problems.

Given the basis for selection, the results may not be generally
applicable to other personnel in these or other job occupations
located at these or other installations. DOD has traditionally
defined quality of life broadly, including factors ranging from
military pay to family support services. We adopted the broad
definition to be as inclusive as possible. We did not examine the
validity of Lett er

B-281031 Page 2 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

DOD's definition of quality of life. We examined which of the
quality of life factors that had been identified and could
reasonably be articulated had an impact on decisions to stay or
leave the military and how satisfied or dissatisfied the military
personnel we surveyed were with that array of factors. We briefed
your staff on April 21, 1999, on the preliminary survey results.
This report responds to your request for a report of that
briefing. We discuss the following survey outcomes in this report:
(1) overall intentions to stay or leave the military, (2) levels
of satisfaction and dissatisfaction

with the military, (3) factors that affect dissatisfaction and
intent to leave the military, and (4) factors that affect
satisfaction and intentions to stay in the military. We plan to
conduct a further analysis of these survey results

and prepare a more detailed report later this year. 1 For example,
we will examine the relationships that may exist between certain
variables, such as time in service, marital status, and personnel
tempo, and differences

regarding satisfaction and career intentions. Results in Brief
Overall, more than half of the approximately 1,000 officers and
enlisted military personnel we surveyed said they were
dissatisfied and intended to leave the military after their
current obligation or term of enlistment was

up. 2 Dissatisfaction and intentions to leave the military were
more apparent among enlisted personnel than officers. On average,
52 percent of enlisted personnel surveyed said they were
dissatisfied with the military, whereas 46 percent of officers
were dissatisfied. Similarly, 62 percent of enlisted personnel
surveyed said that they intend to leave the military after

their current obligation is up, whereas 40 percent of officers
said they intend to leave.

1 We have several ongoing reviews requested by the Congress that
relate to military personnel issues, including an historical
examination of military retention rates, an examination of issues
related to pilot shortages, and an analysis of data from a broad
DOD/ GAO military personnel survey to be implemented later this
year.

2 We had outside experts, including retired senior military
officers, academic and general content experts, and a former
private industry executive, review our findings. They indicated
that the results align with findings from some of their recent
research efforts on broader samples of some service populations.

Lett er

B-281031 Page 3 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

No single factor appeared to account for these results; rather,
many factors were sources of dissatisfaction and reasons to leave
the military. 3 The majority of factors (62 percent) were
associated with work circumstances such as the lack of equipment
and materials to successfully complete the demands of daily job
requirements, the undermanning of units, the

frequency of deployments, and the lack of personal time for
family. The nature of military compensation such as base military
pay and retirement pay was also important, but these factors
accounted for less than a quarter (23 percent) of all the factors
military personnel were dissatisfied with. In addition, the nature
of military benefits such as medical care for military dependents
and access to medical care in retirement accounted for 15 percent
of all the factors military personnel were dissatisfied with. The
quality of life factors that are top sources of satisfaction for
military personnel were traditional Morale, Welfare, and
Recreation (MWR)

activities and services, such as fitness and sports activities, as
well as commissaries and exchanges, and chaplain services.
Military personnel support programs, including youth and
adolescent programs and military family support services, were
also sources of satisfaction for the officers and enlisted
military personnel we surveyed. One factor associated with work
circumstances that both officers and enlisted personnel were

satisfied with was their immediate supervisors. Although there was
relative uniformity among officers and enlisted personnel in terms
of the factors they were satisfied with, officers were unique in
conveying satisfaction with military values and lifestyle, sense
of esprit de corps, and living in new locations.

The survey findings generally suggest that actions to address the
retention of military personnel in retention critical specialties
or to develop effective and reliable assessments of military
quality of life, should place special

attention on aspects of military servicemembers' work
circumstances. Many of these aspects, including lack of equipment
and parts to perform day- to- day job functions, inadequate
personnel levels, and high deployment pace and demands, reduce
morale and create barriers that make it difficult

for servicemembers to spend time away from the job and maintain a
satisfactory personal life. Improving pay and benefits is an
important concern for military personnel, but there seems to be a
much greater need

3 Our review of comparable survey data obtained from a recent and
broad- based Army personnel survey indicated similarities in
findings concerning dissatisfaction with the amount of personnel
available to do work, the amount of time separated from family,
retirement benefits, and the quality of family medical care.

B-281031 Page 4 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

to address other quality of life issues in the retention of
military personnel, including the nature of their work
circumstances.

Background In 1994, the Secretary of Defense proposed a 6- year
plan to address military quality of life in response to senior
military leaders' concerns regarding personnel tempo,
compensation, health care, housing, and community support
activities. The changing nature of DOD's mission, changes in
deployment, a reduction- in- force structure, base closures and

realignments, and smaller defense budgets had culminated to create
concerns about military readiness and the ability to retain
servicemembers. In November 1994, the Secretary added $2. 7
billion to the defense budget,

over 6 years, to fund increases in allowances, barracks, family
housing, and community support activities. Separately, a $7. 7
billion commitment was provided to fund military pay raises
through fiscal year 1999.

The Secretary's 1994 quality of life initiative also chartered a
Defense Science Board Task Force to study military housing,
personnel tempo, and community and family services. The task force
was not directed to study other elements of quality of life,
including compensation and medical care, because these elements
were being reviewed by other organizations. In October 1995, the
task force reported and made recommendations to improve military
quality of life. DOD officials indicate that improvements include
(1) upgrading standards of living (housing) and enhancing
unaccompanied housing; (2) providing better child care facilities,
more child care spaces, and more funds for the family advocacy
program and the new parent support program; (3) improving fitness
facilities; and (4) establishing a standard measure of personnel
tempo and setting personnel tempo goals. The officials also
indicate that the fewest accomplishments have been made regarding
changes in personnel tempo

and privatization of military housing. To support and implement
the task force recommendations, an internal DOD Quality of Life
Executive Committee was also chartered under DOD's 1994 quality of
life initiative. This committee continues to meet to work quality
of life issues in a forum, inviting leadership from all services.
Today, DOD identifies the following as its quality of life
priorities: (1) funding raises in basic pay and improving the
fairness and efficiency of other elements of compensation; (2)
driving personnel tempo as low as possible without jeopardizing
mission and readiness; (3) providing

servicemembers and their families' safe, modern communities and
housing;

B-281031 Page 5 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

(4) making education opportunities a cornerstone of DOD's quality
of life programs; (5) ensuring parity in quality of life programs
across installations and services; and (6) building a solid
communication line to servicemembers and their families so as to
understand their perceptions on quality of life. Agency Comments
and Our Evaluation

DOD provided written comments on a draft of this report (see app.
IV). DOD stated it did not disagree with the overall thrust of our
report. DOD said its efforts to improve overall quality of life is
fairly well documented in our report and that the report reflects
DOD's efforts to Put People First.

DOD stated that our survey validates its position that no single
factor impacts individual retention decisions. DOD agreed that the
survey results may not be generally applicable to other personnel
but expressed concern that several of the generalizations made
from the survey could suggest that shortcomings exist DOD- wide in
the general workforce climate. We did not, however, generalize the
results of our survey. Our survey results reflect the views of
approximately 1, 000 military personnel in retention critical
specialties. Given the basis for sample selection, we stated that
the results may not be generally applicable.

DOD disagreed with the draft report's reference that few
accomplishments have been made regarding changes in personnel
tempo and privatization of military housing. We did not state that
few accomplishments had been made. We stated that DOD officials
indicate that the fewest accomplishments have been made regarding
changes in personnel tempo and privatization of military housing.
DOD officials told us that, in response to the 1995 Defense
Science Board Task Force recommendations to improve military
quality of life, some improvements had been made in the areas of
housing, childcare, fitness facilities, and personnel tempo.
However, they noted that the fewest accomplishments had been made
in

the areas of personnel tempo and the privatization of military
housing. 4 4 We did not review DOD's progress on the Defense
Science Board's quality of life recommendations. However, we
previously reported on DOD's progress on the military
privatization housing initiative in our report entitled, Military
Housing: Privatization Off to a Slow Start and Continued
Management Attention Needed (GAO/NSIAD-98-178, July 17, 1998).

B-281031 Page 6 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

DOD stated that our definition of quality of life was expanded
beyond the traditional DOD definition to issues that included
spare parts and equipment and unit manning. We agree that there
are quality of life factors in our survey, including one that
pertains to the availability of needed, parts, and equipment and
another concerning the level of unit manning that are not within
DOD's traditional definition of quality of life. Our study
approach began by adopting the definition of quality of life
consistent with

DOD's broad definition. However, in our efforts to be as inclusive
as possible, as we note in our methodology description, we also
obtained input from independent experts and active duty military
personnel and we reviewed quality of life and general personnel
surveys developed or used in academic settings, the private
sector, and individual military services. The final instrument we
used contained 44 military quality of life factors that

were identified through this process and that could reasonably be
articulated. DOD's most recently developed survey to assess
attitudes and perceptions of military life, scheduled for
implementation in October 1999, now also includes items to measure
military personnel satisfaction with the availability of parts and
equipment as well as the level of unit manning.

DOD expressed concern with our finding that actions to address the
retention of military personnel in retention critical specialties
or to develop effective and reliable assessments of military
quality of life, should place special attention on aspects of
military servicemembers' work circumstances. DOD stated this may
infer that less attention needs to be paid to other areas of
quality of life. DOD believes that a holistic

approach, as outlined in its overall quality of life strategy, is
more conducive to achieving desired organizational outcomes. While
we agree that obtaining information across a broad spectrum of
quality of life issues is appropriate, priorities must be set
given limited resources. Specifically, there is a need to target
options to maximize the return on related

investments. We believe that our survey results provide relevant
information on the quality of life factors that are most
dissatisfying among a sample of military personnel in retention
critical specialties and that this information has

implications for the priorities in DOD's overall quality of life
strategy. The views of approximately 1,000 military personnel
converged to show that 62 percent of the quality of life factors
they were most dissatisfied with were related to work
circumstances, including the lack of equipment and materials to
successfully complete the demands of daily job requirements, the
undermanning of units, the frequency of deployments, and the lack
of

B-281031 Page 7 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

personal time for family. 5 Further, three of the top five most
frequently selected reasons to leave the military were also
related to military personnel's work circumstances, including the
frequency of deployments, the lack of materials and equipment to
successfully complete the demands

of daily job requirements, and the undermanning of units. DOD's
quality of life strategy recognizes that military personnel want
good pay, educational opportunities, meaningful work, challenging
off- duty opportunities, and good places to live. While we
recognize this strategy and the themes it emphasizes, we believe
that work circumstances are

central to quality of life for the military personnel we surveyed
and warrant attention. Our study highlights the relative
distinction of work circumstances compared to other issues,
including pay and benefits; in accounting for the majority of
quality of life factors a sample of military personnel working in
retention critical specialties were dissatisfied with and most
frequently identified as reasons to leave the military. In
addition, the results of both of DOD's most recent (1995; 1998)
Health Related Behaviors Surveys of military personnel have shown
that being away from family and increases in workload, both
related to work circumstances, were the two most frequently cited
sources of causing a great deal or a fairly large amount of stress
among military personnel. Scope and Methodology

A total of 986 active duty military personnel completed the
survey. 6 We administered the survey between December 1998 and
March 1999 at the Army' s Fort Drum, New York; the Navy's Norfolk
Navy Base, Virginia; the Air Force's Langley Air Force Base,
Virginia; and the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune and New River Air
Station, North Carolina. We administered the survey in person at
the military installations in group sessions of 10 to 20 people
typically over the course of 2 days or until all scheduled
participants

had completed the survey. 7 The survey was anonymous. 5 Of the 44
quality of life factors included in our survey, 41 percent were
broadly related to work circumstances. 6 A total of 739 enlisted
military personnel, 210 commissioned officers and 34 warrant
officers participated. Three participants did not indicate their
paygrade/ rank. Warrant officers are not included in the data
reported. 7 We also conducted focus groups with approximately 400
survey participants. We plan to discuss these

results in our final report.

B-281031 Page 8 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Participants were selected from the population of individuals at
five military installations working in occupational specialties
that were among service- identified specialties judged to be
critical from a retention

standpoint. Examples of these occupations include intelligence
analysts, military police, computer programmers and operators,
electronics technicians, avionics specialists, and pilots and
navigators. 8 Installations were selected where a reasonable mix
of individuals in those occupations were located. We sought to
obtain equal numbers of participants from each service and to
randomly select survey participants to the extent possible from
installation personnel roster data, using the targeted job
occupations

as the primary selection criterion. However, not all randomly
selected individuals participated. Some selected participants were
unavailable the day we administered the survey, some of the
installation personnel roster information was incomplete or
inaccurate, and therefore, some selected personnel were not at the
designated location, and a bomb threat during one installation
visit required us to cancel two survey sessions. As a result, we
asked DOD officials at each of the five installations to help us
identify additional military personnel to participate in the
survey. Randomly selected individuals who were unavailable to
participate were replaced,

where possible, with individuals from like military specialties.
We did not ask participants to provide their name or other
personally identifying information on the survey. Therefore, it is
not possible to determine the final proportion of the sample that
was randomly or nonrandomly selected. Given the basis of sample
selection, the results may not be generally applicable to other
personnel in these or other occupations located at these

or other installations. In developing the survey, we began by
adopting the definition of quality of life consistent with DOD's
broad definition. However, we also reviewed published and
available survey instruments used to measure quality of life or to
survey general personnel issues developed in academic settings,
the private sector, DOD, and the individual military services. To
further guide

the inclusion of appropriate items, we reviewed the literature on
quality of life and employee retention for both military and
civilian populations and we interviewed active duty military
personnel. The survey was field tested

to check for clarity, relevance, and completion time and changes
were made where appropriate. 8 Tables I. 1- 2 include a list of
the occupations of the enlisted military personnel and officers
who participated in the survey.

B-281031 Page 9 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

We had a panel of independent experts, including retired senior
military officers, academic and general content experts, and a
former private industry executive, review the survey and provide
comments that were incorporated where appropriate. In addition, at
the start of focus group discussions, we solicited feedback from
the participants regarding the survey's adequacy (or inadequacy)
in addressing relevant quality of life issues. The consensus was
that the survey adequately covered the quality

of life areas that mattered to them in thinking about decisions to
stay or leave the military. The survey contained eight general
categories of questions representing different elements of
military quality of life. Each category had approximately six
items that the participants rated their satisfaction or
dissatisfaction with on a 5- point scale. 9 The survey also
included items to obtain intentions to stay or leave the military,
background and

demographic information, workload and deployment tempo, training,
and other issues. 10 Since the survey did not include an
exhaustive list of all possible quality of life factors,
participants were given an opportunity to provide written comments
on any quality of life issue they wished to on the last page of
the survey. 11 Approximately 500 participants, more than half of
the sample, provided written comments that were predominantly
negative in tone. They included references to multiple military
personnel issues that needed to be addressed to improve quality of
life, including recurrent references to career- related issues
such as promotions and the quality of

the force. We plan to systematically analyze the written comments
and discuss the results in our final report.

We conducted our review between October 1998 and June 1999 in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.

This report is organized into four briefing sections. Section I
discusses the survey results concerning intentions to stay and
leave the military. Section II discusses the survey results
concerning levels of satisfaction and

9 The eight quality of life categories included in the survey were
Current Monetary Compensation; Current Military Benefits;
Retirement Benefits; Military Career Issues; Work Circumstances;
Military Culture; Family Support Services; and Other Issues.
Examples of items under the Work Circumstances category include
personal workload, availability of needed equipment, parts and
materials, and level of unit manning. In summarizing the results,
we collapsed the eight categories to three broad categories: Work
Circumstances, Military Compensation, and Military Benefits. 10
Tables II. 1- 4 include a profile of Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marine Corps survey participants.

11 The survey form is in appendix III.

B-281031 Page 10 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

dissatisfaction with the military. Section III discusses the
survey results concerning sources of dissatisfaction and reasons
to leave the military. Section IV discusses survey results
concerning sources of satisfaction and reasons to stay in the
military.

As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce its
contents earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report
until 30 days from its issue date. At that time, we will send
copies of this report to other appropriate congressional
committees. We will also send copies to the

Honorable William S. Cohen, Secretary of Defense; the Honorable
Louis Caldera, Secretary of the Army; the Honorable Richard
Danzig, Secretary of the Navy; the Honorable F. Whitten Peters,
Secretary of the Air Force; and General James L. Jones, Commandant
of the Marine Corps. We will also make copies available to others
upon request.

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please
contact me at (202) 512- 3092. Key contributors to this assignment
were John Oppenheim, Carolyn Copper, and Yeewan Tom.

Kwai- Cheung Chan, Director Special Studies and Evaluation Issues

Page 11 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Page 12 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life Retention

Contents Letter 1 Briefing Section I Intention to Stay or Leave
the Military Among Surveyed Military Personnel

14 Briefing Section II Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction With

the Military Among Surveyed Military Personnel

16 Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave

18 Briefing Section IV Quality of Life Factors That Were
Satisfiers and Reasons to Stay

28 Appendix I Occupational Specialties of Survey Participants

34

Contents Page 13 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life Retention

Appendix II Profile of Survey Participants

36 Appendix III Survey Instrument 40

Appendix IV Comments From the Department of Defense

48 Tables Table I. 1: Occupations of Enlisted Military Personnel
34

Table I. 2: Occupations of Officers 35 Table II. 1: Profile of
Army Sample (Fort Drum) 36 Table II. 2: Profile of Navy Sample
(Norfolk Naval Base) 37 Table II. 3: Profile of Air Force Sample
(Langley Air Force Base) 38 Table II. 4: Profile of Marine Corps
Sample (Camp Lejeune and

New River Marine Corps Air Station) 39

Abbreviations

DOD Department of Defense MWR Morale, Welfare, and Recreation

Page 14 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life Retention

Briefing Section I Intention to Stay or Leave the Military Among
Surveyed Military Personnel Br i e f i ng Sec t i on I

Note: Sample size for officers; Army n = 40; Navy n = 55; Air
Force n = 45; Marine Corps n = 70. Sample size for enlisted
personnel; Army n = 175; Navy n = 217; Air Force n = 166; Marine
Corps n = 180. The percents above do not add to 100 because
respondents who indicated they were unsure

of their decision to stay or leave are not included. Percent of
Surveyed Servicemembers in Retention Critical

Specialties Who Intend to Stay or Leave the Military Officers

Leave Stay Army 53% 35% Navy 33% 37% Air Force 31% 42% Marine 44%
39% Corps

Enlisted

Leave Stay 55% 26% 75% 15% 70% 18% 48% 34%

Briefing Section I Intention to Stay or Leave the Military Among
Surveyed Military Personnel

Page 15 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life Retention

Participants were asked to indicate, on a 5- point scale, whether
they intended to stay or leave the military after their current
obligation/ term was up. 1 A greater proportion of surveyed
officers in the Navy and the Air Force indicated an intention to
stay in the military rather than leave. More than half of the Army
officers indicated intentions to leave the military and a higher
percentage of Marine Corps officers indicated intentions to leave,
rather than stay in the military. 2

In contrast to officers, in all services more of the enlisted
personnel surveyed indicated intentions to leave the military
after their current term of enlistment was up. 3 In the Army, the
Navy, and the Air Force, more than 50 percent of enlisted
personnel indicated an intention to leave the military. The
percent of Navy enlisted personnel indicating an intention to
leave was

the largest relative to the other services. Less than 50 percent
of Marine Corps enlisted personnel indicated an intention to leave
the military. This is the smallest percent relative to the other
services.

1 The results reflect the percentage that said (1) they somewhat
intended to leave, definitely intended to leave or had to leave
and (2) they somewhat intended to stay or definitely intended to
stay. 2 One possible reason for the differences in these service-
specific rates may be related to differences in

the years of service of the survey participants from each service.
For example, while the Army officers indicated the highest intent
to leave among the services, they also had the lowest average
number of years of service invested in a military career. 3
Between 1988 and 1998 officer continuation rates were higher than
enlisted personnel retention rates across the services, indicating
that officers were more likely to stay than leave the military
compared to enlisted personnel.

Page 16 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life Retention

Briefing Section II Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction With the
Military Among Surveyed Military Personnel Br i e f i ng Sec t i
on I I

Note: Sample size for officers; Army n = 40; Navy n = 55; Air
Force n = 45, Marine Corps n = 70. Sample size for enlisted
personnel; Army n = 175; Navy n = 217; Air Force n = 166; Marine
Corps n = 180. Some respondents indicated that they were neither
dissatisfied nor satisfied, therefore, the

percents do not add to 100. Percent of Surveyed Servicemembers in
Retention

Critical Specialties Who Are Satisfied and Dissatisfied With the
Military

Officers

Dissatisfied Satisfied Army 43% 50% Navy 65% 29% Air 36% 53% Force

Marine 39% 57% Corps

Enlisted

Dissatisfied Satisfied 46% 31% 59% 29% 64% 28% 37% 47%

Briefing Section II Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction With the
Military Among Surveyed Military Personnel

Page 17 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life Retention

Participants were asked to indicate, on a 5- point scale, their
overall satisfaction with the military. 1 At least 50 percent of
surveyed officers in the Army, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps
were satisfied with the military. However, 65 percent of Navy
officers were dissatisfied with the military. More Navy officers
were dissatisfied with the military than any other officer or
enlisted group.

In contrast, in all services except the Marine Corps, more
enlisted personnel were dissatisfied than satisfied with the
military. The percent of Air Force enlisted personnel who were
dissatisfied was the highest among the services. The percent of
Marine Corps enlisted personnel who were satisfied with the
military was the highest among services. This was also the case
regarding the percent of Marine Corps enlisted personnel
indicating an intention to stay in the military, although a higher
percent indicated they were satisfied (47 percent) than would stay
(34 percent).

1 The results reflect the percents that were very or somewhat
dissatisfied and very or somewhat satisfied.

Page 18 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave Bri ef i ng Se ct i on I I I

The findings in the next two briefing sections summarize survey
respondents' opinions regarding quality of life factors. First,
briefing section III shows (1) the factors that survey respondents
indicated the most dissatisfaction with and (2) the factors that
were most frequently identified as being reasons to leave by the
respondents who said that they intended to leave at the end of
their current enlistment/ obligation. Second, briefing section IV
shows (1) the factors that survey respondents were most satisfied
with and (2) the reasons that were most frequently identified as
being reasons to stay by those servicemembers who said that they
intended to stay in the military. Two analytic points regarding
the information in briefing sections III and IV

are pertinent. First, factors that are dissatisfiers may also be
reasons why people leave the military, although not everyone who
is dissatisfied will be inclined to leave. Similarly, not everyone
who is satisfied will stay in the military and factors that
servicemembers are most satisfied with may not

necessarily be the strongest reasons to stay in the military.
Additional analyses will be included in our final report,
examining these more complex relationships. Second, at about the
same time that our survey began, DOD announced that it would
include in its fiscal year 2000 budget proposal a change in the
military retirement system reinstating the opportunity to receive
50 percent of base pay after 20 years of service, rather than the
current level of 40 percent of base pay after 20 years of service
for military personnel who entered the service after 1986.
Further, DOD announced that a military pay increase would also be
included as part of its fiscal year 2000 budget proposal. 1 DOD
officials stated that the rationale for the change in

retirement was that the current level of retirement pay was a
major factor in the ability to retain military personnel and that
military personnel were dissatisfied with their retirement
benefits. The proposed military pay increase was also said to
address retention concerns. DOD's pay and retirement proposals
were highly publicized and received extensive news

1 At the time this report was being prepared Congress was
considering DOD's budget request as part of its authorization and
appropriations process for fiscal year 2000.

Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave

Page 19 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

coverage that could have affected the salience of retirement pay
and base pay as a dissatisfier and/ or a reason to leave the
military among the participants in our survey who became aware of
them. However, after the fact, it is impossible to precisely
quantify the effect this may have had on

the survey respondents.

Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave

Page 20 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Note: Officers, n = 210; Enlisted personnel, n = 739 Rank Order of
Quality of Life Factors Surveyed

Servicemembers in Retention Critical Specialties Were Dissatisfied
With

Officers 1. Availability of needed equipment,

parts, & materials 2. Medical care for military

dependents 3. Level of unit manning 4. Retirement pay 5. Access to
medical and dental care

(in retirement) 6. Frequency of deployments 7. Civilian military
leaders 8. Ability to spend time with family

and friends 9. Amount of personal time I have

Enlisted 1. Retirement pay 2. Availability of needed

equipment, parts, & materials 3. Level of unit manning 4. Base pay
5. Frequency of deployments 6. Reenlistment bonus program 7.
Morale in unit 8. Ability to spend time with

family and friends 9. Medical care for military

dependents 10. Nature of deployments

Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave

Page 21 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Participants were asked to indicate their level of satisfaction or
dissatisfaction with 44 quality of life factors. Factors that
received a mean score between 1.00- 2. 60, on a 5- point scale,
were in the dissatisfied range. 2 Nine of the 44 quality of life
factors rated by officers and 10 rated by enlisted personnel met
this criterion.

There were differences between surveyed officers and enlisted in
terms of the specific ranking of the quality of life factors they
were dissatisfied with, and there were unique dissatisfiers for
both groups. First, officers were the

most dissatisfied with the availability of needed equipment,
parts, and materials. On the other hand, retirement pay was the
top ranked dissatisfier for enlisted personnel and availability of
needed equipment, parts, and

materials ranked second. Retirement pay was ranked 4 th among
officers. Unfortunately, the survey results did not enable us to
fully ascertain the nature of certain dissatisfiers. For example,
it is unclear whether concern about retirement pay is based on the
lack of vesting before 20 years of service, the unavailability of
tax- deferred savings plans, or the current accrual formulas.
These issues will be explored further in a separate DOD/ GAO
survey later this year.

Differences between officers and enlisted personnel concerning
dissatisfaction with retirement pay may be partially explained by
the fact that a larger percent of the enlisted personnel surveyed
(79 percent), compared to officers (59 percent), entered the
service after July 31, 1986,

and are therefore under the Redux retirement plan. Military
personnel under the Redux retirement system receive a smaller
percentage of their base pay in retirement than personnel not
under the Redux plan. Officers had three unique dissatisfiers and
enlisted had four. The three dissatisfiers that were unique to the
officers we surveyed were civilian military leaders, amount of
personal time, and access to medical and dental care in
retirement. The four dissatisfiers that were unique to the
enlisted

personnel surveyed were base pay, reenlistment bonus program,
morale in the unit, and the nature of deployments.

2 Factors meeting this criterion are referred to as dissatisfiers.
We chose 2.6 as the criterion because there was a clearer
separation in mean scores at this level than at 2.5.

Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave

Page 22 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Our preliminary analysis indicated that the nature of work
circumstances for military personnel generally accounted for the
majority of all the factors that military personnel were
dissatisfied with (62 percent). 3 These include the availability
of needed equipment, parts, and materials; levels of unit manning;
frequency of deployments; civilian military leaders; amount of

personal time available; ability to spend time with family and
friends; morale in the unit; and the nature of deployments. The
nature of military compensation accounted for less than a quarter
(23 percent) of all the

factors military personnel were dissatisfied with. 4 These include
retirement pay, base pay, and reenlistment bonus programs. The
nature of military benefits accounted for 15 percent of all the
factors military personnel were dissatisfied with. 5 These include
medical care for military dependents and access to medical and
dental care in retirement.

3 Forty- one percent of the 44 quality of life factors included in
the survey were broadly related to work circumstances. 4 Fourteen
percent of the 44 quality of life factors included in the survey
were broadly related to military compensation. 5 Forty- five
percent of the 44 quality of life factors in the survey were
broadly related to military benefits.

Page 23 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave

Page 24 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Note: Among officers, retirement pay and frequency of deployments
were selected with the same frequency. The number of officers who
indicated an intention to leave and who provided information on
reasons to leave was n = 83. The number of enlisted personnel who
indicated an intention to leave and who provided information on
reasons to leave was n = 451.

There are assorted reasons that impact military personnel's
decisions to leave the military. As a baseline, participants were
asked to identify three factors from the list of 44 quality of
life factors they had previously rated. Participants were not
asked to rank order their choices in terms of most to least
important. Thirty- nine factors, or 87 percent of all of the
factors, were The Five Most Frequently Selected Reasons to Leave
the Military Among Surveyed Servicemembers in Retention Critical

Specialties Indicating an Intention to Leave Officers 1.
Retirement pay 2. Frequency of deployments 3. Base Pay 4.
Availability of needed equipment,

parts, & materials 5. Level of unit manning

Enlisted 1. Base pay 2. Frequency of deployments 3. Retirement pay
4. Promotion opportunities 5. Ability to spend time with family &

friends

Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave

Page 25 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

selected as a reason to leave the military by at least one or more
of the survey participants who indicated an intention to leave the
military. Among the officers surveyed, there was no single factor
that a majority of the respondents indicated was a reason to leave
the military. The top five most frequently selected reasons to
leave the military were fairly evenly distributed in terms of the
number that selected these reasons.

Twenty- eight percent of officers selected retirement pay; 28
percent selected the frequency of deployments; 25 percent selected
base pay; 22 percent selected availability of needed equipment,
parts, and materials; and 20 percent selected the level of unit
manning as a reason to leave the military. 6 Among the enlisted
personnel surveyed, 48 percent indicated base pay was

a reason to leave the military, making this the most frequently
selected reason to leave the military. In terms of the remaining
top five factors, 23 percent selected frequency of deployments, 22
percent selected retirement pay, 21 percent selected promotion
opportunities, and 16 percent selected ability to spend time with
family and friends. 7

All of the factors that officers highlighted as reasons to leave
the military, except base pay, were also listed as dissatisfiers.
The fact that base pay was not a dissatisfier for officers is
consistent with the results of another question included in the
survey about financial condition. On average,

77 percent of the officers reported that they either were very
comfortable financially or were able to make ends meet without
much difficulty. In comparison, 40 percent of enlisted personnel
said that they were very comfortable financially or were able to
make ends meet without much difficulty and base pay was a
dissatisfier for enlisted personnel overall. However, more than
one reason suggests that base pay may contribute to the stated
intention to leave. First, as we noted earlier, responses could

have been influenced by the attention associated with DOD's
proposed pay increase that occurred at the same time as our
survey. Second, as might be expected, base pay may have been cited
as a reason to leave to reflect the potential pull of higher
paying jobs outside of the military. While we did not collect data
on this issue, in focus group discussions and written

6 The percentages will not add to 100 because the respondents
selected more than one reason to leave the military. 7 The
percentages will not add to 100 because the respondents selected
more than one reason to leave

the military.

Briefing Section III Quality of Life Factors That Were
Dissatisfiers and Reasons to Leave

Page 26 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

comments, participants referred to the fact that higher paying
civilian jobs supply one incentive to leave.

The survey item that asked military personnel to identify reasons
influencing them to leave did not require them to explain why they
selected the factors they did. This has analytic implications for
those leave factors where the core issue, or potential problem,
may be more open to interpretation (e. g., retirement pay) than
factors where the core issue is clearer by definition (e. g.,
frequency of deployments). The other data we

collected from focus groups and written comments in reference to
retirement pay issues indicated that military personnel were
generally dissatisfied with the amount of retirement pay (i. e.,
the percent of base pay received and perceived inequities).
However, there were instances where military personnel expressed
dissatisfaction with the fact that they do not become vested in
their retirement plan until after serving 20 years in the

military and the fact that the military retirement system does not
offer the same type of benefits as conventional private sector or
nonmilitary federal plans do.

Page 27 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Page 28 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Briefing Section IV Quality of Life Factors That Were Satisfiers
and Reasons to Stay Bri ef i ng Se ct i on I V

Note: Officers, n = 210; Enlisted personnel, n = 739 Rank Order of
Quality of Life Factors Surveyed

Servicemembers in Retention Critical Specialties Were Satisfied
With

Officers 1. Fitness and sports activities 2. Chaplain services/
religious ministries 3. Commissary benefits 4. Immediate
supervisors 5. Use of commissary (in retirement) 6. Military
values & lifestyle 7. Use of exchange (in retirement) 8. Use of
military recreation facilities (in

retirement) 9. Exchange benefits 10. Golf course 11. Education
assistance 12.Youth & adolescent programs 13. Living in new
locations 14. Dental care for military members 15. Sense of esprit
de corps 16. Military family support services 17. DODD & DDESS
schools

Enlisted 1. Fitness and sports activities 2. Commissary benefits
3. Chaplain services/ religious ministries 4. Exchange benefits 5.
Use of exchange (in retirement) 6. Use of commissary (in
retirement) 7. Use of military recreation facilities (in

retirement) 8. Education assistance 9. Golf course 10. Military
family support services 11. Dental care for military members 12.
Immediate supervisors 13. DODD & DDESS schools 14. Youth &
adolescent programs

Briefing Section IV Quality of Life Factors That Were Satisfiers
and Reasons to Stay

Page 29 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Factors that received a mean score between 3.40 and 5.00, on a 5-
point scale, were in the satisfied range. 1 Officers were
satisfied with 17 of the 44 quality of life factors and enlisted
were satisfied with 14 factors. The top satisfier for both
officers and enlisted personnel was fitness and

sports activities. Most of the top factors that officers and
enlisted personnel were satisfied with represent conventional
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) activities, such as fitness
and sports activities, as well as commissary and exchange benefits
and golf courses. Using our broad

categories, we found that the majority (76 percent) of the quality
of life factors that military personnel were satisfied with were
associated with military benefits. The nature of work
circumstances accounted for 24 percent of the factors that
personnel were satisfied with. Military compensation factors did
not account for any of the factors surveyed military personnel
were satisfied with.

Immediate supervisors was the only work- circumstance- related
factor that enlisted personnel were satisfied with. Officers also
said they were satisfied with their immediate supervisors.
However, other aspects of work circumstances that officers were
also satisfied with included military values and lifestyle, living
in new locations, and sense of esprit de corps.

1 Factors meeting this criterion are referred to as satisfiers.
The range for satisfiers was set to encompass the same point range
as dissatisfiers (i. e., 1. 60 points).

Briefing Section IV Quality of Life Factors That Were Satisfiers
and Reasons to Stay

Page 30 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Note: The number officers who indicated an intention to stay in
the military and who provided information on reasons to stay was n
= 80. The number of enlisted personnel who indicated an intention
to stay and who provided information on reasons to stay was n =
166.

According to the military personnel we surveyed, there are
assorted reasons that impact their decisions to stay in the
military. Participants were asked to identify three factors that
most make them want to stay in the military. Participants were not
asked to rank order their choices in terms of most to least
important. As a baseline, they were asked to identify these
factors from the list of 44 quality of life factors they had
previously rated. Forty of the 44 factors, or 91 percent of all of
the factors, were

The Five Most Frequently Selected Reasons to Stay in the Military
Among Surveyed Servicemembers in Retention Critical Specialties
Indicating an Intention to Stay

Officers 1. Military values & lifestyle 2. Sense of esprit de
corps 3. Retirement pay 4. Military training opportunities 5.
Promotion opportunities

Enlisted 1. Medical care for military

members 2. Retirement pay 3. Education assistance 4. Military
values & lifestyle 5. Base pay

Briefing Section IV Quality of Life Factors That Were Satisfiers
and Reasons to Stay

Page 31 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

identified as a reason to stay in the military by at least one or
more of the survey participants.

Among the officers surveyed, the top two reasons to stay in the
military, military values and lifestyle (54 percent selected) and
sense of esprit de corps (44 percent selected), represent fairly
intangible aspects of military life. In terms of the remaining top
five factors for officers, 30 percent selected retirement pay, 18
percent selected military training opportunities, and 15 percent
indicated promotion opportunities were reasons to stay in the
military. 2

In terms of the top five reasons to stay in the military among the
enlisted personnel we surveyed, 25 percent selected medical care
for military members, 24 percent selected retirement pay, 20
percent selected education assistance, 19 percent selected
military values and lifestyles, and 14 percent selected base pay.
3

Generally, the officers and enlisted personnel did not indicate
that the factors they were satisfied with were also reasons to
stay in the military. Among officers, two of the five most
frequently selected reasons to stay in the military were also
satisfiers (i. e., military values and lifestyle and sense of
esprit de corps), whereas only one of the five reasons identified
by

enlisted personnel were satisfiers (i. e., education assistance).
In comparison, the reverse generally applied regarding what
factors military personnel were dissatisfied with and what they
indicated were reasons to leave the military. For both officers
and enlisted personnel who intended to leave, four of the five
leave reasons, or 80 percent, were also dissatisfiers. Retirement
pay is a reason to stay and a reason to leave the military for
both officers and enlisted personnel. Our survey results suggest
that one reason for this may be the career stage of military
personnel. Officers who

said that they intended to stay in the military and that
retirement pay was a reason to stay, had, on average, completed
more than two times the number of years of service (i. e., 15
years) as officers who said that they intended to leave the
military and retirement pay was a reason to leave (i. e., 7
years).

2 The percentages will not add to 100 because the respondents
selected more than one reason to stay in the military. 3 The
percentages will not add to 100 because the respondents selected
more than one reason to stay the military.

Briefing Section IV Quality of Life Factors That Were Satisfiers
and Reasons to Stay

Page 32 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Similarly, enlisted military personnel who said that they intended
to stay in the military and that retirement pay was a reason to
stay had served twice the average number of years (i. e., 12
years) of enlisted personnel who said they were going to leave the
military and retirement pay was a reason to leave (i. e., 6
years). Military personnel with many years of service completed,
who are comparatively nearer to retirement, may have

identified with retirement pay as a reason to stay, whereas those
with fewer years may be concerned with changes that have occurred
in military personnel's retirement pay and may have identified
with it as a reason to leave. 4 Additional work is needed to
ascertain the nature of related concerns and comments regarding
retirement pay. This will be accomplished as part of a separate
DOD/ GAO survey later this year.

Among enlisted personnel only, base pay shows up as a reason to
leave and stay in the military. Differences in the career stage of
enlisted personnel who said that base pay was a reason to stay and
leave the military suggest one explanation. The enlisted personnel
who said that they intended to

stay in the military and that base pay was a reason to stay, on
average, served 9 years in the military, while the enlisted
personnel who said that they were going to leave the military, and
that base pay was one reason to leave had served an average of 6
years. More years of service is associated with relatively higher
base pay, conversely, fewer years of service is associated with
relatively lower base pay. Moreover, the more than

200 enlisted military personnel who said they were going to leave
and base pay was a reason to leave indicated that they were
dissatisfied with base pay. In contrast, the less than 25 enlisted
personnel who said they were going to stay in the military and
base pay was a reason to stay indicated that they were neither
satisfied nor dissatisfied with base pay.

4 Military personnel do not become vested in their retirement
benefits before 20 years of service.

Page 33 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Page 34 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life Retention

Appendix I Occupational Specialties of Survey Participants Appendi
x I

Table I. 1: Occupations of Enlisted Military Personnel

Each of the broad occupational categories in table I. 1, except
for craftsworkers and other technical and allied specialists
contain the service- identified retention critical military
specialties that were targeted in the survey. For example,
included in the communications and intelligence specialists
occupational category are the following Army- identified critical
occupations: intelligence analysts, imagery analysts, voice
interceptor specialists, and cavalry scouts. The Navy- identified
critical occupations included in this category are radiomen
(surface) and operations specialist. The Air Force- identified
critical occupations included in this category are

air traffic control and crypto- linguist. The Marine Corps-
identified critical occupations included in this category are
counterintelligence Marine, imagery interpretation specialist,
interrogation- translation specialist, and cryptologic linguist
(Arabic).

Occupations of Participants a

a Service job specialty codes are based on one- digit Department
of Defense (DOD) occupational codes.

Number in Our Survey b

b There were 739 enlisted military personnel that participated in
the survey. Communications and intelligence specialists 155

Electrical/ mechanical equipment repairers 145 Functional support
and administration 108 Infantry, gun crews, and seamanship
specialists 92 Electronic equipment repairers 86 Service and
supply handlers 30 Health care specialists 12 Craftsworkers 5
Other technical and allied specialists 3 Undecipherable
occupations c

c Participant's response was either insufficient to identify or
did not match any of the service occupational codes. Because we
did not request names or other personally identifying information
on the survey, we could not resolve questionable job occupation
information after the fact. Therefore, a DOD occupational code
could not be assigned.

53 No occupations provided by participants 50

Appendix I Occupational Specialties of Survey Participants

Page 35 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life Retention

Table I. 2: Occupations of Officers The broad occupational
category entitled, tactical operations officers contains the
service- identified retention critical occupations for officers.
At minimum, each of the services indicated that pilots (Apache
pilots specifically for the Army) were among the retention
critical officer occupations. Two- thirds of the individuals in
the tactical operations category are fixed or rotary- wing pilots
or navigators. In addition, the category contains surface warfare
officers (department heads), identified by the Navy as a retention
critical occupation.

Occupations of Participants a

a Service job specialty codes are based on one- digit DOD
occupational codes.

Number in Our Survey b

b There were 210 commissioned officers that participated in the
survey. Warrant officers (n= 34) are not included. Tactical
operations officers 141 Intelligence officers 21

Supply, procurement and allied officers 21 Engineering and
maintenance officers 9 Administrators 6 Scientist and
professionals 3 Undecipherable occupations c

c Participant's response was either insufficient to identify or
did not match any of the service occupational codes. Because we
did not request names or other personally identifying information
on the survey, we could not resolve questionable job occupation
information after the fact. Therefore, a DOD occupational code
could not be identified.

6 No occupations provided by participants 3

Page 36 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Appendix II Profile of Survey Participants Appendi x I I

Table II. 1: Profile of Army Sample (Fort Drum) Enlisted Officer

Sample size a a Three participants from the Army did not identify
their paygrade. Warrant officers are not included (n= 21).

175 40 Percent married 53 60 Percent single 39 35 Percent divorced
5 3 Percent with second jobs 4 0 Percent financially comfortable
34 80 Percent who entered the service after July 31, 1986 90 83

Most frequently selected reason for joining the military Get money
for

education Serve my country Average education level Less than 2
years of

college credits 4- year college degree Average years of service 5
6 Average hours worked per week on current military assignment 49
62

Average weeks away on deployments, temporary duty, and overnight
training exercises in 1998

13 (91 days) 15

(105 days)

Appendix II Profile of Survey Participants

Page 37 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Table II. 2: Profile of Navy Sample (Norfolk Naval Base) Enlisted
Officer

Sample size 217 55 Percent married 47 69 Percent single 37 20
Percent divorced 8 5 Percent with second jobs 13 0 Percent
financially comfortable 47 76 Percent who entered the service
after July 31, 1986 86 65

Most frequently selected reason for joining the military Get money
for

education Serve my country Average education level Less than 2
years of

college credits Some graduate school, but no graduate degree
Average years of service 6 10 Average hours worked per week on
current military assignment 53 60

Average weeks away on deployments, temporary duty, and overnight
training exercises in 1998

19 (133 days) 21

(147 days)

Appendix II Profile of Survey Participants

Page 38 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Table II. 3: Profile of Air Force Sample (Langley Air Force Base)
Enlisted Officer

Sample size 167 45 Percent married 57 82 Percent single 28 11
Percent divorced 7 4 Percent with second jobs 12 0 Percent
financially comfortable 37 73 Percent who entered the service
after July 31, 1986 58 27

Most frequently selected reason for joining the military Obtain
job related

skills Serve my country Average education level 2- year college
degree Master's, doctoral, or professional school

degree Average years of service 10 14 Average hours worked per
week on current military assignment 49 53

Average weeks away on deployments, temporary duty, and overnight
training exercises in 1998

9 (63 days) 9

(63 days)

Appendix II Profile of Survey Participants

Page 39 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Table II. 4: Profile of Marine Corps Sample (Camp Lejeune and New
River Marine Corps Air Station)

Enlisted Officer

Sample size a a Warrant officers are not included ( n = 13 ).

180 70 Percent married 51 74 Percent single 41 19 Percent divorced
5 6 Percent with second jobs 12 0 Percent financially comfortable
40 80 Percent who entered the service after July 31, 1986 80 59

Most frequently selected reason for joining the military Serve my
country Serve my country

Average education level Less than 2 years of college credits 4-
year college degree

Average years of service 6 10 Average hours worked per week on
current military assignment 46 58

Average weeks away on deployments, temporary duty, and overnight
training exercises in 1998

9 (63 days) 13

(91 days)

Page 40 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Appendix III Survey Instrument Appendi x I I I

Appendix III Survey Instrument

Page 41 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Appendix III Survey Instrument

Page 42 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Appendix III Survey Instrument

Page 43 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Appendix III Survey Instrument

Page 44 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Appendix III Survey Instrument

Page 45 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention Let t er

Appendix III Survey Instrument

Page 46 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Appendix III Survey Instrument

Page 47 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Page 48 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention

Appendix IV Comments From the Department of Defense Appendi x I V

Appendix IV Comments From the Department of Defense

Page 49 GAO/NSIAD-99-197BR Quality of Life and Retention (713032)
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