"thunder" wrote in message

One figure (as of 1973) that stuck in my mind to this day is this: of
all
thirty-year military retirees, only 3% live to age 60. That's a cost of
serving, too.

Damn, were any reasons given for the rate?

No specific conclusions at the time, and I don't know if data supported a
later conclusion, or if the circumstances have changed. JohnH may have
access to some current info.

Speculation at the time centered around a combination of stress and aging,
and possible long term effects of earlier toxic exposures. Although the
subjects in question were not considered aged, they were what you'd call
"firmly middle aged" bg Typical 30-year retiree was aged about 50, give
or take. These folk would have entered service during or shortly after
WW-II, and may have been involved in testing or work environments in the
immediate post-war era and through the fifties that were not fully
understood at the time.

The interesting point was that at the same time (1973 or so), 20 year
retirees enjoyed substantially greater longevity, on average. I can't
recall the figure, but apparently it was that first ten years, including
WW-II, that really hurt. Although many speculated it was that last ten
years of putting up with the CS that was the killer!!

At any rate, it was a hell of a price to pay.