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Most of Those Who Did Not Enlist Immediately After High School Sought Jobs or Further Education Instead

• Among those surveyed, 73 percent of the older recruits said they remembered recruiters visiting their high schools. Among the reasons given for why they did not enlist directly after high school graduation, many said they went to college or vocational school or got jobs.

Some Who Did Not Enlist Immediately Faced Opposition from Family or Friends

• Of the 38 percent who said they just took time off, one-quarter indicated that someone did not want them to enlist.

Others Were Concerned About Current Commitments Overseas

• Nearly one-quarter also indicated that they were concerned about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Those Who Enlisted Later Were Concerned About the Job Market

• When asked why they decided to join the Army, about a third of those who joined later said there were "no jobs at home," and about half were of the view that the jobs that were available were "dead-end jobs."

They Were Also Less Concerned About External Factors

• When they did enlist, they indicated that the views of others had become less important to their decision and they were less concerned about the war, despite the fact that nearly all indicated that they expected to be deployed.