Relationship of Parental Military Background to the Demographic Characteristics of 11,195 Navy Recruits

摘要

This report explored the characteristics of Navy recruits who are children of veterans (COVs) versus first-generation recruits (FGRs) whose parents have no military service experience. It estimated the percentage of COVs among a cohort of 11,195 Navy recruits entering the Navy between 1996 and 1997 and evaluated whether demographic differences existed between recruits who were COVs and recruits who were FGRs. Finally, this study compared the demographic characteristics and parental service backgrounds of recruits in this study with data for civilian young adults in the U.S. population. Results showed that 52% of all participating recruits were COVs, 16% more than the estimated 36% among civilian youths. The results also suggested that children of career military fathers may volunteer for service at rates 8 to 10 times higher than do children of non-veterans. Fathers' military service was related to ethnicity, parental marital status, and family income. The implications of these findings for recruiting policies are discussed.