Current YATS results indicate the supply of young men and women with propensity for military service, relative to accession requirements, is less than before the end of the Cold War. Thus, recruiting high-quality youth into the armed forces will continue to be a challenge. Regardless of their propensity for military service, YATS respondents are asked to provide, in their own words, reasons for joining and not joining the military. Most young men and women see postsecondary education as the key to prosperity and job security in America. The percent of youth going to college is increasing, and YATS results show that young people are aware that the military offers money for a college education.
Educational funding is the most frequently cited reason for enlisting.
Many young people have the will and the talent for college, but lack the funds. For many non-college bound youth, military service offers an opportunity for job experience and specialized training. Other reasons for joining are mentioned much less frequently. The percentages of men and women mentioning job training, pay, duty to country, travel, and discipline as reasons for joining have not changed significantly in the past few years. The most frequently cited reason for not entering military service concerns military lifestyle, mentioned by 19 percent of men and 25 percent of women in 1998.