Pilot Recruitment of African-Americans: An Examination of a Negative Trend

During 1997-1999, the percentage of African-American AFROTC students selected for rated positions was significantly below what would be expected based on the percentage of African-Americans enrolled in ROTC. Diversity in the USAF is highly valued and mandated by law and USAF senior leadership. During the course of this study, historical data were analyzed to identify trends relating to African-American enrollment in ROTC and their subsequent selection for Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT). The criteria used to select pilot training candidates from eligible AFROTC students were carefully examined to identify factors in the selection process that potentially limit the number of African-Americans eligible for UPT. Specifically, this study focused on assessing how the component weighting of the order of merit score assigned to AFROTC students impacts African-American selection rates. A survey was conducted to examine the consistency of the criteria used by Commanders across AFROTC detachments for determining a student's Unit Commander Ranking (UCR). The goal of this research is to recommend a standardized framework for utilization by Air Force decision makers. By correcting problems with the selection process, this framework should result in greater diversity, higher overall quality, and a larger pool of prospective candidates with respect to the pilot corps.

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