Millennials on the Rise?

Abstract

Who are the Millennials? This chapter provides a review of the literature on this cohort born in the late 1970s up through 2000. Their characteristics are described and the significant events that have shaped the Millennial generation are highlighted with an eye toward connections to national defense. Second, the chapter provides a description of the backgrounds and histories of military academies and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) system in the United States. Next, the three eras of civil-military relations in the United States dating back to the end of World War II are discussed and the authors put forth that American society has entered a new, fourth phase of civil-military relations. Finally, the chapter is rounded out with an introduction to the BASS study sample.