ABSTRACT
Eachyearabout300,000youngmenenlistforactivedutymilitaryservice,supplyingthevastportionofthenewpersonnelneededtosustainU.S.defensecapabilityand, atthesametime,establishingthearmedforcesasamajor,ifnotthemajor,career portal.Theimportanceofmaleenlistmentstothemilitaryandtothenationaleconomyhasstimulatednumerousstudies;withfewexceptions,thesehavebeenaggregate dataanalysesofactualenlistmentsorindividualdataanalysesofenlistmentintentions. Thestudieshaveprovedfruitfulinprovidingpolicyinformationfortheallocationof recruitingresources,forforecastingtrends,andforthedesignofenlistmentadvertising andincentives.However,aggregateandintentionsstudiesbothpossesslimitationsthat mayaffecttheinterpretationandapplicabilityoftheirresults.Ourpaper,utilizing microdataonactualenlistmentbehavior,offersanewcomplementaryperspectiveon theenlistmentdecisionmakingofyoungmen.~oreover,ourapproachandresults mighteffectivelybeappliedtothedesignandanalysisofenlistmentincentiveexperiments,whichsofarhavebeenconductedinthemoldofag~regatedatastudies.
