The mission of the Armed Forces has several elements: 1) To deter aggression and defeat attack against the Nation, 2) to strengthen and build alliances, 3) to prevent a hostile power from dominating a region critical to our interests, and 4) to prevent conflicts by reducing sources of regional turmoil through various means, including humanitarian aid, counterterrorism, or limiting the spread of militarily significant technology.
The Army prepares for land-based defense, while the Air Force provides for air and space defense. The Navy organizes and trains forces primarily for sea defense, while the Marine Corps, part of the Department of the Navy, prepares for land invasions in support of naval or amphibious operations. The Coast Guard, under the Department of Transportation (except in wartime, when it serves with the Navy), is the primary Federal agency with maritime authority for the United States. The Coast Guard's main missions are maritime safety, environmental protection, maritime law enforcement and national security.
Together, the Armed Forces constitute America's largest employer. Because maintaining a strong defense encompasses such diverse activities as running a hospital, programming computers, operating a nuclear reactor, and repairing and maintaining a helicopter, military service provides educational opportunities and work experience in literally thousands of occupations. Military personnel hold managerial and administrative jobs; professional, technical, and clerical jobs; construction jobs; electrical and electronics jobs; mechanical and repair jobs; and many others. The military provides job training and work experience for people who can serve for a relatively brief period (3 to 6 years of active duty) or embark on a career that lasts 20 years or more.
There are more than 2,000 basic and advanced military occupational specialties for enlisted personnel and 1,600 for officers. Over 75 percent of these occupational specialties have civilian counterparts. A brief discussion of the major military occupational groups follows.
Infantry, gun crews, and seamanship specialists are the backbone of the Armed Forces. Officers plan and direct military operations, oversee security activities, and serve as combat troop leaders. Enlisted personnel serve as infantrymen, aircraft crew members, weapons specialists, armored vehicle operators, demolition experts, artillery crew, rocket specialists, special operations forces, and combat engineers. Although these functions are unique to the Armed Forces, some involve skills that can be applied to a number of civilian occupations such as police officers, firefighters, and heavy equipment operators. In addition, people in this category learn how to work as team members and can develop leadership, managerial, and supervisory skills.
Military personnel assigned to electronic equipment repair occupations are responsible for maintaining and repairing many different types of equipment. Officers manage the regular maintenance and repair of avionics, communications, radar, and air traffic control equipment. Enlisted personnel repair radio, navigation, missile guidance, and flight control equipment as well as telephone, teletype, and data processing equipment. Many of these skills are directly transferable to jobs in the civilian sector.
Communications and intelligence specialists in the military have civilian scientific and engineering counterparts. Officers serve as intelligence gatherers and interpreters, cryptologists, information analysts, translators, science and engineering researchers, and in related intelligence occupations. Enlisted personnel work as computer programmers, air traffic controllers, interpreters and translators, and radio, radar, and sonar operators.
Women are eligible to enter almost 90 percent of all military occupations.
Military medical and dental occupations all have civilian counterparts. Holding the rank of medical officer are physicians, dentists, optometrists, nurses, therapists, veterinarians, pharmacists, and others in health diagnosing and treating occupations. Enlisted personnel are trained to work as medical laboratory technologists and technicians, radiologic technologists, emergency medical technicians, dental assistants, optical assistants, pharmaceutical assistants, sanitation specialists, and veterinary assistants. Health professions training obtained in the military is usually recognized in the civilian sector; service-trained health professionals are eligible to apply for certification or registration, a hiring prerequisite in many civilian health settings.
Military experience in other technical and allied specialty occupations is often directly transferable to civilian life. Officers in this field work as meteorologists, mapping directors, television and motion picture directors, and band directors. Enlisted personnel are trained to work as photographers, motion picture camera operators, mapping and surveying specialists, illustrators, weather data collectors, explosives disposal specialists, divers, and musicians.
Functional support and administrative occupations in military service require the same skills as similar jobs in private businesses and government agencies. Officers in this category work as directors, executives, adjutants, administrative officers, personnel managers, training administrators, budget officers, finance officers, public affairs officers, accountants, hospital administrators, inspectors, computer systems managers, and lawyers. Enlisted personnel in this category work as accounting clerks, payroll clerks, personnel clerks, computer programmers, computer operators, electric accounting machine operators, chaplain assistants, counseling aides, typists, stenographers, storekeepers, and other clerks.
Those in electrical and mechanical equipment repair occupations maintain aircraft, motor vehicles, and ships. Officers manage the maintenance of aircraft, missiles, conventional and nuclear-powered ships, trucks, earth-moving equipment, and other vehicles. Enlisted personnel serve as mechanics, engine specialists, and boiler technicians. They also install and maintain wire communications systems such as telephones. Skills obtained in these jobs are readily transferable to those in the civilian sector.
Table 1. Military officer personnel by broad occupational category
and branch of military service, 1992
Occupational group Total Army Navy Marine Air
Corps Force
Total............................. 273,577 94,807 69,253 19,139 90,378
General officers and executives..... 1,621 368 251 694(1) 308
Tactical operations officers........ 110,270 39,855 27,295 9,313 33,807
Intelligence officers............... 12,872 6,176 2,272 644 3,780
Engineering and maintenance
officers.......................... 35,530 10,950 7,964 1,872 14,744
Scientists and professionals........ 12,346 3,103 2,494 499 6,250
Medical officers.................... 44,695 17,927 12,201 (2) 14,567
Administrators...................... 19,474 6,205 3,963 1,590 7,716
Supply, procurement, and allied
officers.......................... 23,568 9,391 4,540 2,300 7,337
Nonoccupational..................... 12,279 82 8,192 2,187 1,818
1 The Marine Corps includes colonels as general officers. There
were 68 Generals in the Marine Corps in 1992.
2 The Marine Corps employs no medical personnel. Their medical services are provided by the Navy.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Defense
Military personnel assigned to craft occupations are skilled craft workers. Officers serve as civil engineers and architects and manage the work of enlisted personnel who work as carpenters, construction equipment operators, metalworkers, machinists, plumbers, welders, electricians, and heating and air-conditioning specialists.
Military personnel in service and supply occupations handle food service, security, and personal services and supply. Officers work as logistics officers, supply managers, transportation and traffic managers, and procurement officers. Enlisted personnel include military police, correction specialists, detectives, firefighters, and food preparation and other service workers. They operate transportation equipment such as trucks, ships, boats, airplanes, and helicopters, and act as quartermasters, supply specialists, and cargo specialists. Many of these skills can be transferred to civilian occupations.
Military life is much more regimented than civilian life, and one must be willing to accept the discipline. It is important to remember that by signing an enlistment contract, you sign a legal document that obligates you to serve for a specified period of time.
Dress and grooming requirements are more stringent than in most civilian occupations, and rigid formalities govern many aspects of everyday life. For instance, officers and enlisted personnel do not socialize together, and superior commissioned officers are saluted and addressed as sir or ma'am. These and other rules encourage respect for superiors whose commands must be obeyed immediately and without question.
The needs of the military always come first. As a result, hours and working conditions can vary substantially. However, most military personnel usually work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Some assignments require night and weekend work, or require people to be on call at all hours. All may require substantial travel. Many require long periods at sea, sometimes in cramped quarters, or lengthy overseas assignments in countries offering few amenities. Some jobs are in isolated areas subject to extreme cold or heat. Others, such as carrier flight deck duty, are hazardous even in noncombat situations.
During times of conflict, many are in combat, and may find themselves in life or death situations. Countless hours of training produce teamwork that is highly critical to the success or failure of an operation, and possibly to the lives of individuals in the unit. Also, rapidly advancing military technology has made warfare more precise and lethal, further increasing the need for teamwork. Noncombatants may also face danger if their duties bring them close to the combat zone. They may also participate in dangerous training activities.
Those aboard ship, on air crews, and others travel regularly, while others in the military are stationed at bases throughout the country or overseas.
Distribution of Military Personnel
In 1992, about 1.8 million persons were on active duty in the Armed Forces about 606,000 in the Army; 466,000 in the Air Force; 537,000 in the Navy; 184,000 in the Marine Corps; and 38,000 in the Coast Guard. About 11 percent of those on active duty were women.
Table 2. Military enlisted personnel by broad occupational category and branch of military service, 1992
Occupational Group Total Army Navy Marine Air
Corps Force
Total........................1,519,782 511,317 467,547 165,237 375,681
Infantry, gun crews, and
seamanship specialists....... 246,702 134,721 45,551 42,049 24,381
Electronic equipment
repairers.................... 151,724 20,499 75,353 10,928 44,944
Communications and
intelligence specialists..... 145,513 59,684 47,387 12,543 25,899
Health care specialists........ 93,938 37,594 30,700 (1) 25,644
Other technical and allied
specialists.................. 35,036 12,494 4,029 3,739 14,774
Functional support and
administration............... 234,740 82,368 44,934 24,851 81,587
Electrical/mechanical
equipment repairers.......... 301,523 66,774 124,009 25,222 85,518
Craftsworkers.................. 62,664 8,914 29,499 4,537 19,714
Service and supply handlers.... 128,609 52,433 23,079 20,188 32,909
Nonoccupational................ 117,810 34,344 42,986 20,175 20,305
1 The Marine Corps employ no medical personnel. Their medical services are
provided by the Navy.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Defense.
Military personnel are stationed throughout the United States and in many countries around the world. About 393,000 were stationed outside the United States in 1992. Over 226,000 of these were stationed in Europe (mainly in Germany); large numbers also were in the Western Pacific area.
Table 1 shows the occupational composition of enlisted personnel in 1992. Nearly 1 out of 4 held jobs that involved electrical, electronic, mechanical, or related equipment, a reflection of the highly technical nature of the fighting forces today. Table 2 shows the occupational composition of officer personnel in 1992. Officers who accounted for about 15 percent of all military personnel are concentrated in combat activities, where they serve as ships' officers, aircraft pilots and crew members, and infantry or artillery officers. Officers also serve in engineering and maintenance, and medical and dental positions.
Qualifications, Training, and Advancement
General enlistment qualifications. As it has since 1973, the military expects to continue to meet its personnel requirements through volunteers. Enlisted members must enter a legal agreement called an enlistment contract, which usually involves a commitment to 8 years of service. Depending on the terms of the contract, 2 to 6 years are spent on active duty, the balance in the reserves. The enlistment contract obligates the service to provide the agreed-upon options job, rating, pay, cash bonuses for enlistment in certain occupations, medical and other benefits, occupational training, and continuing education. In return, the enlistee must serve satisfactorily for the specified period of time.
Extensive training is needed to perform well in combat missions.
Requirements for each service vary, but certain qualifications for enlistment are common to all branches. Enlistees must be between the ages of 17 and 35, must be a U.S. citizen or immigrant alien holding permanent resident status, must not have a felony record, and must possess a birth certificate. Applicants who are 17 must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian before entering the service. Air Force enlisted personnel must enter active duty before their 28th birthday. Applicants must pass both a written examination, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, and meet certain minimum physical standards such as height, weight, vision, and overall health. All branches prefer high school graduation or its equivalent and require it for certain enlistment options. In 1993, almost all enlistees were high school graduates. Single parents are generally not eligible to enlist.
People thinking about enlisting in the military should learn as much as they can about military life before making a decision. This is especially important if you are thinking about making the military a career. Speaking to friends and relatives with military experience is a good idea. Determine what the military can offer you and what it will expect in return. Then talk to a recruiter, who can determine if you qualify for enlistment; explain the various enlistment options; and tell you which military occupational specialties currently have openings for trainees. Bear in mind that the recruiter's job is to recruit promising applicants into the military, so the information he or she gives you is likely to stress the positive aspects of military life.
Ask the recruiter to assess your chances of being accepted for training in the occupation or occupations of your choice, or, better still, take the aptitude exam to see how well you score. The military uses the aptitude exam as a placement exam, and test scores largely determine an individual's chances of being accepted into a particular training program. Selection for a particular type of training depends on general and technical aptitudes, personal preference, and the needs of the service. Because all prospective recruits are required to take the exam, those who do so before committing themselves to enlist have the advantage of knowing in advance whether they stand a good chance of being accepted for training in a particular specialty. The recruiter can schedule you for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery without any obligation. Many high schools offer the exam as an easy way for students to explore the possibility of a military career.
Enlistment contract. If you decide to join the military, the next step is to pass the physical examination and then enter into the enlistment contract. This involves choosing, qualifying, and agreeing on a number of enlistment options such as length of active duty time, which may vary according to the enlistment option. (Most active duty programs have enlistment options ranging from 3 to 6 years, although there are some 2-year programs.) The contract will also list the date of enlistment and other options such as bonuses and types of training to be received. If the service is unable to fulfill its part of the contract (such as providing a certain kind of training) the contract may become null and void.
All services offer a delayed entry program by which an enlistee can delay entry into active duty for up to 1 year. High school students can enlist during their senior year and enter a service after graduation. Other enlistees choose this program because the job training they desire is not currently available but will be within the coming year, or because they need time to arrange personal affairs.
Women are eligible to enter almost 90 percent of all military specialties. Although many women serve in medical and administrative support positions, women also work as mechanics, missile maintenance technicians, heavy equipment operators, airplane pilots, and intelligence officers. Only occupations involving a high probability of direct exposure to combat are excluded for example, artilleryman and infantryman. The Coast Guard has no occupational limitations for women.
People planning to apply the skills gained through military training to a civilian career should look into several things before selecting their military occupation. First, they should determine how good the prospects are for civilian employment in jobs related to the military specialty which interests them. Second, they should know the prerequisites for the related civilian job. Many occupations require a license, certification, or a minimum level of education. In such cases, it is important to determine whether military training is sufficient to enter the civilian equivalent or, if not, what additional training will be required.
Other Handbook statements discuss the job outlook for civilian occupations for which military training is helpful. Additional information often can be obtained from schools, unions, trade associations, and other organizations in the field of interest, or from a school counselor.
A paratrooper takes part in a training exercise.
Training programs for enlisted personnel. Following enlistment, new members of the Armed Forces undergo recruit training. Better known as basic training, recruit training provides a 6- to 11-week introduction to military life with courses in health, first aid, and military skills and protocol. Days and nights are carefully structured and include rigorous physical exercises designed to improve strength and endurance.
Following basic training, most recruits take additional training at technical schools that prepare them for a particular military occupational specialty. The formal training period generally lasts from 10 to 20 weeks, although training for certain occupations nuclear powerplant operator is an example may take as much as 1 year. Recruits not assigned to classroom instruction receive on-the-job training at their first duty assignment.
In addition to on-duty training, military personnel may choose from a variety of educational programs. Most military installations have tuition assistance programs for people wishing to take courses during off-duty hours. These may be correspondence courses or degree programs offered by local colleges or universities. Also available are courses designed to help service personnel earn high school equivalency diplomas. Each service branch provides opportunities for full-time study to a limited number of exceptional applicants. Military personnel accepted into these highly competitive programs receive full pay, allowances, tuition, and related fees. In return, they must agree to serve an additional amount of time in the service. Other very selective programs enable enlisted personnel to qualify as commissioned officers through additional military training.
Officer training. Officer training in the Armed Forces is provided through the Federal service academies (Military, Naval, Air Force, and Coast Guard); the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC); Officer Candidate School (OCS); the National Guard (State Officer Candidate School programs); the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences; and other programs. All are very selective and are good options for those wishing to make the military a career.
Federal service academies provide a 4-year college program leading to a bachelor of science degree. The midshipman or cadet is provided free room and board, tuition, medical care, and a monthly allowance. Graduates receive regular commissions and have a 5-year active duty obligation, or longer if entering flight training.
To become a candidate for appointment as a cadet or midshipman in one of the service academies, most applicants obtain a nomination from an authorized source (usually a Member of Congress). Candidates do not need to know a Member of Congress personally to request a nomination. Nominees must have an academic record of the requisite quality, college aptitude test scores above an established minimum, and recommendations from teachers or school officials; they also must pass a medical examination. Appointments are made from the list of eligible nominees.
Appointments to the Coast Guard Academy are made strictly on a competitive basis. A nomination is not required.
ROTC programs train students in about 1,000 Army, 65 Navy and Marine Corps, and 600 Air Force units at participating colleges and universities. Trainees take 2 to 5 hours of military instruction a week in addition to regular college courses. After graduation, they serve as officers on active duty for a stipulated period of time. In the last 2 years of an ROTC program, students receive a monthly allowance while attending school and additional pay for summer training. ROTC scholarships for 2, 3, and 4 years are available on a competitive basis. All scholarships pay for tuition and have allowances for subsistence, textbooks, supplies, and other fees.
College graduates can earn a commission in the Armed Forces through OCS programs in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard.
Persons with training in certain health professions may qualify for direct appointment as officers. In the case of health professions students, financial assistance and internship opportunities are available from the military in return for specified periods of military service. Prospective medical students can apply to the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, which offers free tuition in a program leading to an M.D. degree. In return, graduates must serve for 7 years in either the military or the Public Health Service. Direct appointments also are available for those qualified to serve in other special duties, such as the judge advocate general (legal) or chaplain corps.
Flight training is available to commissioned officers in each branch of the Armed Forces. In addition, the Army has a direct enlistment option to become a warrant officer aviator.
Teamwork is essential in the military.
Advancement opportunities. Each service has different criteria for promoting personnel. Generally, the first few promotions for both enlisted and officer personnel come easily. Subsequent promotions are much more competitive. Criteria for promotion may include time in service and grade, job performance, a supervisor's recommendation, and written examinations. Although the Armed Forces is a large organization that will continue to promote many of its people, the planned military drawdown will reduce the number of promotion slots and affect the outcome for those who are not promoted. People who are continually passed over for promotion are eventually encouraged to leave the military.
America's strategic position is stronger than it has been in decades. Due primarily to the reduction in the threat from former Warsaw Pact countries and the former Soviet Union, the Armed Forces enacted a personnel reduction plan for all active military forces except the Coast Guard. From 1992 to 1997, planned reductions are as follows: Army, 90,000; Navy, 70,000; Air Force, 70,000; and Marine Corps, 25,000. After 1997, the number of active duty personnel is expected to remain constant. However, political events could cause these plans to change. This has caused a reduction in recruiting levels and a toughening of advancement standards. In addition, many career personnel have been given the option of a severance payment to leave the service before their planned retirement.
In spite of this personnel reduction, job opportunities should be good in all branches of the Armed Forces through the year 2005 because persons of prime recruiting age will account for a smaller share of the total population than in the past. Also, the personnel reduction primarily affects those who wish to remain in the Armed Forces past their first enlistment. Persons entering the Armed Forces in the mid-1990's will finish their first enlistment in the late-1990's, and by then much of the personnel reduction may be complete. About 210,000 enlisted personnel and 15,000 officers must be recruited each year to replace those who complete their enlistment or retire. Educational requirements will continue to rise as military jobs become more technical and complex; high school graduates and applicants with some college background will be sought to fill the ranks of enlisted personnel.
Military personnel enjoy more job security than their civilian counterparts. Satisfactory job performance generally assures one of steady employment and earnings.
Starting salaries. Annual salaries by rank and years of service of military personnel are shown in table 3. Most enlisted personnel started as recruits at Grade E-1 in 1993; however, those with special skills or above-average education started as high as Grade E-3. Most warrant officers started at Grade W-1 or W-2, depending upon their occupational and academic qualifications and the branch of service. Most commissioned officers started at Grade O-1; highly trained officers for example, physicians, engineers, and scientists started as high as Grade O-3 or 0-4.
Allowances. In addition to basic pay, military personnel receive free room and board (or a housing and subsistence allowance), medical and dental care, a military clothing allowance, military supermarket and department store shopping privileges, 30 days of paid vacation a year, and travel opportunities.
Athletic and other recreational facilities such as libraries, gymnasiums, tennis courts, golf courses, bowling centers, and movies are available on many military installations. Help with personal or financial problems is available from personal affairs officers, legal assistance officers, counselors, and chaplains, as well as supporting agencies such as the USO.
Special pay generally is awarded for unusually demanding or hazardous duties, assignment to duties requiring skills in which there is a shortage, assignment to certain areas outside the continental United States, and outstanding performance evaluations.
Military personnel are eligible for retirement benefits after 20 years of service.
Annual earnings. In 1992, the average compensation of all military personnel including basic pay and housing and subsistence allowances was $27,970. Enlisted personnel averaged $24,280; warrant officers averaged $40,500; and commissioned officers averaged $50,400.
Veterans' benefits. The Veterans Administration (VA) provides numerous benefits to those who have served at least 2 years in the Armed Forces. Veterans are eligible for free care in VA hospitals for all service-connected disabilities regardless of time served; those with other medical problems are eligible for free VA care if they are unable to pay the cost of hospitalization elsewhere. Admission to a VA medical center depends on the availability of beds, however. Veterans are also eligible for certain loans, including home loans. Veterans, regardless of health, can convert a military life insurance policy to an individual policy with any participating company in the veteran's State of residence. In addition, job counseling, testing, and placement services are available.
Table 3. Military basic pay by grade for active duty personnel with fewer than 2 years service at grade, 1993
Rank and title Basic monthly pay
ARMY
Commissioned officers:
O-6 Colonel $3,290.10
O-5 Lieutenant Colonel 2,661.30
O-4 Major 2,217.90
O-3 Captain 2,061.00
O-2 1st Lieutenant 1,797.30
O-1 2nd Lieutenant 1,650.60
Warrant officers:
W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 1,671.60
W-1 Warrant Officer 1,392.60
Enlisted personnel:
E-5 Sergeant 1,079.70
E-4 Corporal 1,007.10
E-3 Private 1st Class 948.90
E-2 Private 913.20
E-1 Recruit 814.80
E-1 1 753.60
Rank and title Basic monthly pay
NAVY
Commissioned officers:
O-6 Captain $3,290.10
O-5 Commander 2,661.30
O-4 Lieutenant Commander 2,217.90
O-3 Lieutenant 2,061.00
O-2 Lieutenant, Junior Grade 1,797.30
O-1 Ensign 1,650.60
Warrant officers:
W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 1,671.60
W-1 Warrant Officer 1,392.60
Enlisted personnel:
E-5 Petty Officer 2nd Class 1,079.70
E-4 Petty Officer 3rd Class 1,007.10
E-3 Seaman 948.90
E-2 Seaman Apprentice 913.20
E-1 Seaman Recruit 814.80
E-1 1 753.60
Rank and title Basic monthly pay
AIR FORCE
Commissioned officers:
O-6 Colonel $3,290.10
O-5 Lieutenant Colonel 2,661.30
O-4 Major 2,217.90
O-3 Captain 2,061.00
O-2 1st Lieutenant 1,797.30
O-1 2nd Lieutenant 1,650.60
Warrant officers:
W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 1,671.60
W-1 Warrant Officer 1,392.60
Enlisted personnel:
E-5 Staff Sergeant 1,079.70
E-4 Airman 1st Class 1,007.10
E-3 Airman 2nd Class 948.90
E-2 Airman 3rd Class 913.20
E-1 Basic Airman 814.80
E-1 1 753.60
Rank and title Basic monthly pay
MARINE CORPS
Commissioned officers:
O-6 Colonel $3,290.10
O-5 Lieutenant Colonel 2,661.30
O-4 Major 2,217.90
O-3 Captain 2,061.00
O-2 1st Lieutenant 1,797.30
O-1 2nd Lieutenant 1,650.60
Warrant officers:
W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 1,671.60
W-1 Warrant Officer 1,392.60
Enlisted personnel:
E-5 Sergeant 1,079.70
E-4 Corporal 1,007.10
E-3 Lance Corporal 948.90
E-2 Private 1st Class 913.20
E-1 Private 814.80
E-1 1 753.60
Fewer than 4 months active duty
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Defense
Veterans who participate in the New Montgomery GI Bill Program receive educational benefits. Under this program, Armed Forces personnel may elect to deduct from their pay up to $100 a month to put toward their future education. Depending on the length of enlistment, the Government will contribute up to $9,600, until the combined contributions reach a maximum of $10,800. In addition, each service may provide its own additional contributions to put toward future education. This sum becomes the service member's educational fund. Upon separation from active duty, the fund can be used to finance an education at any VA-approved institution. VA-approved schools include many vocational, correspondence, business, technical, and flight training schools; community and junior colleges; and colleges and universities.
Information on educational and other veterans' benefits is available from VA offices located throughout the country.
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Reprinted with Permission of U. S. Department of Labor