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Published: 2005

Total Pages: 74

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An ongoing concern of Congress, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and the armed services is the social representation of the military. As there is virtually no lateral entry, a key concern in particular is the social representation of active duty accessions. Hispanics are a growing segment of the youth population, yet they have been underrepresented historically among military accessions. The widely cited reason is their below-average rate of graduation from high school and the services' preference for diploma graduate recruits. But other less-studied factors may contribute. These other possible factors may include lack of language proficiency as reflected in their applicant aptitude test scores, fertility choices, health factors such as obesity, and involvement in risky activities such as the use of illegal drugs. These factors could adversely affect the ability of some Hispanic youth to meet service enlistment standards. RAND's project "Hispanic Youth in the United States and the Factors Affecting Their Enlistment" is conducting an analysis of the factors that lead to the underrepresentation of Hispanic youth in the military. This documented briefing provides a summary of interim results from the first year of the research effort. First, it highlights the various enlistment standards recruits must meet in each branch of service. Then, using available data on American young adults, it summarizes the degree to which Hispanic youth qualify for service relative to youth who are members of other racial and ethnic groups. A more detailed summary of the first-year analysis, together with the summary of the results of the second year, will be published in a final report for the project. This documented briefing is intended for individuals interested in military recruiting and in the population representation of personnel in the armed forces.