It’s no surprise that civilian Americans tend to lack a basic understanding of military matters.
Not just military matters - ANY matter except for celebrity hair styles and sports statistics.
It used to bother me too, but I've come to believe it has always been this way, and will always be (and of course not just for Americans).
Be happy that 15% of everyone knows what the hell is going on, and that one-third of them are conservative.
I did a quick scan of the article - I know where he is coming from. I was a history major in the late 1960’s at a liberal arts college sponsored by the Florida Presbyterian Church. With an area specialty of post-Napoleonic Europe, sub-set war and politics, I wasn’t that popular in the department and oral and written finals - let’s just say I took them three times.
The real problem with military history in today’s colleges isn’t, IMHO, the topic or even war. Any study of war leads the student into black and white value judgments. The concept of all sides being equal and all societies being equally justified don’t hold up too well after your third or fifth massacre done by one side of a conflict. Little hard defending most of the European governments 1920 - 1950 because there is so much evidence that can be waved away.
It is, most unfortunately, an ignored subject at even our various military academies. Advanced degrees in arcane subjects don’t match a two-hundred year review of Russian history. BTW anyone who thought the Russians could change when the CCCP fell doesn’t understand the Russian culture. No new surprises (long range bomber missions, rebuilding the blue water navy, etc).
Me? Got the degree finally along with a teacher’s certificate. Ended up enlisting in the Air Force, getting a commission, flight training and 20 years in and out of the cockpit. Those long hours of enjoyable reading came in very handy more than once.
The average American sincerely thinks that "The Tet Offensive" was Janet Jackson's so-called wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl.
That sounds about right.
Hasn't always been this way... :-(