Contents

1.	 Introduction ..................................................1

2.	 Black Military Population ..............................2

3.	 Blacks in the Active-Duty Military..................4

4.	 Blacks in the “Total” Army.............................6

5.	 Blacks in the Active-Duty Army......................8

6.	 Army National Guard and Army Reserve ......18

7.	 Marital Status.............................................23

8.	 Black Army Civilians....................................28
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 1. Introduction

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

1

The history of Blacks serving in the United States Army is a 

long and proud one. In 1776, Congress passed legislation that 

allowed Black men to enlist in the Armed Services. In response 

to this Congressional Act, approximately 7,000 Black men joined 

the Army and defended America in the Revolutionary War. Then, 

in the late 1800’s, six regiments consisting of Black Soldiers 

were established. These Soldiers became known as the “Buffalo 

Soldiers.” Thirty-nine of the Buffalo Soldiers were awarded the 

highly prestigious Congressional Medal of Honor. 

In 1948, President Truman signed Executive Order #9981 that 

officially ended segregation in the military, and declared “equality 

of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the Armed Services 

without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.” Since that 

time, the percentage of Blacks serving in the United States Military 

Services has increased significantly. As of FY09, Black Soldiers 

comprised approximately 20% of the active-duty Army, 13% of the 

Army National Guard, and 22% of the Army Reserve. 

Although there are no recruitment goals for racial/ethnic groups, 

the Army has maintained a force representative of our Nation’s 

diversity, reflecting a belief that all American citizens have equal 

obligation to provide for the national defense. With the end of the 

military draft and the beginning of the All Volunteer Force (AVF) in 

1973, there was concern that social representation, especially with 

regard to race, would not be maintained. 

That concern proved to be unfounded. The AVF, relying on youth 

values, competitive compensation policies, and recruitment 

strategies, not only continued to attract minorities, but also 

attracted youth from all areas of the United States and from all 

socio-economic backgrounds. The Army proved to be attractive 

to young people because it offered training, steady employment, 

competitive pay and benefits, and leadership opportunities that 

were not readily available in the private sector. 

 1. Introduction
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 2. Black Military Population

2

 2. Black Military

Population

Black U.S. Population Compared to

Blacks in the Army

Today, Blacks serve in the Army at a rate that is higher than their representation in the U.S. population. For example, as of 

FY09, the percentage of Black enlisted Soldiers in the active-duty 

Army was 21% compared to 17% of the U.S. population of 18-39 year 

old Blacks with high school diplomas. High representation of Blacks 

was also noted in the Officer ranks where 13% were Black compared 

to 9% of the U.S. population of 25-54 year old Blacks with college 

degrees.

Comparison of U.S. Army and U.S. Population*

Population 

Estimate* of 

18-39 Yr. olds w/ 

HSDG

Army 

Enlisted

Population Estimate* of 25-54 

Yr. olds w/ BA

Degree

Army 

Officers

White 58% 61% 74% 72%

Black 17% 21% 9% 13%

Hispanic 21% 12% 7% 6%

Other 4% 6% 10% 9%

*Source: U.S. Census, 2008 Population Estimates

The Army continues to value diversity in its ranks and has been 

a leader in racial/ethnic diversity and equal opportunity for its 

Soldiers and their Families. The Army’s leadership views diversity as 

a readiness issue and has long had policies and programs designed 

to ensure equal opportunity for those who serve. The Army has 

been aggressive in its efforts to attract, train, and promote qualified 

applicants. Its Equal Opportunity programs have been designed to 

maximize human potential and ensure fair treatment for all Soldiers 

by offering education and training programs, wide reaching and 

varied job experience, and overall career enhancing opportunities. 

The results of these efforts are clearly reflected in the composition 

of today’s Army.
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 2. Black Military Population

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

3

As previously noted, the Army has policies and programs that are 

designed to promote equal opportunity for those who serve, and the 

results of these policies are reflected in both the past and current 

racial/ethnic composition of the Army. The active participation 

of Blacks in the U.S. Army is even more impressive when all 

Components (active-duty Army, Army National Guard, and Army 

Reserve) and Army Civilians are compared to a similar segment 

of the U.S. population, again holding for age (18-55 year olds) and 

education (minimum of high school diploma), both of which are 

qualification requirements for entrance into the Army. The results 

of this analysis show that the percentage of Blacks in the “Total 

Army” in FY09 was 17.9% compared to 12.6% in the U.S. population.

2008 U.S. Census Projections

• U.S. population of 18-

55 year olds with a 

minimum high school 

diploma = 135M

— Black population of 

18-55 year olds with 

minimum high school 

diploma = 16.9M

> 12.6% of 18-55 

year olds with a 

minimum high 

school diploma in 

the U.S. are Black

U.S. Black Population and “ Total” Army Black Population**

* Source: US Census, 2008 Population Estimate.

** Includes Active-Duty Army, Army National Guard, Army reserve, 

and Army Civilians

FY09 Army population**

• Army population = 1,358K

— Approx 243K Blacks

> 17.9% of “Total” 

Army population are 

Black
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 3. Blacks in the Active-Duty Military

4

 3. Blacks in the

Active-Duty Military

In comparison to other active-duty Services, the Army currently 

has, and has had for the past 20+ years, the highest percentage 

of Black Soldiers (ranging from 27% in FY85 to nearly 20% in 

FY09). The percentage of Black Sailors in the Navy has increased 

significantly over the past several years, from 12% in FY85 to 

nearly 17% in FY09; whereas, the percentage of Blacks in the 

Marine Corps significantly declined during this same time period 

(from nearly 19% in FY85 to today’s representation of 10%). Little 

change, however, was noted for Black representation in the Air Force 

which held at approximately 15% over the past 20+ years. 

Officer Population

The percentage of Black officers (Commissioned and Warrants ) 

in the active-duty Army over the past 20+ years far exceeds that 

of the other active-duty Services. In FY85, nearly 10% of Army 

officers were Black and this percentage increased to approximately 
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 3. Blacks in the Active-Duty Military

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

5

14% in FY09. Black officers representation in the Navy, although 

lower than the Army’s representation, has increased significantly 

since FY85, growing from 3% to 8% in FY09. Black officer 

representation in the Air Force and the Marine Corps, on the other 

hand, has remained relatively steady over time (approximately 5% 

to 6%).

Enlisted Population

In FY85 and FY95, Blacks were 

disproportionally represented in 

the enlisted ranks of the Army with 

approximately 30% of all enlisted 

Soldiers being Black. Today, that 

percentages is far lower (20.9%), 

but still greater than the percentage 

of comparable Blacks in the U.S. 

population (17%). The Navy and 

Marine Corps have had an inverse 

growth of Black enlisted over the past 

several years with the Navy increasing 

its representation from nearly 14% 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 3. Blacks in the Active-Duty Military

6

in FY85 to approximately 19% in FY09, while the Marine Corps 

experienced a decline in representation from 20% in FY85 to 

today’s representation of less than 11%. The Air Force, on the other 

hand, was virtually flat lined with regards to the percentage of Black 

enlisted Airmen (about 17%) since FY85. 

 4. Blacks in the

“Total” Army

In general, Black representation in the “Total” Army has declined over the past several years. In FY85, nearly one-quarter of the 

Army‘s Soldiers were Black; whereas, in FY09 the representation 

of Blacks for all Components of the Army had declined to 18.1%. 

It should be noted, however, that in spite of this decline in 

representation, Blacks continue to be represented at higher rates 

in the Army than in the other military services. This decline also 
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 4. Blacks in the Total Army

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

7

occurred at the same time that the representation of Hispanics in 

the Army was increasing, and is indicative of the changes that have 

occurred in the racial/ethnic composition in the U.S. population. 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 4. Blacks in the Total Army

8

For the three Components of the Army, the active-duty Army 

had the highest representation of Black Soldiers in FY85 (27%), 

whereas, the Army National Guard had the lowest (17%). Today, 

Blacks comprise not quite 20% of the active-duty Army and only 

13% of the Army National Guard. Although the Army Reserve has 

experienced a slight decline in Black representation over the past 

24 years, Blacks have continued to represent between 22%-24% 

of the Army Reserve, and as of FY09, the Reserve had the highest 

representation of Black Soldiers among its ranks. 

 5. Blacks in the

Active-Duty Army

Propensity to Serve in the Army

As the U.S. Army continues its war fighting efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the needs and the size of the Army continues 

to grow. Although the Army has met its accession goals over the 

past several years, recruiting qualified applicants has become 
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

9

increasingly difficult. One contributing factor is the propensity of 

young people to enlist in the Army. 

Since 1984, the Department of Defense has funded the Youth 

Attitude Tracking Survey (replaced in 2001 by the Joint Advertising, 

Market Research, and Studies (JAMRS) DoD Youth Poll) to monitor 

the interest and the propensity of young people to serve in the 

military. The Survey, conducted by the Defense Human Resources 

Activity (DHRA), is a telephone survey of a representative sample of 

U.S. youth, ages 16-24. 

The results of these surveys clearly highlight differences in 

propensity over time, and especially during OIF and OEF. While it is 

true that Blacks traditionally had a high propensity to serve in the 

Army and indicated in DoD Surveys that they believe that the Army 

offered them unique training, education, and leadership experiences, 

it is also true that during time of conflict (i.e., Persian Gulf War and 

the current war in Iraq and Afghanistan), their propensity to serve 

declines dramatically.

As noted in the chart above on propensity among young people, the 

propensity of Black youth declined from a high of 26% in 1985 to a 

low of 10% in 2009. During this same time frame, the propensity 

of Hispanic youth decreased from 19% to 11%. Follow-on studies 

point to the role of influencers (i.e., political leaders, teachers, and 

parents) as a reason for decreased interest of Black youth in Army 

service. JAMRS surveys suggest that the decrease in support 

among Black influencers is more likely related to negative attitudes 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

10

about the role of the military in wars than specific beliefs about 

discrimination on the battlefield.1

Enlisted Accessions

While recruiting young people for service in the Army continues 

to be a challenging task, the Army continues to be concerned with 

recruiting only qualified men and women who have the potential to 

succeed. It is interesting to note that over 70% of American’s youth 

do not even qualify for military service. According to LTG Benjamin 

Freakley, head of the U.S. Army Accessions Command (AAC), many 

young people either fail to meet the physical standards of the Army 

or have behavioral/criminal problems or have never graduated from 

high school. Those who do qualify for service in the Army undergo 

careful and rigorous reviews prior to their basic training. 

A recent study by the Heritage Foundation found that, contrary to 

public opinion, the majority of young people serving in the military 

do not come from lower income and/or disadvantages homes. 

1 Casualty figures for the Persian Gulf War and the War in Iraq and Afghanistan show that 

Blacks accounted for a significantly lower percentage of deaths than their corresponding 

representation in those wars. (Source: Statistical Information Analysis Division, 

DMDC)
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

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Instead, most are from middle and upper class families and are more 

highly educated that their peers. This is not difficult to understand 

when placed in context. The national high school graduation rate 

is approximately 70%, whereas, the inner city rate is 50%. The 

national average for Blacks is about 58%. 

The Army continues to place high importance on recruiting qualified 

applicants. The educational requirement for enlisting in the Army 

today continues to be a high school diploma, General Educational 

Development (GED) diploma, or other alternative credentials (e.g., 

home schooling). 

Although accession data maintained by the Army provides detailed 

information of the characteristics of new recruits, ethnicity was 

not tracked until 2001. Therefore, it is difficult to analyze trend 

data prior to that year. The FY01 to FY09 accession data for Black, 

non-Hispanic recruits, however, does show a significant decline from 

22% in FY01 to 14% in FY05, and a slow, but steady increase in 

recent years. As of FY09, Black, non-Hispanic enlisted recruits were 

17% of all non-prior service accessions, compared to 11% Hispanics. 

During the recent decline in Black male accessions in the activeduty Army, there has been an increase in the enlistment of Black 

females. This is largely due to the fact that the educational 

qualifications of Black females have exceeded that of Black males in 

the past few years. It is also interesting to note that Black females 

have a greater retention rate in the enlisted ranks than any other 

racial/ethnic group. 

The percentage of Black accessions during the Persian Gulf War 

(1991-1992) declined significantly (from 25% in FY90 to 20% during 

the war). Similar declines in Black accessions were also noted 

following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 (from 22% in FY01 to 14%-

16% during OIF and OEF). The declining Black accessions during 

these times of conflict have resulted in a decline in the overall 

representation of Blacks in the Enlisted Corps of the Army, with 

Blacks now representing approximately 21% of all enlisted Soldiers 

in the active-duty Army compared to 30% in FY85 and FY95. 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

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Active-Duty Army by Race/Ethnicity

The representation of Blacks in the active-duty Army has declined 

since FY85 from a high of 27% to the current 19.7%. This declined 

occurred at the same time that the representation of Hispanics in 

the Army was significantly increasing, growing from 3.5% in FY85 

to 11% in today’s Army. Although this is not surprising, given the 

influx of Hispanics in the United States over the past several years, 

it is noteworthy that the decline in Black representation in the Army 

is far greater than that of Whites during the same time period and 

during a time when the United States population was shifting to a 

higher representation of minorities.

Source: DMDC 3035 EO Report 66.0% 

27.0% 

3.5% 

3.5% 

FY85 

White 

Black 

Hispanic 

Asian/Other 

N= 776,050 
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

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Blacks in the Active-Duty Army by

Rank

Many young college-educated men and women have joined the Army 

because of the career advancement and educational opportunities 

that are provided to those serving in uniform. The success of these 

incentives, such as the Montgomery GI Bill, is clearly demonstrated 

by the increase in percentages and steady growth of Black officers 

in the active-duty Army over the past several years. This increase 

has occurred during a period of time when the overall percentage 

of Blacks in the Army has decreased from 27% in FY85 to 20% in 

FY09. 

The percentage of Black commissioned officers has increased 

slowly, but steadily between FY85 and FY09 (from 10.2% to 12.6%), 

while the percentage of Black warrant officers has more than 

doubled during the same time frame (from 7.2% in FY85 to 17.9% 

in FY09). The reverse pattern was true for Black enlisted Soldiers. 

Nearly 30% of all enlisted Soldiers in the active-duty Army in FY85 

were Black, but that percentage decreased significantly over the 

past several years to 20.9% in FY09. 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

14

The representation of Black enlisted Soldiers in the Army from FY85 

to FY95 was relatively stable, even though there was a significant 

decline in Black accessions during the Persian Gulf War (1991-

1992). Similarly, following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the U.S.’s 

entry into the war in Iraq in 2002, accession rates among Black 

youth declined again. Consequently, from FY95 to the present, the 

representation of Black enlisted Soldiers has reflected the impact of 

these accession declines, decreasing from the FY95 rate of 30.1% to 

20.9% in FY09. 

Blacks in the Active-Duty Army by

Rank and Gender

By gender, Black females were more highly represented in the 

active-duty Army than Black males. This higher representation of 

females was true for commissioned officers, warrant officers, and 

enlisted Soldiers. Although the percentage of Black warrant officers 

was low for both males and females in FY85, it nearly tripled for 

Black females and more than doubled for Black males by FY09.

The percentage of Black females also increased steadily, but 

moderately, in commissioned officer ranks, while Black males tended 

to remain steady at about 9%-10%. Since FY95, there has been a 

steady and significant decrease in the percentage of Black enlisted 

Soldiers for both males and females.
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

15

Blacks in the Active-Duty Army by Rank and Gender
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

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Active-Duty Army by Branch2

Branching decisions, whether self-selected by the Soldier or 

determined by Army Leadership, have career/promotion implications 

for the Soldier. Often a Soldier will select a branch of the Army that 

he/she believes will provide a skill set that will transfer to civilian 

jobs even though it may afford him/her less opportunity for career 

advancement and promotions while in the Army. It is also true that 

in many cases, the Army makes the branch decision for the Soldier. 

In these cases, the decisions are based on the existing skill set of 

the Soldier and the needs of the Army. 

Nearly half (48%) of Black enlisted Soldiers were serving in Combat 

Service Support (Force Sustainment) jobs in FY09. White, Hispanic, 

and Asian enlisted Soldiers, on the other hand, were more likely to 

be serving in Combat Arms (Maneuver Fire & Effects) jobs. There 

was little difference by race/ethnicity for enlisted Soldier serving 

in Combat Support (Operations Support) jobs and “other” Army 

branches/divisions. 

For commissioned officers, the branch distribution by race/ethnicity 

was similar to the enlisted Soldiers, except for the high percentage 

serving in “other” (i.e., health services, operations & plans, leader 

development) branches/divisions. For the three major branches of 

the Army, Black officers were less likely to be serving in Combat 

2 Recently the Branches of the Army have been changed such that Combat Arms (CA) is 

currently Maneuver Fires & Effects (MFE); Combat Support (CS) is now Operations Support 

(OS); and Combat Service Support (CSS) is Force Sustainment (FS).
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 5. Blacks in the Active-Duty Army

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

17

Arms (22%) jobs and more likely to be in Combat Service Support 

(27%) jobs. White, Hispanic, and Asian officers were more likely to 

serve in Combat Arms jobs. Similar to the enlisted Soldiers, there 

was little difference by race/ethnicity of officers serving in Combat 

Support jobs. 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 6. Blacks in the National Guard and Reserve

18

The Army National Guard and Army Reserve have served, and 

continue to serve, a vital role as part of the “Total” Army. This 

is especially true today when Soldiers in these Reserve Components 

have been called upon in large numbers to supplement the ranks and 

mission of the active-duty Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nearly a 

fourth of all Soldiers serving in the Army Reserve are Black, and this 

demographic has not changed much over the past 20+ years. The 

percentage of Black Soldiers serving in the Army National Guard, 

however, is far less and has been declining over the past several 

years (from 17% in FY85 to 13% in FY09). 

Blacks in the Army

National Guard

For the most part, the percentage of Black 

Soldiers in the Army National Guard has 

increased in the Officer ranks over the past 

several years (from 5.6% in FY85 to 7.9% 

in FY09 for Officers and 2.0% to 5.3% for 

 6. Army National Guard

and Army Reserve
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 6. Blacks in the National Guard and Reserve

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

19

Warrants), while the percentage of Black enlisted Soldiers has 

steadily and significantly declined from 18.3% in FY85 to 13.7% in 

FY09. Overall, the National Guard has the lowest representation of 

Black Soldiers of the three Components of the Army. 

By gender, Black women were more likely to serve in the Army 

National Guard than were Black males. Although the percentage of 

Black women serving in the National Guard has declined over the 

past several years, nearly one in four females in the National Guard 

in FY09 were Black. The percentage of Black males in the Army 

National Guard has slowly and steadily declined from 16.2% in FY85 

to today’s rate of 11.3%. 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 6. Blacks in the National Guard and Reserve

20

The higher representation of Black females occurred in all ranks of 

the National Guard. This higher representation of women was true 

for FY85 to FY09. As of FY09, Black females comprised 17 % of 

female officers, 15% of female warrants, and 24% of female enlisted 

compared to Black males, who accounted for only 7% of National 

Guard officers, 4% of warrants, and 12% of enlisted Soldiers in 

FY09. 

Blacks in National Guard by Rank and Gender
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 6. Blacks in the National Guard and Reserve

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

21

Blacks in the Army Reserve

The percentage of Blacks serving in the Army 

Reserve has increased significantly over the 

years in both the Officer and Warrant ranks, 

increasing from 7.6% of Officers in FY85 to 

17.1% in FY09 and from 4.3% of Warrants to 

16.4% in FY09. However, the percentage Blacks 

in the enlisted ranks of the Army Reserve has 

decreased since FY95 to today’s rate of 23%. 

Just as it is for the Army National Guard, Black women are far more 

likely to serve in the Army Reserve than are Black males. There has 

been little change in the representation of both male and female 

Black Reservist since FY85, and the difference in the representation 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 6. Blacks in the National Guard and Reserve

22

by gender has remained fairly stable over the years. More than a 

third of females in the Army Reserve are Black females and nearly 

20% of the males are Black males.

The Army Reserve has seen the most significant shift in Black 

representation for female Warrant and Commissioned Officers. 

Since FY85, the percentage of Blacks female Warrant Officers has 

Blacks in Army Reserve by Rank and Gender
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 7. Marital Status of Blacks

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

23

more than tripled from 10.1% to 32.5% in FY09, and a significant 

increase was also noted for Commissioned Officers (18.2% in FY85 

to 28% in FY09). Although the percentage of Black male Officers 

also increased during this same time period, the increase has not 

been nearly as dramatic as that of Black females. For the enlisted 

Soldiers, both Black females and Black males continue to be highly 

represented in the Reserve, but have declined slightly since FY95. 

 7. Marital Status

3 Data on family statistics were less reliable in FY85, thus, the longitudinal analysis on marital 

status is restricted to FY95 to FY09 for purposes of this report.

The Army is cognizant of the fact that the strength of the Army depends not only on the well being of the Soldier, but 

also on the well being of their families. This is especially true 

today when the family unit is often disrupted by deployments and 

the accompanying stress that comes with a Soldier at war. With 

this in mind, the Army has been and continues to be committed 

to providing both Soldiers and their families with a robust and 

supportive environment and a quality of life that is commensurate 

with their service to our Nation. 

Since FY953, there has been only a slight decrease in the 

percentage of Army Soldiers who are married, but the overall rate 

continues to be about 60% for active-duty Soldiers and 45% for the 

Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. 

Marital Status of Active-Duty Blacks

The percentage of married Black Soldiers in the active-duty Army 

has remained fairly stable over the past several years, ranging from 

nearly 62% in FY95 to 59% in FY09. The same held true for single 

Soldiers and single Soldiers with children. In FY09, 28% of the 

Black Soldiers in the active-duty Army were single and another 12% 

were single parents. 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 7. Marital Status of Blacks

24

By rank, Black warrant officers were more likely to be married than 

were commissioned officers and enlisted Soldiers. However, these 

marital rates have decreased over the past several years. As of 

FY09, about three-fourth of Black warrant officers were married, 

compared to nearly two-thirds of commissioned officers and more 

than half of enlisted Soldiers. 
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 7. Marital Status of Blacks

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

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Marital Status of Blacks in the

National Guard

Prior to FY05, family data for the National Guard and the Army 

Reserve were not available; therefore, meaningful trend analysis is 

not possible. The following is based on family statistics provided by 

the Defense Manpower Data Center for FY05 and FY09 only. 

The percentage of single Black parents and single Soldiers in the 

National Guard increased between FY05 and FY09, whereas the 

percentage of married Black Soldiers decreased. 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 7. Marital Status of Blacks

26

By rank, all categories of Black Soldiers in the National Guard 

showed decreases in percentage of married Soldiers over the past 

4 years. As of FY09, approximately 37% of enlisted Black Soldiers 

were married, as were 56% of commissioned officers and almost 

69% of warrant officers. 
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 7. Marital Status of Blacks

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

27

Marital Status of Blacks in the Army

Reserve

Similar to the marital status of Blacks in the Army National Guard, 

Blacks in the Army Reserve also had a lower rate of married Soldiers 

in FY09 than in FY05. Both the percentage of Black single and 

Black single parents increased slightly over the past 4 years. 

By rank, there was very little change in the marital status of Black 

commissioned officers and Black warrant officers in the Army 

Reserve. On the other hand, the percentage of married Black 

enlisted Soldiers declined from 43% in FY05 to 39% in FY09. 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 8. Black Army Civilians

28

 8. Black Army Civilians

Between FY85 to FY95, the percentage of Blacks in Army 

civilian jobs increased across all grade levels, but most 

significantly in GS 1-8 jobs. Since FY95, the percentage of Blacks 

in the senior level GS jobs continued to increase, but started to 

level off for the more junior GS jobs. This leveling out may be 

partially due to the fact that the overall Army civilian work force has 

decreased by approximately 30% since FY85. 

Although it is true that Blacks continue to be more highly 

represented in the lower GS level jobs, their representation in 

all GS jobs has increased over the past 24 years. In FY09, Black 

represented a third of all GS 1-4 jobs, a quarter of all GS 5-8 jobs, 

17% of GS 9-12 jobs, and 13% of the senior grade jobs. The overall 

percentage of Blacks holding SES jobs in the Army has not changed 

over the past 20+ years. Today, roughly 4 % of all SES’s in the 

Army are Black.
Blacks in the U.S. Army | 8. Black Army Civilians

Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

29

By gender, Black females were more likely to hold Army civilian jobs 

than their male counterparts. This has been true from FY85 to the 

present time. In FY85, Black females accounted for approximately 

20% of all female Army civilians and this representation increased 

steadily over time. Today Black females account for almost onefourth of all females in Army civilian jobs. Black males, on the 

other hand, have only slightly increased their percentage of the 

Army male civilian workforce over the past several years (from 

approximately 12% in FY85 to nearly 14% in FY09). 
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 8. Black Army Civilians

30

Since FY85, Black females have steadily and significantly increased 

their representation in all GS ranks, most noteworthy in the lower 

ranks of the GS system. Black males on the other hand, have 

increased their representation in the senior GS ranks, but decreased 

in GS 1-4 jobs. 
“I will always place the mission first. I will never quit. 

I am a guardian of freedom and the American 

way of life. I am an American Soldier.”

(Excerpts from the U.S. Army Soldier’s Creed) 

The Office of Army Demographics (OAD) 

was established in 1998 to ensure that 

human resource data and analyses are 

available to support decisions that impact 

Army personnel policies and programs. 

The mission of the office is to 

provide Army-wide analytical and 

policy recommendations in support 

of senior-level decisions relative to 

readiness of the Force and human 

resources policies and programs that 

impact the Total Army.4 

OAD produces comprehensive 

profiles, reports and analysis of the 

Army’s Soldiers, families, civilians, 

veterans, and retirees. It ensures 

that the data and analyses are 

not only accurate and valid but 

consistent across the Army. The 

purpose of OAD reports is to keep 

the Deputy Chief of Staff, Army G-1 

aware of demographically-related 

issues on recruitment, accessions, 

race-ethnicity, women in the 

Army, strength of the force, force 

compositions, Soldier distribution, 

and retention. 

Headquarters, Department of the Army 

Deputy Chief of Staff, Army G-1 

Dr. Betty D. Maxfield, Chief 

Office of Army Demographics 

COM: 703-604-0694 

E-mail: betty.maxfield@hqda.army.mil 

www.armyg1.army.mil/demographics 

Graphics: Jerry W. Terry

Design: Sharon Yeager 

4 Total Army—Soldiers (Active-Duty, National Guard, 

Army Reserve), Civilians, Retirees, Veterans, and 

their Families.
Department of the Army | Office of Army Demographics

Blacks in the U.S. Army | 1. Introduction

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