Characteristics and Performance of Recruits Enlisted with General Education Development (GED) Credentials

摘要

Between FYs 1977 and 1982, General Educational Development (GED) credential hodlers comprised five percent of males and seven percent of females entering a first term of military service. The proportion of new recruits who hold GED credential tends to fluctuate with the recruiting market, with higher percentages of GED holders accepted when fewer high school diploma graduates are available. Compared to diploma graduate accessions, recruits who hold GED credentials are more likely to be male, white, over 20 years of age upon service entry, and to have Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) percentile scores of 50 or above. GED holders consistently perform less well than diploma graudates in terms of military suitability indices such as attrition rates or retention beyond an initial term. Within any given AFQT category, the 36-month attrition rate for GED holders is at least 20 percent higher than that for diploma graduates. Within any of the eight DoD occupational specialty groupings, the attrition rate for GED holders is considerably higher than that for diploma graduates. In fact, for 29 of the 32 Service-occupation group combinations, the GED 36-month attrition rate is more than double that of high school graduates. Age is more strongly related to attrition rate for GED holders than for other education groups. Older GED holders have lower attrition rates than GED holders who were younger at the time of service entry.