Officer Classification and the Future of Diversity Among Senior Military Leaders

Download or read book Officer Classification and the Future of Diversity Among Senior Military Leaders written by Nelson Lim and published by RAND Corporation. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Defense Department officials have expressed concern about the fact that officers who reach the top ranks of the military tend to come from career fields that are disproportionately occupied by whites. The relative lack of minorities in these fields has a significant impact on the diversity of the senior leadership. The authors examine the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps classification process and find that that there is a relationship between career field selection, racial/ethnic status, and membership in the senior officer corps -- a connection that appears to stem, at least in part, from racial and ethnic differences in the occupational preferences of officer cadets. Because the reasons behind these preferences are still unknown, the authors urge a full-scale study of the issue.