Military Personnel

Since the end of the Cold War and subsequent military downsizing, the U.S. armed forces have undergone considerable change. Some accounts of military life today paint a bleak picture. Reports of declining military readiness and lower retention rates raise several questions. What is the level of satisfaction in the military ranks? What is keeping people in, or driving them out, of the military? Is the military being stretched too thin, resulting in long hours and too much time away from home? And finally, how do military personnel think that they are faring in today's strong economy? This testimony addresses these issues in an analysis of the Defense Department's 1999 survey of active duty personnel.

GAO noted that: (1) based on the survey results, more military personnel are satisfied with their way of life than are dissatisfied; (2) officers have markedly higher satisfaction rates than enlisted personnel, and satisfaction tends to increase with seniority; (3) satisfaction and intent to stay in the military are strongly linked; (4) about 73 percent of satisfied personnel indicated they are likely to stay in the military; (5) only 20 percent of dissatisfied personnel indicated they are likely to stay; (6) pay and job enjoyment were cited as top reasons for both intending to stay and considering leaving the military; (7) other top reasons cited for contemplating leaving included quality of leadership and amount of personal and family time; (8) neither housing nor health care for families was among the top reasons cited by military personnel for considering leaving the military; (9) family medical care was among the top reasons cited for considering staying in the military; (10) most military personnel believe they would be better compensated and have more personal and family time available in the civilian world; (11) concern that the smaller military force is being stretched thin in places may be warranted; (12) nearly two-thirds of the force reported working between 41 and 60 hours a week, and almost one-quarter indicated they worked more than 60 hours a week; (13) those working longer hours had lower overall satisfaction; (14) top reasons for working more hours than usual included mission requirements, additional duties like special projects, staffing shortfalls, and deployment-related issues; (15) personnel who spent 5 months or more away were less satisfied than those who spent less time away; (16) the top difficulties encountered by servicemembers while they were away included managing expenses or bills, communicating with their families, and household and car repairs; (17) more than half of all military personnel reported being financially secure; (18) however, some enlisted personnel appear financially strapped--about 22 percent reported that it was tough to make ends meet or that they were in over their head; (19) many enlisted personnel seem to have little financial cushion; (20) a small portion of the enlisted force reported they had received assistance from government programs like Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children, Food Stamps, and Medicaid; and (21) although the percentage of the force receiving these types of assistance is fairly, low this translates into thousands of recipients throughout the force.