Kayla M Williams

RAND researchers report key findings from the 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey of active-duty service members. The report details the survey's methodology and sample demographics, as well as policy implications. The results are intended to supplement data already collected by the Department of Defense and to inform policy initiatives to help improve the readiness, health, and well-being of the force.

The authors of this report analyze data from the American Community Survey, providing valuable context for understanding the social and economic resource environment of veterans and their families and identifying potential gaps and needs.

RAND researchers present findings from the qualitative arm of the America's Military and Veteran Caregivers: Hidden Heroes Emerging from the Shadows research project, sharing insights from interviews with U. S. military and veteran caregivers.

U. S. Space Command was reestablished as a combatant command in 2019 and has a diverse workforce. To ensure this command's success, it is important to enhance the resilience of its personnel. In this report, the authors offer best practices to enhance workforce resilience, identify some challenges and barriers to resilience program implementation, and propose recommendations to address these challenges and barriers.

The U. S. Department of Defense is considering a change in policy to allow transgender military personnel to serve openly. A RAND study examined the health care needs of transgender personnel, the costs of gender transition-related care, and the potential readiness implications of a policy change. The experiences of foreign militaries that permit transgender service members to serve openly also point to some best practices for U. S. policymakers.

The U. S. Air Force (AF) wanted to gauge the current status of its wounded warriors, including their use of and satisfaction with AF programs designed to serve them. The research team surveyed AF wounded warriors (wave 1) and published the results in 2015. This report presents the analysis of the second such survey, called wave 2.

The U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) sought to determine whether any administrative activities paid for with funding that was not congressionally appropriated could be consolidated and, if so, whether consolidation would save costs. A DoD task force listed several areas for improvement, ranging from contracting to information technology. RAND reviewed the work of the task force and assessed specific recommendations."