DEFENDER is the Army’s largest annual opportunity to exercise moving personnel and equipment into theater across modes for initial and follow-on operations critical to Large Scale Combat Operations. Led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the exercise focuses on the strategic deployment of CONUS-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stock and follow-on exercises demonstrating lethality and interoperability with Allies and partners

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Video by Mike Tate
Reducing STEM Attrition at USAFA: Cadets’ Viewpoints
Air University Public Affairs
Feb. 21, 2024 | 8:36
Daniel O’Keefe, Christopher Francis, Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, & David Meier

Higher education graduates with knowledge, skills, and abilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are essential for promoting innovation and economic growth in the United States. However, civilian and military universities may not be producing enough of them to meet current and future demands in federal, national defense, private, and nonprofit sectors, which is a concern for the U.S. Department of Defense. The availability of STEM graduates will depend on how many students decide to enroll in college to pursue these careers and how many persist and complete a degree. However, these two variables are influenced by countless factors, resulting in STEM attrition, even at military universities. The purpose of this study was to closely examine academic and nonacademic factors linked to STEM attrition from the perspective of cadets who were STEM-interested (as freshmen or who initially declared a STEM major), but that eventually moved to nonSTEM majors at the U. S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The sample consisted of 136 cadets, and the survey included a 10-point Likert scale, where students ranked three main academic factors (classroom experience, understanding of the content covered in class, and final grade) and five Core STEM classes as impactful in their decision to ultimately declare non-STEM majors.

Almost two-thirds of cadets perceived that their classroom experience in Calculus I & II had a moderate or strong influence on their decision to move away from STEM majors. This percentage is much higher than those for other listed courses. To reduce STEM attrition among cadets, USAFA should modify the curriculum of Core classes, reduce overall workload, improve instructor effectiveness, and identify ways to equate the rigor of STEM and nonSTEM majors to avoid disadvantaging STEM cadets for GPA-related opportunities and benefits.
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