Treffer: VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION OF THE MARINE CORPS MODERNIZED RECRUIT DISTRIBUTION MODEL (M-RDM)

The task of assigning a Marine Corps recruit to a military occupational specialty (MOS) while scheduling them for the requisite corresponding initial training course is nontrivial when aggregated over an entire fiscal year (FY). Despite fluctuations in the skills and interests of the recruits who complete boot camp approximately weekly, it is important that these assignments balance the minimum skill requirements and FY target quotas for each MOS, while also minimizing the amount of time that a recruit waits idle to attend the needed training. The recently developed Marine Corps Modernized Recruit Distribution Model (M-RDM) may represent a significant leap forward in capability for the stakeholder agency, Marine Corps Manpower Management and Integration Branch (MMIB). Unfortunately, MMIB lacks the necessary verification, validation, and user interface for the new model to feel confident employing it solely in place of the aging legacy Recruit Distribution Model (RDM). This thesis presents a side-by-side comparison of the RDM results attained in FY19 alongside those that would have been attained with the M-RDM, given the same input information. It also proposes several improvements to the M-RDM intended to provide greater flexibility and improved “goodness of fit” for assigned Marines. ; Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. ; Major, United States Marine Corps ; USMC Manpower Management and Reserve Affairs