Table 1.

Sample Characteristics in Four Data Sets by Rank and Veteran Status

	2003 SRM		2001 NSV		2001 PSID			2004 WLS
	Enlisted	Officers	Enlisted	Officers	Enlisted	Officers	Nonveterans	Enlisted	Officers	Nonveterans
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Age (in years)	54.9	58.7	60.9	63.8	59.3	62.5	51.2	64.4	64.1	64.4
Percentage in:
Excellent health	7.6	19.5	10.7	21.0	14.9	31.1	22.0	23.9	51.4	24.1
Very good health	23.9	32.5	22.6	27.0	34.7	40.0	30.7	39.4	25.7	36.4
Good health	33.7	28.2	30.5	30.9	28.1	17.8	30.8	27.1	20.3	29.3
Fair health	23.6	14.5	22.6	13.1	16.1	5.6	11.8	7.5	2.7	7.9
Poor health	11.2	5.3	13.6	8.1	6.2	5.6	4.7	2.0	0.0	2.3
Fair or poor health	34.8	19.8	36.2	21.2	22.3	11.2	16.5	9.5	2.7	10.2
Has a VA disability rating	65.3	62.8	30.0	39.6	4.1	1.1	—	0.9	2.0	—
Exposed to combat	—	—	48.3	58.8	35.5	38.9	—	7.5	35.1	—
Years on active duty	21.1	23.4	5.9	12.4	4.0	7.9	—	2.5	3.5	—
20 years of service	89.3	94.1	10.9	34.9	2.4	18.0	—	0.0	0.0	—
Married	82.1	89.4	71.2	81.2	83.2	88.9	82.1	86.1	91.9	83.7
Never married	2.2	1.1	4.6	3.4	1.9	0.0	1.9	3.4	2.0	4.4
African American	15.5	9.4	9.5	4.3	19.8	4.4	25.7	—	—	—
Hispanic	4.0	2.0	2.5	0.7	0.4	0.0	0.5	—	—	—
Years of education	14.4	18.4	13.0	16.1	13.3	15.8	13.3	13.4	17.5	14.5
Has a college degree	24.4	88.1	19.6	73.6	23.6	77.8	30.0	21.9	95.9	40.1
Household income ($)	72,490	125,953	47,843	87,718	72,059	121,860	86,539	77,844	143,958	87,012
N	13,229	6,195	10,591	1,339	833	90	1,711	1,486	148	1,376

Source: Survey of Retired Military (SRM, 2003); National Survey of Veterans (NSV, 2001); Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID, 2001);Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS, 2004).

Note:Values are percentages unless otherwise noted.