Despite the fact that military careers require much higher levels of literacy than do comparable civilian careers, the range of literacy levels of enlistees is roughly representative of the abilities found amoung high school graduates. In response to the need to raise the literacy levels of their personnel, the Armed Forces have paid increasing attention to literacy instruction in recent years. Whereas literacy programs once followed a master apprentice training model that emphasized decoding, recent military instructional programs focus on literacy training that takes into account the specific requirements of the job to be performed. The Navy's Job-Oriented Basic Skills Program, the Army's Job Skills Education Program, and the Air Force's Job-Oriented Basic Skills Assessment and Enhancement System all have been based upon the actual tasks personnel will have to perform. Also currently underway are several military-sponsored research efforts in literacy instruction that make creative use of computer and videodisc systems. (MN)