An analysis of the career progression of Hispanic military officers

Abstract

This study assesses the career success of Hispanics in the U.S. military by conducting a comparative analysis of the position and performance of Hispanics across all four service branches. Using Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) data on officers commissioned between fiscal years 1999 and 2003, this study applies multivariate statistical techniques to analyze the relative success of Hispanic and non-Hispanic officers on indicators of retention and promotion. The cross-service results show that Hispanic officers have higher early retention rates than White non-Hispanic officers in the Army and Marine Corps, but lower early retention in the Navy. There are few differences in retention to 10 years of service across the military services, and no significant differences in promotion to O-4. The study also examines more detailed information obtained from the Marine Corps and finds that omitting education background and fitness report scores of officers may lead to biased estimates in standard retention and promotion models. Finally, the report recommends that the Navy explores the possible causes of the higher separation rates for junior Hispanic officers.