I__. - International Military Testing Association

have a positive effect on some of the problems mentioned.
Specific Accessions
Females. The female enlisted accession floor was initially set in FY88. The most
recent floor is based on slight growth, but growth nevertheless, of 0.2% to 0.5% percent
each year in the female enlisted end strength compared to the total enlisted endstrength.
This allows female endstrength to be reduced as the Arpy downsizes but, perhaps, at a
lower rate than males. Final content for FY96 will be 13.3% of the enlisted endstrength.
Recruiting females is actually more difficult than recruiting males. There are over 240,000
available MOS slots for females in which to enlist. However, females have a lower
propensity to enlist (11% versus 17% for males, YATS89) and gravitate to the more
attractive MOS such as medical (91), administrative (71), supply (76), and communication
(31)-usually the top four MOS for females annually, In FY89 63% of the females were in
AFQT CAT I-IIIA, all but a hatidful were high school graduates, 69% took the four-year
terms, 54% were white, 40.5% were black. The female accession floor of 15,500 was
exceeded by 4%.
Establishing a gender neutral accession mission in the Army will likely lower, not raise,
the number of females who enlist. Money for college and shorter terms of service are the
two most important considerations for females and without exceptional resources and
attention to these attractions, and without proper “gosling” of the recruiter, female
accessions would probably be significantly lower, perhaps by as much as 60%. Contract
goals for females in FY88 was 13.4% with 13.7% achieved; FY89 had 16.3% as a goal and
18.1% of total contracts achieved.
Prior Service(PS). With the changes in Army structure there may be more need for PS
to fill resulting holes in the structure, more as a result of unexpected losses of personnel
than from structured reductions in MOS. However, the present PS requirement of 3,000
in FY91, and 2,000 for FY92 appears intact. USAREC and the CMF 18 initiative to
identify specific requirements for special forces NCOs to reenlist is an example of what
should be developed for MOS fill. Essentially, almost half (42% in FY 87 and 49% in
FY88) required retraining. All PS are AFQT CAT I-IIIA and the majority (90%) take the
four year term, 10.5% were females for FY89, 71.6% were white, and 23.9% were black for
FY89.
Ouality. Relevant, empirical research has clearly shown the need for quality (high
school graduates scoring in the top fiftieth percentile on AFQT) in the Army. Quality is
a valid predictor of persistence or likelihood to finish one’s term of service and of ability
to train in the first term. As the body of research on the performance of high quality
soldiers (Army Soldier Performance Research Project (SPRP) etc.) is disseminated, there
will be greater understanding of the value of quality soldiers and the interest in job
performance and aptitude and ability testing is likely to increase; second term and later
performance has yet to be rigorously analyzed, Nevertheless, the amount of quality
required is and will continue to be questioned by Army leadership, OSD, and Congress.
Another issue is the logical leap required to go from individual soldier quality to unit
performance and readiness, although the connections were articulated in 7th annual report
to Congress on linking enlistment standards to job performance, the argument will be
viewed skeptically for some time. The accession quality improvements to date must not be
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