Statistical Analysis of Variables Related to Officer Retention

The overall objective of this research effort was to statistically analyze survey responses which indicate the extent to which exiting officers say different variables affected their decision to separate. Two surveys were utilized for this analysis. These surveys were administered by the Air Force Personnel and Survey Branch in 1991 and 1993. The first analysis tested whether significant differences existed between rated and non-rated officers with regard to how strongly they feel about each of the variables with respect to their separation decision. The second analysis tested whether significant differences existed between the rated and the non-rated officers respectively, with respect to their 1991 and 1993 responses. The third analysis utilized pairwise comparisons to determine whether any of the variables were reported to have a significantly larger contribution to officer separation decisions than other variables. The results showed that many significant differences existed between the responses of rated and non-rated officers and between the 1991 and 1993 responses. Some variables, most notably the officer's say in the assignment process, were found to contribute more than others to separation decisions.