The effect of the Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength (ARMS) program on army accessions and attrition /

The effect of the Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength (ARMS) program on army accessions and attrition /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Loughran, David S., 1969-
Imprint:	Santa Monica, CA : Rand Corporation, 2011.
Description:	xxi, 55 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.
Language:	English
Series:	Technical report ; TR-975-A Technical report (Rand Corporation) ; TR-975-A.
Subject:	United States. -- Army -- Recruiting, enlistment, etc. United States. -- Army. Physical fitness -- Testing. Physical fitness -- Testing. Recruiting and enlistment.
Format:	E-Resource Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/8517542

Hidden Bibliographic Details
Other authors / contributors:	Orvis, Bruce R. Rand Corporation. Arroyo Center.
ISBN:	0833053132 9780833053138
Notes:	"The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No. W74V8H-06-C-0001"--T.p. verso. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55). Also available electronically.
Summary:	The fraction of American youth meeting U.S. Army enlistment standards for weight and body fat has decreased markedly over the past three decades. In response to this adverse trend, in 2005, the Army allowed six Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) to grant an enlistment waiver to applicants who exceeded weight and body fat standards as long as they passed a physical endurance, motivation, and strength test known as the Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength (ARMS) test. The test was developed by Army medical scientists who believed that it complements existing physical tests used to identify potential enlistees who would and would not fare well in the military. The Army implemented ARMS at eight additional MEPS in February 2006 and then at the remaining 51 MEPS in April 2006. The authors find that ARMS increased male and female accessions of overweight applicants in the six ARMS study sites by 35 and 62 percent, respectively, between 2004 and 2005. They also report that this substantial increase in overweight accessions had no effect on 6- and 18-month attrition rates. Given the low cost of implementing the program, the authors conclude that ARMS is a highly cost-effective means of screening overweight applicants for military service.

Description
Summary:	The fraction of American youth meeting U.S. Army enlistment standards for weight and body fat has declined markedly. In response, the Army developed a waiver program tied to a fitness test known as the Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength (ARMS) test. Through difference-in-differences estimates and other analytic techniques, the authors examine the program¹s effect on Army accession and attrition rates.
Item Description:	"The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No. W74V8H-06-C-0001"--T.p. verso.
Physical Description:	xxi, 55 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references (p. 55).
ISBN:	0833053132 9780833053138