Intergenerational occupational inheritance in the military: a reexamination

Recent problems the military services have experienced in retaining sufficient personnel to meet growing manpower requirements are unlikely to diminish in the 1980s. As a consequence, it is vital that military decision makers understand the factors that influence career commitments of service members. Based on a stratified probability sample of Air Force married enlisted personnel and officers, this study reexamines the relationship between the military service patterns of fathers and the career intentions of their sons who enlist in military service. It also expands upon past analysis to include the actual career decisions of military men as a dependent variable. In partial support of past research, the present investigation provides no support for an intergenerational linkage between military service patterns of fathers and the career intentions and decisions of their sons--either enlisted members or officers. Implications for future research are discussed.