Army Service in the All-Volunteer Era

Abstract

Since the beginning of the all-volunteer era, millions of young Americans have chosen to enlist in the military. These volunteers disproportionately come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and while some aspects of military service are likely to be beneficial, exposure to violence and other elements of service could worsen outcomes. This paper links the universe of Army applicants between 1990 and 2011 to their federal tax records and other administrative data and uses two eligibility thresholds in the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) in a regression discontinuity design to estimate the effects of Army enlistment on earnings and related outcomes. In the 19 years following application, Army service increases average annual earnings by over ${\$}$4,000 at both cutoffs. However, whether service increases long-run earnings varies significantly by race. Black servicemembers experience annual gains of ${\$}$5,500 to ${\$}$15,000 11–19 years after applying while White servicemembers do not experience significant changes. By providing Black servicemembers a stable and well-paying Army job and by opening doors to higher-paid postservice employment, the Army significantly closes the Black-White earnings gap in our sample.

Racism Despite Integration: Diversity for the Sake of Mission Readiness in the U.S. Military

“…Advocates for racial justice have long been divided over the question of service in the U.S. military. Proponents argue that military service promotes economic mobility (Greenberg et al 2022), proves desert of social and political recognition (Du Bois 1998, 66), and that it improves racial attitudes among service members (Anderson 2010, 125; Moskos and Butler 1996). As an institution with strict hierarchical structure, disciplinary norms, and a diverse community, the military is thought to be the state institution most capable of promoting change (Bailey 2023).…”

Can Information and Advising Affect Postsecondary Participation and Attainment for Non-Traditional Students? Evidence from a Large-Scale Experiment with the U.S. Army

“…For over a decade, policy makers and veterans advocates have expressed concern about the postsecondary choices and outcomes of U.S. military veterans. While military service appears to increase rates of post-secondary participation, veterans enroll disproportionately at less selective institutions and are unlikely to attain bachelor's degrees (Loughran, Martorell, Miller, and Klerman, 2011;Greenberg, Gudgeon, Isen, Miller, and Patterson, 2021). These patterns of lowquality enrollment and low completion rates are reflective of the broader "non-traditional" student experience in higher education (National Student Clearinghouse, 2017;National Student Clearinghouse, 2019).…”