Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / Wolosin, 2003). Female officers are often overlooked in military QOL research, however they face the same, if not more difficult work/family conflicts than their civilian counterparts or their male military compatriots. Data from the 2002 Navy Quality of Life Survey were used to examine life domains where work/family conflict has the greatest impact on retention. Hierarchical regression was used to identify life domains (e.g., family factors, job experiences, job satisfaction, and commitment) that are key drivers of retention intent among female Naval officers. By identifying areas that are strongly related to female officer retention intentions, policymakers can explore developing strategies to support female officers, such as family support programs, mentoring programs, or professional support networks. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This thesis analyzes the retention of female Naval officers, focusing on the relationship between officer selection metrics and retention beyond minimum service obligation and the effect of lateral transfers on the retention of junior officer in the Unrestricted Line. The retention analysis utilizes data from Naval Academy cohorts 1988-1991, while the lateral transfer analysis uses data from officer cohorts 1986-1991 available through the Officer Promotion History File. The retention analysis focuses on whether the elements of the Naval Academy's Whole Person Multiple (WPM) are valid predictors of graduation and fleet retention beyond minimum service requirement for female officers. Results indicate that the WPM is generally a poor predictor of female graduation and retention, a result that is contrary to previous research that used mixed gender or male-only samples. Only the Math SAT, English/Math teacher recommendation score, and athletic/non-athletic extracurricular activities score have positive and significant relationships with retention beyond minimum service requirement. Thus, it is recommended that the Naval Academy Admissions Board develop a revised selection metric for females in order to select and commission female officers with a greater propensity for career service. The lateral transfer analysis seeks to determine the characteristics of officers in the Navy's lateral transfer system. Results reveal that women are more likely than men to transfer from Unrestricted Line to Restricted Line communities. This higher likelihood of lateral transfer for women is considered a major contributor to the low retention of female officers in Unrestricted Line communities. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study examines the factors that influence active duty Marines in their retention decisions. Data from the 1999 US Marine Corps retention survey are matched with actual retention data from personnel files and limited to Marines eligible to make a stay/leave decision within 24 months of the survey. Four subgroups are defined: enlisted first-term males, enlisted first-term females, enlisted career males and officer junior grade males. Bivariate analysis of explanatory control variables (personal characteristics and military background) and focus variables (responses to questionnaire items about civilian employment opportunities and satisfaction with aspects of military life) indicates significant associations with retention. Factor analysis is used to create seven satisfaction dimensions from the satisfaction variables. Multivariate logistic regression model results show that all the satisfaction dimensions are significant for the enlisted first term male model. Satisfaction dimensions for pay and benefits, health benefits, work equity, current job characteristics, and future career opportunities are significant in one or more of the remaining models. Searching for a civilian job is significant in all models and perceptions of civilian job opportunities are significant in most. Among control variables, the interaction of marital status, dependents, and working spouse has a significant effect on retention for first term enlisted males, the only group large enough to test. / First Lieutenant, Turkish Army

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The purpose of this thesis is to firstly analyze the determinants on the survival of United States Marine Corps Officers, and secondly, to develop the methodology to optimize the accessions of prior and non-prior enlisted officers. Using data from the Marine Corps Officer Accession Career file (MCCOAC), the Cox Proportional Hazards Model is used to estimate the effects of officer characteristics on their survival as a commissioned officer in the USMC. A Markov model for career transition is combined with fiscal data to determine the optimum number of prior and non-prior enlisted officers under the constraints of force structure and budget. The findings indicate that prior enlisted officers have a better survival rate than their non-prior enlisted counterparts. Additionally, officers who are married, commissioned through MECEP, graduate in the top third of their TBS class, and are assigned to a combat support MOS have a better survival rate than officers who are unmarried, commissioned through USNA, graduate in the middle third of their TBS class, and are assigned to either combat or combat service support MOS. The findings also indicate that the optimum number of prior enlisted officer accessions may be considerably lower than recent trends and may differ across MOS. Based on the findings; it is recommended that prior enlisted officer accession figures be reviewed. / Major, Australian Army

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study analyzes the relationship between selection to major in the Marine Corps, and the survival of midgrade officers to the promotion point of major, by investigating the effects of billet assignments. Specifically, this study looks at the influence of the percentage of time spent in the Fleet Marine Forces (FMF), the percentage of time spent in primary military occupation (PMOS) billet assignments, and the effect of having served in combat, recruiting, security forces, joint, and drill field duties. Models were formulated using groundwork established in previous promotion, retention, and attrition studies. Assignment variables were then introduced to the models. To account for officers' choice for continued service vice forced attrition, the sample was restricted to officers who had attained five years of service. Probit regression was used to find the influence of career assignments on the probability of selection; Heckman's correction was used to control for self-selection bias; and, Cox proportionalhazard regression was used, utilizing the same assignment factors, to find the influence of assignments on the likelihood of attrition. The findings indicated that FMF and PMOS ratios above 60 percent had a negative effect on promotion and retention. Also indicated was that time spent outside the PMOS, in "B" billets, had a positive effect on retention. In a time of budgetary constraints, this information may provide assistance to personnel planners as an alternative to pecuniary measures used to maintain and shape the force. / Major, United States Marine Corps

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The purpose of this thesis is threefold. Firstly, to attempt to provide validity for the two-sided matching process; secondly, analyze FITREP attributes to determine their suitability for a weighted criteria evaluation system and; thirdly, compare the USMC promotion and assignment process with contemporary human resource management practices. Using data from the USMC Officer Accession Career file (MCCOAC), a logit model is used to estimate the effects of TBS preference and other officer characteristics on retention to the seven year mark. Findings indicate that there was little difference in the probability of retention throughout most preference levels except for the bottom sixth. Using USMC FITREP data, an ordinary least squares model is used to estimate the effects of rank and MOS on FITREP scores across all attributes. Multiple comparison tests demonstrated that there are statistical differences at the 0.05 level between the means of the MOSs. Additionally, reporting creep is continuing across all attributes. Surveys were also conducted. The first survey indicated that USMC officers believe the FITREP attributes were not all equally important within, and across each MOS - although the USMC assesses them as such. The second survey indicated that the USMC promotion and assignment process can be strengthened through a clearly defined HRM plan that extends beyond 'faces' and 'places', and provides very clear links to the organizational strategy. Based on the findings it is recommended that the USMC review its HRM processes and conduct further analyses on the FITREP data for: (1) correlation, (2) longitudinal analysis as a predictor for success and, (3) relevance and relationship to MOS characteristics, position descriptions, and organizational strategy. / Major, Royal Australian Infantry Corps / Major, United States Marine Corps