Military Human Resources
Westat has significant experience in studies that support the military's human resource needs—particularly
in the areas of personnel recruitment and retention, quality of life, and programs for military members and their
families. The results of these studies are used to shape many of the human resources policies and practices of
the military services.
Veterans' Health
- One of the recommendations from the Dole-Shalala Commission was to improve the Disability
Evaluation System (DES), which is handled by the U.S. Department of Defense-Veterans Affairs working group.
As a subcontractor for this task, Westat developed and administered a customer satisfaction survey regarding
the DES pilot program. Respondents included participants, family members, and other DES stakeholders. Military
members not participating in the DES pilot were also surveyed to provide comparative information. Westat designed the
questionnaire and sampling plan, collected data via telephone, cleaned and prepared the data, and provided a SAS data
set and a methodology memo.
- The Mental Health Screening Program Evaluation is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
TRICARE Force Health Protection and Readiness Directorate. The objective is to implement and evaluate a customized
mental health and alcohol screening program for military personnel returning from deployment. Phase I involves a
voluntary, anonymous, web-based screening tool available to all military personnel and their adult family members. The web
site includes educational materials about mental health issues and coping strategies. In addition, an adjunctive on-site
program is being implemented at military bases under the sponsorship of selected education and screening events. Phase II
is an evaluation to determine whether the screening program meets the stated program objectives.
- The President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors was established by President
George W. Bush in 2007. Its purpose is to make recommendations to improve the transition from
deployment to other military service or civilian life, ensure high-quality service for returning
wounded service members, and increase access to benefits and services. Westat is developing, conducting,
and analyzing a telephone interview of military members who have undergone medical treatment for wounds sustained
in Operation Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom. The study addressed those military personnel or veterans whose
wounds and injuries led to medical evacuation from Afghanistan, Iraq, or other overseas locations to receive care in the
United States.
- The use of psychiatric service dogs in the treatment of soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
is being explored. Westat has teamed with the Psychiatric Service Dog Society (PSDS), Walter Reed Department of Psychiatry,
and National Institutes of Health intramural scientists to conduct the first research on the effectiveness of psychiatric
service dogs with soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are suffering from PTSD. The study will
investigate the effectiveness of psychiatric service dogs as an adjunct to conventional mental health treatments. It will
also provide the basis for a larger sequence of studies on the efficacy of service dogs for soldiers or veterans with a
variety of psychiatric disorders.
- National Survey of Veterans 2009 is the sixth in a series of comprehensive nationwide surveys designed
to help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) improve services for beneficiaries and their families.
It provides information to support VA policy, planning, and quality improvement decisions. The scope of the survey has been
expanded to address the requirements of P.L. 108-454, Section 805, to assess awareness of veterans' benefits and
services among several populations of interest: veterans, active duty service members, activated and demobilized
National Guard and Reserve members, spouses and surviving spouses of veterans, as well as spouses of active duty service
members. The National Survey of Veterans is very important to the VA because it is often a unique source of
information on veterans who are not currently using VA benefits. The survey results provide the VA, Congress,
stakeholders, and the public more accurate descriptions and assessments of the characteristics of the veteran population.
- Westat is a subcontractor for a study to evaluate the conversion privilege provided to veterans to change
insurance carriers after leaving the service. The Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program offers a
conversion privilege that allows veterans to convert their coverage to Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) when they leave
the military. This conversion ability is important particularly for disabled service members leaving service
who may have difficulty obtaining life insurance from the private sector due to their service-connected disabilities. Westat
is involved in all phases of the evaluation.
Military Families
- Westat is a prime contractor for a task order contract supporting the U.S. Army Research Institute for the
Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI). We conduct studies and surveys of soldiers and family members and analyze
data on the effectiveness of new Army policies, including deployment policies.
- Working for the U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (FMWRC), Westat planned and will conduct
the 2009 Survey of Army Families (SAF) VI. This is the sixth Army-wide survey of the non-military
spouses of Active Army soldiers. The types of information to be collected by the SAF include spouses'
attitudes about the Army way of life and areas important for the well-being of Army families.
These include housing and community assessment; status of paid employment and volunteer work; family status, child care,
and health care; assessment of Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Programs and installation services; experiences with
family relocation and separation; family readiness for deployments' and military member career plans.
Recruitment and Retention
- The Youth Attitude Tracking Study (YATS) was designed to produce nationally representative statistics about the opinions,
attitudes, and beliefs of American youth on a variety of issues related to their future plans, especially the self-stated
likelihood that a youth would enter military service. In 2000, the polls' frequency and questionnaire design
were changed. The Youth Influencer Polls incorporated quicker turnaround, smaller samples, and interviews
with parents and adult influencers. In 2006, Westat was contracted to conduct semi-annual spring and fall surveys
of youth, parents, and other influencers for DoD's Joint Advertising Market Research & Studies (JAMRS) program.
- Between 1990 and 1999 Westat conducted YATS for DoD. The 30-minute survey asked youth about their future
plans and aspirations, as well as their awareness of military enlistment incentives and advertising. The major YATS products
included a Topline Memorandum that summarized survey findings and a Propensity Report that
comprehensively described the youth recruiting marketplace.
- We have contributed to other important military personnel issues by providing research design, data collection, and analysis
for a study of attitudes toward Gender Integration in Basic Entry Training among Army service members and
soldiers in training. Westat has also provided research support to the Congressional Commission on Military Training
and Gender-Related Issues in its review of the military services' basic training policies on gender
integration and their policies on cross-gender relationships among military personnel.
- As part of a team, Westat participated in the Army Recruiting Market Segmentation Study, which included
a CATI survey designed to identify and analyze key segments of the military-recruitment-eligible population. Our staff also
contributed to a study of Army First-Term Enlisted Attrition in which in-person surveys were administered
to young soldiers several times in their early careers to discover reasons for leaving the military.
Support to the U.S Department of Defense
- Under the Human Resources Strategic Assessment Program (HRSAP), the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) requires
evaluations, research, and studies related to DoD personnel policies and programs. The HRSAP program uses
both Web-based and paper-and-pencil surveys to support the personnel information needs of the Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness (USD [P&R]). These surveys assess the attitudes and opinions of the entire DoD
community—active, Reserve, civilian employees—on a wide-range of personnel issues.
- Under contract to the Office of the Director of Administration and Management for the Secretary of Defense, Westat
conducted the 1999-2000, the 2001-02, and the 2003-04 Biennial Reviews, and is conducting the 2009 Biennial
Review. The review is a legislatively mandated evaluation of the continuing need for and performance of
25 DoD agencies and field activities and includes an assessment of the need for, and economic effectiveness of
services and supplies (business lines) provided by each Defense Agency and DoD Field Activity. This assessment includes
a senior manager assessment from key DoD officials on their initiatives since the previous survey,
lessons learned, and recommendations for improving performance, and a web-administered
standardized survey of organizational customers by business line.
For more information about the Military Human Resources Research Area,
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