Red state calling: New study shows military personnel aren't disadvantaged

WORLD ^ | 9-6-08 | Kristin Chapman

[rhema]

When it comes to the demographics of the U.S. military, conventional wisdom alleges the armed forces are a magnet for poorly educated and disadvantaged minorities who enter the service because they lack better options. However, a new Heritage Foundation report debunks those assumptions. According to the study's findings, 95 percent of military officers earned at least a bachelor's degree and more than 98 percent of enlisted members have obtained a high-school degree—numbers far greater than their civilian peers. The report also found that minorities are not overrepresented in the military, with officers and enlisted troops more likely to come from high-income neighborhoods than from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In addition, the data revealed that states with a high recruit-to-population ratio tend to be more conservative politically than states with a low recruit-to-population ratio. Among so-called red states are 23 states with a high military concentration ratio, while only six blue states have a high ratio.

[yldstrk]

uh may I say duh, it’s a culture not a sentence

[donnab]

I thought that you had to have a high school diploma or equivalent to join the military now.

[vetvetdoug]

Looks a lot better than when I was a kid. During the 1950’s we were a family of five and the breadwinner was an E-5. My father did the best he could but it was difficult. The commissary and BX were saviors but to this day I won’t eat mac and cheese or spaghetti (couldn’t afford the meat so the sauce was just tomato). My Father came from a farm family and we almost starved row cropping.

[yarddog]

I used to live near Hinesville, GA and when there would see a lot of military from Ft. Stewart. I can recall having a bit of an unfavorable opinion of them.

One day my pickup would not start. I was parked in a strip mall and far enough away from home that I thought I was going to have to call for a tow.

While I was looking under the hood, a young soldier, he turned out to be from Kansas, stopped and helped. He soon discovered the problem was the starter relay. We got it cranked and I simply left it running at the parts store and bought a new relay.

Sort of changes your opinion of them, when they save you from trouble.