Thomas E Trail

This study for the U.S. Marine Corps presents a historical overview of the integration of women into the U.S. military and explores the importance of cohesion and what influences it. The gender integration experiences of foreign militaries, as well as the gender integration efforts of domestic police and fire departments, are analyzed for insights into effective policies. The potential costs of integration are analyzed as well.

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020 directed the Secretary of Defense to report on food insecurity among members of the armed forces and their dependents. RAND researchers examined the eight elements from the directive (including an assessment of the current extent of food insecurity among service members and their dependents) and developed answers, along with listing areas requiring additional analysis.

Among the counseling supports the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) offers to service members and their families is short-term, solution-focused counseling for common personal and family issues, called non-medical counseling within the DoD. This chartbook summarizes findings from an evaluation of whether non-medical counseling provided by the DoD is effective in improving outcomes and whether effectiveness varies by problem type and/or population.

Among the counseling supports the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) offers to service members and their families is short-term, solution-focused counseling for common personal and family issues, called non-medical counseling within the DoD. This report evaluates whether non-medical counseling provided by the DoD is effective in improving outcomes and whether effectiveness varies by problem type and/or population.

Little has been reported about military caregivers the population of those who care for wounded, ill, and injured military personnel and veterans. This report summarizes the results of a study designed to describe the magnitude of military caregiving in the United States today, as well as to identify gaps in the array of programs, policies, and initiatives designed to support military caregivers."

The U.S. Army provides many resources to help soldiers and their families cope with major life events associated with Army service. Through survey data and qualitative interviews, the authors explore Army spouses' experiences in navigating available resources, finding that the Army could do more to get the word out about available assistance and highlight the one-stop shopping features of existing but underutilized resources.

Airmen, their families, and Air Force civilian employees face a range of personal and work-related challenges. To assist Air Force leaders and service providers in identifying the needs of their communities and prioritizing efforts to address them, the Air Force sponsored the 2017 Air Force Community Feedback Tool--a self-reported needs assessment of Air Force community members. This report synthesizes results and draws lessons from the findings.

Military OneSource operates a call center that provides resources and referrals for military personnel and their families. In this report, the authors evaluate call quality, call outcomes, and caller satisfaction, finding that calls were rated of high quality and that interviewees reported satisfaction with their experience with the service. The authors provide recommendations for operations and identify areas for future study.

In 2014, the RAND Arroyo Center conducted a formal needs assessment survey of active component soldiers and described the broad landscape of needs and resource use. Installations vary in several ways that can affect service delivery. This project analyzed existing survey data at the garrison level and gathered qualitative focus group data to provide unique information, enabling garrisons to see where they do well and where they have challenges.

This report describes results of a unique survey approach to understanding the most-pressing problems that soldiers and their families face, the needs those problems generate, soldiers' use of Army and non-Army resources to address their needs, and barriers to using those resources. It also reports soldiers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the resources used and the implications of unmet needs for soldiers' attitudes toward military service.

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe is a residential, quasi-military program for young people at risk of dropping out of high school. This report, which provides information on recent ChalleNGe participants, will be of interest to ChalleNGe program staff, personnel providing oversight for the program, and policymakers concerned with designing effective youth programs and/or determining appropriate metrics by which to track progress in youth programs.

A RAND study examined programs to address sexual harassment, sexual assault, unlawful discrimination, substance abuse, suicide, and hazing. This report discusses findings, then makes recommendations for the Office of the Secretary of Defense to better understand the relationships among these problematic behaviors and its oversight and coordination of programs to address those behaviors.