For discussion’s sake, let’s acknowledge that the bulk of the 3 million in service is lower ranking...which they are. We will call that 60%. That = 1,800,000.
Let’s also identify them as the younger cohort that enters the military, that is, from about 18-23 years of age. That represents 6 year groups. Divided equally that would be 300,000 per year entering service in the eligible younger cohort. More than 2/3 of that is male, but we’ll allow that 200,000 males are in the new cohort in all services each year. (The 2007 Army active duty recruiting goal was 80,000, so that tracks.)
Your numbers tell us that 2.1 million come of military age each year. Compared with the year group cohort of 200,000, that means that 10% enters the military.
For the Romney family that would mean that 1 of the 6 should have served, because the military is much smaller now that it was as early as 10 years ago when it was 750,000 troops instead of 450,000 that we have now. Obviously, in the Viet era is was considerably larger.
Of my 4 children, 4 have served.
In short, many American families are not pulling their fair share. Blue-blood and upper class families are even worse.
It is wonderful to have a military family.
My father and all but one of my uncles served. The non-vet was in a critical industry.
FYI There is a reason that this website has this name:
http://fivebrothers.mittromney.com/
He does not have six sons.
hey Fred did not serve nor did his sons!
BTW...Thanks for being a Chaplain and for serving our troops and our country..
I remember our Catholic Masses in the open air screened Chapels in VN and then out in the field when the Chaplains and their assistants would chopper in, say a quick Mass and homily and then fly to another site...cherished moments from a war...