Quality Of Life As Perceived By 30 Year Old Army Veterans

An intensive investigation of the impact Army service has had on the quality of life for a representative sample of young Americans is analyzed in terms of possible improvement in Army personnel procedures. A total of 166 men (of a potential 200) and 49 women (of a potential 50) were interviewed. The information from these interviews; a review of interviewee lives before, during, and after Army service to about the age of 30; and Project talent (a 1960 national survey of high school students) information have been analyzed. Background and purpose of the study, a definition of the information required, a description of the sample group, procedures for collecting the data and the results of its analysis, and the impact of Army service on present quality of life are discussed. A summary indicates that, for the group as a whole, Army service had a positive effect on their subsequent quality of life. Results imply that the Army could improve in its career guidance and training programs and thus have an opportunity to make a significant improvement in the life planning activities of many of the nation's young people. One table and five figures supplement the discussion.