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Personnel

Personnel data for the Military Aviators Cancer Study (MACS) combines information from Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) databases. Demographic and occupational data are from the Active Duty and Reserve Component data and are combined with anthropometric data collected at Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS). The earliest collection of demographics and occupational data began with Army military service members in 1985. This collection was expanded in 1990 to include all service members, along with a monthly synchronization of data. Although MACS Phase 1 studied service members enlisted between the years 1992 to 2017, 38% of service members enlisted prior to 1990. As such, air crew and ground crew personnel have many demographic and occupational records, but they are not always comprehensive of their entire military service.

Demographic data are available in two formats:

  1. Summarized demographic information across all records
  2. Time-Series of demographic information as provided by DMSS synchronization

Summarized demographic information includes variables such as the highest education level attained, the total number of days served in the military, and the first known values when either enlistment was prior to 1990 or when it was missing on their first record.

Time-series information is also available for service members. These arrays track demographics changes (the value (e.g., marriage status) and the day when that information was received).

Summary

  • Collection of DMSS data began in 1985 with Army service members, and was expanded to all branches of the military in 1990
  • Collected on 893,937 service members (only 4 without any)
  • 83% percent of service members have continuous coverage with no gap in their demographic information after 1990
  • Monthly synchronization in the DMSS
  • Additional summarized information is available (e.g., highest education level attained, ever stationed overseas)
  • The average service time is 9.3 years, with a median value of 7.0 years of service

Variables

  • Demographics:
    • Sex
    • Age
    • Race/Ethnicity
    • Marital Status
    • Education Level
  • Military Service:
    • Military Branch
    • Years of Service
    • Grade
    • Component
  • Occupational Codes:
    • Military Occupational Specialty (DMOS)
    • DOD Occupation Code (DODOCC)
  • Unit Stationed Location(s) Anthropometry:
    • Height
    • Weight at enlistment