The selectivity of military enlistment

In this paper, we investigate the selective nature of military service, with emphasis on the period following the inception of all volunteer force (AVF) in 1973. Following an argument made by Mare and Winship (1984), we seek to determine whether young men who voluntarily enlist in the military are positively selected with respect to characteristics valued in the labor market. We are interested in the degree to which such selectivity applies more to blacks than to whites, thus leading to a « creaming » of the best young black men. Using background variables closely tied to positive socioeconomic outcomes, our results indicate support for positive selectivity among black men. Among white men, military enlistment is concentrated among men with less privileged backgrounds and qualifications