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Race/Ethnicity. Table 5.3 presents the
racial/ethnic make-up of FY 1997 NPS enlisted accessions by Selected Reserve Component. These figures are similar to those seen in FY 1996, with the greatest changes being found in the USNR NPS recruits, as the
percentage of Whites decreased from 68 percent in FY 1996 to 62 percent in FY 1997, while minorities increased (3 percent for both Blacks and Hispanics). The percentage of USAR prior service Whites decreased
significantly from FY 1996 to FY 1997 (66 to 62 percent). Other than these results, differences in the racial/ethnic make-up of the FY 1996 and FY 1997 cohorts were generally less than 2 percentage points. Since the inception of the all-volunteer force, Blacks have been somewhat overrepresented in the active duty ranks, while Whites and Hispanics have
been underrepresented as compared to the nation's youth population as a whole. We would expect this to be reflected in the make-up of the Reserve Forces. Table 5.3 demonstrates that the proportion of prior
service Black accessions in each of the Selected Reserve components, except the ANG, is higher than their representation among the 20-39 year-old civilian labor force. Conversely, Hispanics are underrepresented
across the board, with the exception of the USMCR's prior service recruits. In previous years, Whites have also made up a smaller proportion of Reserve accessions than of the comparison group. However, in FY
1997, the proportion of NPS White accessions in the ARNG, USMCR, and ANG and prior service White accessions in the ARNG and ANG is higher than in the civilian comparison groups. Black females
represented the largest proportion of minority Reserve accessions (see Appendix Tables C-3 and C-11). Across the
Reserve Component, the proportion of Black women (30 and 32 percent for NPS and prior service, respectively) was nearly twice that of Black men (14 and 18 percent for NPS and prior service, respectively). The USAR
had the highest proportion of Black female recruits (38 percent of NPS and 39 percent of prior service).
Table 5.3. FY 1997 Selected Reserve Non-Prior Service and Prior Service
Enlisted Accessions, by Race/Ethnicity (Percent) |
Race/
Ethnicity |
Army
National
Guard |
Army
Reserve |
Naval
Reserve |
Marine Corps Reserve |
Air
National
Guard |
Air
Force
Reserve |
Total
DoD |
Civilians* |
NON-PRIOR SERVICE |
White |
74.5 |
59.3 |
61.6 |
69.6 |
75.4 |
61.1 |
68.4 |
66.1 |
Black |
14.9 |
27.1 |
17.0 |
11.6 |
11.6 |
25.9 |
18.3 |
14.4 |
Hispanic |
6.1 |
7.7 |
13.9 |
12.5 |
5.9 |
4.8 |
7.7 |
14.5 |
Other |
4.5 |
5.9 |
7.5 |
6.4 |
7.2 |
8.2 |
5.6 |
5.0 |
PRIOR SERVICE |
White |
73.9 |
62.3 |
71.3 |
67.7 |
79.1 |
73.8 |
69.1 |
70.6 |
Black |
17.8 |
27.0 |
15.8 |
15.1 |
11.8 |
16.7 |
20.2 |
12.4 |
Hispanic |
4.6 |
5.3 |
8.3 |
12.5 |
4.6 |
4.6 |
6.0 |
12.4 |
Other |
3.7 |
5.4 |
4.7 |
4.6 |
4.5 |
4.8 |
4.7 |
4.6 |
TOTAL ACCESSIONS |
White |
74.2 |
61.4 |
69.9 |
68.8 |
77.7 |
72.0 |
68.9 |
|
Black |
16.4 |
27.0 |
15.9 |
13.0 |
11.7 |
18.0 |
19.5 |
|
Hispanic |
5.3 |
6.1 |
9.1 |
12.5 |
5.1 |
4.7 |
6.6 |
|
Other |
4.1 |
5.6 |
5.1 |
5.6 |
5.4 |
5.3 |
5.0 |
|
Columns may not add to total due to rounding.
* NPS civilian comparison is 18-24 year-old civilians; prior service civilian comparison is 20-39 year-old civilian labor force.
Also see Appendix Tables C-3 (NPS Race/Ethnicity by Component and Gender) and C-11
(Prior Service Race/Ethnicity by Component and Gender).
Source: Civilian data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey File, October 1996-September 1997. |
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