People need access to data to navigate their post-high school options, including joining the armed services. Policymakers to better understand how many students are interested in joining armed services, how many enlist, and how many persist. And educators need to understand how their education programs are preparing students to be eligible to join. States are best positioned to provide this data to audiences that need it, but currently lack systematized access to military enlistment data—resulting in makeshift solutions like surveys that do not provide a complete view of the landscape.
This resource unpacks how state partnerships with the Department of Defense could provide states with enlistment data that can in turn provide districts, schools, and students with insights to better understand the military as a viable postsecondary pathway.
