Does anyone know where I could find statistics on how many high school students join the military straight after graduation? I'm interested in knowing the trends over time too. If you could point me to some reliable sources to check out, I'd really appreciate it.
The U.S. Department of Defense maintains comprehensive data on military service enlistment and retains a robust database that should have most of the information you are looking for. They typically generate an annual report known as the Population Representation in the Military Services, which includes comprehensive statistics on the accession, or entrance, of persons into the military. This report has demographic breakdowns including age, gender, race, and educational attainment, so you may find data on those joining right after high school.
As far as trends over time, the U.S. Military’s Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) maintains historical data on recruitments. They've got data sets dating back several decades, which could help you identify trends.
These primary sources might be a little dense to read through, so you may also want to check out research groups that analyze these reports like the Heritage Foundation, which has published demographic reports about the military. News outlets like the Pew Research Center, NPR, and The Washington Post frequently dive into this data as well and summarize the main points in a more accessible way.
Keep in mind that enlistment numbers can also fluctuate in response to global events, changes in military recruiting strategies, and legislative policies. So, when you look at this data, consider these kind of external factors too, to help you better understand the reasons behind the trends you see. Good luck with your research!
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