Army Women's Foundation Announces Survey Results

The U.S. Army Women's Foundation announces today the results of its groundbreaking study conducted in partnership with George Mason University's School of Public Policy. The study establishes the extraordinarily positive effects of Army service on the educational achievements, employment advancements and economic successes experienced by generations of Army women.

Based on responses from survey recipients, the study concludes thatservice in the Army was a major influence on the educational advancement ofwomen. Additionally, women in the Army who served during World War II, theKorean War, the Vietnam War and the post-Vietnam era are more economically successful than women nationally -- with an overwhelming majority citing the Army as the primary reason for this success.

Study Highlights:

• 37% of respondents who only had a high school diploma upon entering the Army went on to complete a bachelor's degree.
• More than 2/3 of respondents with college degrees when they joined the Army went on to earn a graduate or professional degree -- compared with 9% of women nationally.
• 41% of African-American respondents had only a high school diploma at the time they joined the Army. As of spring 2006, all of these women have completed at least some college, with nearly 70% obtaining a bachelor's degree or higher and 44% earning a graduate or professional degree.
• 57% of respondents agreed with the statement that military service helped them get their civilian jobs and 58% agreed that skills they learned in the Army were critical to their career advancement.
• More than 1/3 of respondents who left the Army had personal incomes of $60,000+ -- compared with approximately 10% of women nationally.
• Nearly 39% of respondents cited the desire to serve their country as the most important reason they joined the Army.
• Almost 64% of respondents who were not currently serving in the Army at the time the survey was conducted agreed with the statement that service in the Army was very important to their civilian careers.

The study was made possible through a bequest from the estate of Sergeant Major Julia Bennett, an African-American woman, who retired in 1986 after 28 years of Army service. One of Bennett's firmest desireswas that the U.S. Army Women's Foundation be a beneficiary of her estate, the foundation says.

The sampling used to obtain the survey results was taken from the U.S. Army Women's Foundation membership list. This pilot study sets the stagefor follow-up research including a large-scale survey of a fully representative sample of all women soldiers and veterans.

A copy of the study can be obtained at http://www.AWFDN.org.