Using data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Study of Youth, the author investigates the relationship between military service and the transition to the first intimate union. The author argues that active-duty military service promotes marriage over cohabitation. The results are consistent with this argument, showing that active-duty members of…

This paper uses the 2000 Census 1-in-6 sample to look at the long-term impact of Vietnam-era military service. Instrumental Variables estimates using draft-lottery instruments show post-service earnings losses close to zero in 2000, in contrast with earlier results showing substantial earnings losses for white veterans in the 1970s and 1980s. The…

As part of a project to improve the quality of survey data and to link survey data to policy formulation and research needs in the military, a study was made of more than 54,000 men and women military officers and enlisted personnel in 1978-79. The survey sought information about their personal preferences and attitudes, past behavior, and career…