Accessions DABM Explained in part

goaliedad

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I had the linked article that describes the DABM optimization process for branch assignment sent to me. It is from a couple years back, but I suspect the overall math model is largely the same today.

It is quite complicated (gojack, please feel free to explain in simpler English for those not quite as statistically trained), but explains that DABM is about getting as many cadets in their top 5 branch choices (weighted by cadet ranking) as possible while balancing out the OMS average between branches and the gender distribution within branches accepting female cadets.

And with a large percentage of cadets likely to end up in DABM (with the new accessions model in place), it is important to understand how your OML position and gender can affect your likelyhood of your favored branch choices.

Enjoy the read and let the discussion begin...

paging gojack :wink:

http://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings10/241-2010.pdf
 
I had the linked article that describes the DABM optimization process for branch assignment sent to me. It is from a couple years back, but I suspect the overall math model is largely the same today.

It is quite complicated (gojack, please feel free to explain in simpler English for those not quite as statistically trained), but explains that DABM is about getting as many cadets in their top 5 branch choices (weighted by cadet ranking) as possible while balancing out the OMS average between branches and the gender distribution within branches accepting female cadets.

And with a large percentage of cadets likely to end up in DABM (with the new accessions model in place), it is important to understand how your OML position and gender can affect your likelyhood of your favored branch choices.

Enjoy the read and let the discussion begin...

paging gojack :wink:

http://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings10/241-2010.pdf

Using an old Sufi mind-focusing technique, I made mental photographs of the formulae in the article you linked to. This way I could think about it while watching the Alabama-Texas A&M game. Here's what I figured out so far.

Gender selection is really the key. If you absolutely want a branch, say field artillery, you can exponentially increase your chances of getting it without ADSO by making FA your first choice as a male, your second choice as a female and third choice as a cross-dresser on alternate days. The main disadvantage is that your dry cleaning costs may double.

I also figured out they might have to give Manziel a Heisman at the end of the first quarter.
 
Using an old Sufi mind-focusing technique, I made mental photographs of the formulae in the article you linked to. This way I could think about it while watching the Alabama-Texas A&M game. Here's what I figured out so far.

Gender selection is really the key. If you absolutely want a branch, say field artillery, you can exponentially increase your chances of getting it without ADSO by making FA your first choice as a male, your second choice as a female and third choice as a cross-dresser on alternate days. The main disadvantage is that your dry cleaning costs may double.

Lmao

I also figured out they might have to give Manziel a Heisman at the end of the first quarter.

Only if he gives out free autographs
 
Only if he gives out free autographs

Remember, Johnny Football didn't receive any money for any of his autographs.

Of course, which of his relatives gets the money for his autograph is still to be determined. :yllol:

I think the NCAA is begging the NFL to change its rules for eligibility to let him get money for his autographs after this season is over. He is starting to turn from an attraction to a distraction for amateur (cough, cough) sports.
 
I think Johnny Football runs a big risk of becoming the next Ryan Leaf.

Boy did this thread take a wild turn.
 
Remember, Johnny Football didn't receive any money for any of his autographs.

Of course, which of his relatives gets the money for his autograph is still to be determined. :yllol:

I think the NCAA is begging the NFL to change its rules for eligibility to let him get money for his autographs after this season is over. He is starting to turn from an attraction to a distraction for amateur (cough, cough) sports.

Very true
 
Back to thread. You have worked hard in your classes, PT, school and ROTC activities for 3.5 years. You have made your choices of branches. When you find out your assignments embrace them. No regrets. Promise yourself you will work to be the best in that branch. The real work will just be starting.
 
Returning to the subject, from the model presented (not sure if it is the one CC actually uses or one presented for their use, but consider that they probably ran it using live data which would lend credence for its consideration as the model in use), it looks like they attempt to solve satisfaction (Choice Rank) first before applying the constraints of gender and OMS balancing. This yields the highest 1st rank results as opposed to the fewest 6th or worse results.

There are other approaches to solving this problem that would include minimizing the lowest rank selection (find a solution where no cadet ranks lower than 5, 6, 7) which CC does not appear to employ.

Additionally, this year's rules for Accessions has stipulations about being charged ADSO's if selected under DABM. The question is does (or where does) the ADSO decision (giving retention benefits to the Army) enter into the equation of this decision making process? Or does it? I have a hard time imagining that there would be many ADSOs if it didn't gain you any benefit.
 
Back to thread. You have worked hard in your classes, PT, school and ROTC activities for 3.5 years. You have made your choices of branches. When you find out your assignments embrace them. No regrets. Promise yourself you will work to be the best in that branch. The real work will just be starting.

BTW, totally agree with the sentiment.

My point in this thread is to point out that the Army actually tries to get you as favorable of a branch as possible given the constraints of balancing gender, race, and cadet quality. They are trying to assemble the most balanced team possible - a positive for all officers and enlisted.

Under the old system, cadets who were on the cusp of the dead zone used to find a 3rd less-popular branch that kept them from falling into the abyss of DABM and perhaps getting chemical (seemingly everyone's nightmare).

Now, that strategy will get you that branch as well, but your 4th choice that you would have rather had doesn't happen. So if you don't want chemical, put it last, but putting another less-popular branch higher up just to avoid chemical will just keep you from getting other more-preferred branches.
 
I read the attached Pdf....I'm currently hunting for Aspirin.

So any cadet who can explain the model probably scored high enough up the OML not to worry about it. :yllol:

Actually, in my undergraduate Business classes, we used to solve these algorithms without the use of computers... I date myself.

In my current job, I had to explain to an analyst how to solve the problem of to generate all the possible class schedules (without conflicts) for a selection of X classes from the course schedule. Unfortunately, we moved from our in-house written (by some very smart people) system where we solved the problem with XOR logic (with bits in a bitstring representing 5 minute intervals around the clock that a section occupied) to package software with only the begin and end times for classes requiring either the calculation of the bitstring or very complex n-level dynamic SQL construction (hell on database performance).

Unfortunately, they don't teach our programmers the logic skills necessary to solve equations efficiently these days. The modern solution is to throw more hardware at it. Sigh...:rolleyes:
 
So any cadet who can explain the model probably scored high enough up the OML not to worry about it. :yllol:

I had to laugh, I remember Clarkson answering a similar question a while back..."Have a 4.0 GPA and a 300 APFT and let everyone else worry about it"
 
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