All-volunteer military has created a red-state Army in the U.S.

The Salt Lake Tribune / The Washington Post ^ | December 15, 2008 | Danielle Allen

[2ndDivisionVet]

In Hopewell Township, N.J., the veterans of American Legion Post 339 have put their building up for sale. "Today's vets don't come out," 82-year old Jim Hall told The Times of Trenton last month. The post is down from 425 paying members in the 1960s and '70s to 202 this year; only about a dozen regularly attend.

But it's America that has changed, not vets.

Since 1970, the population of the United States has grown by about 50 percent, from roughly 200 million to 300 million. Over the same period, the number of active-duty armed forces has fallen approximately 50 percent, from 3 million to 1.4 million. A far smaller percentage of the citizenry now serves in the military.

Whereas in 1969 13 percent of Americans were veterans, in 2007 only 8 percent of us were.

Even more important than these general demographic shifts is the change wrought by the end of the draft in 1973. Until then, military service was distributed pretty evenly across regions. But that is no longer true. The residential patterns for current veterans and the patterns of state-level contributions of new recruits to the all-volunteer military have a distinct geographic tilt. And tellingly, the map of military service since 1973 aligns closely with electoral maps distinguishing red from blue states.

In 1969, the 10 states with the highest percentage of veterans were, in order: Wyoming, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, California, Oregon, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut and Illinois.

In 2007, the 10 states with the highest percentage of post-Vietnam-era veterans were, in order: Alaska, Virginia, Hawaii, Washington, Wyoming, Maine, South Carolina, Montana, Maryland and Georgia.

Over the past four decades, which states have disappeared from the top 10? California, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Illinois, all big_blue states that have voted Democratic in the past five_presidential elections.

[Alberta's Child]

The best armed civilians in the “Blue” states are concentrated in the inner city street gangs. These would be the cadres for Obama’s “Civilian Defense Force,”

Good point.

I'd nominate Plaxico Burress for Chairman of the "Joint" Chiefs of Staff.

[eclecticEel]

One more random thought: Red states, those with higher representation in our armed service, are also those states which have the highest birth rates. Coincidence?

[Citizen Blade]

In 2007, the 10 states with the highest percentage of post-Vietnam-era veterans were, in order: Alaska, Virginia, Hawaii, Washington, Wyoming, Maine, South Carolina, Montana, Maryland and Georgia.

Statistics like this are a little too complex to easily boil down to red state versus blue state. For example, Virginia, Hawaii and South Carolina all have large military bases, so it's not surprising that a lot of of veterans end up settling, post-service, in those areas. Also, there are a lot of veterans living in Northern Virginia and Maryland because there are a lot of vets working for the government.

Better statistics to look at would be what States the recruits come from, rather than where they end up settling down post-service.

[TChris]

Nice to see Wyoming on both lists. We have been pretty consistent in our support for the military over the years.

[SMARTY]

Yup... it will make the Hitler youth look like boy scouts. Just what we need, another entire class of surly, uneducated, do-nothing, know-nothing, arrogant, lay-abouts who hate America and live off of government (read-’taxpayer-funded’) revenue.

[2ndDivisionVet]

"Can't wait to see the Zero's new uniforms!"

[GonzoGOP]

Crossing the Rubicon" is one analogy

It is the closest, because unlike the commies in Spain the indolent youth of the big blue cities don't have the will for protracted fighting. If it really came down the CWII then the big blue cities would be extremely vulnerable to siedge. Blow a few bridges, cut the rail lines and blow the arms off the container crains and you could starve out a major US city without ever moving into the neighborhoods where Obama's supporters live. Heck just cut the power lines from Arizona and Nevada and blow up the big aquaducts and LA would colapse before they could repair the damange.

Even the Taliban and AQ are better trained to live outside the comforts of the civilized world. Most have never encountered them in the first place. They don't need electricity, internet, or McDonalds. They will just butcher a goat and read the Quaran. Obama will have to build his force from people who's idea of "Real Life" comes from a Berkeley California classroom. Take away their double espresso with a shot and they will freak.

[Tzimisce]

In other words, we want a draft.

[PurpleMan]

Bring back the draft? Hell. They won’t even let Ivy League schools have ROTC

[RobinOfKingston]

Explains a lot.

Yes, it does. It also make one hopeful that then the revolution begins, those chartered with quelling the insurrection will perhaps take less time to aim carefully. Or decide to 'enlist' on the right side.

[east1234]

It also puts a bunch of anti war libs in the military, not good for fighting wars, but not worth a damn for domestic oppression either.

[MrB]

#2 It reduces the effectiveness of the military.

That addresses your point. It puts in people in general who don’t want to be there and thereby reduces the effectiveness. The left hates the fact that our military, when unleashed, cannot be defeated.

[dr_who]

Think this will spark new legislative initiatives for gun control ? :)

[dr_who]

They wished to “recreate 68”. But they overshot without even realizing it. It isn’t just the draft.

[marinhottub]

I have always wondered why the conservative states were given the “red state” designation while the liberal states were shown as “blue states”. I infer that the msm felt that by connoting liberal with red would lead to an (likely proper) identification of liberal with socialist/ communist leanings.

[Tammy8]

WWII Veterans were very supportive of the VFW and similiar organizations. The Vietnam Veterans I know did not join when they came back because even many WWII Veterans bought the lies of the left and the media and did not make them feel welcome. A few years ago when it was obvious the veterans organizations were falling apart as many of their members passed away they put a big push to recruit the Vietnam Veterans- too little, too late. This happened in my area, I don’t know about other areas. Hubby is a member of the local VFW and has never been active, he gets pleading letters from them all the time about how they need more active members- he is just not willing to participate now. I think it is a shame- but I don’t know the solution.

I think it would be great if the Vietnam Veterans would support the organizations and welcome the new veterans in, but don’t really see it happening.

[stevie_d_64]

Makes for an interesting aimimg point...

“What Happened!!!”

“He got shot in the Che...”

(The abruptness of the reply only exemplifies the irony and the humor...)

[Albion Wilde]

ping! ...explains a lot....

[SiVisPacemParaBellum]

""Can't wait to see the Zero's new uniforms!"

Ø probably has his all picked out.

[dabluesman]

If you try to nip potential world wars in the bud, you face the situation above but end up with far fewer casualties.

From my point of view, nipping a world war in the bud is as easy to do as time traveling and stopping the assassination of Lincoln.

Protect your own country from direct threats, project force on a limited and intense level, and let the world war develop and envelope the entire rest of the globe if necessary. The important part is be prepared within your own country, because all you end up doing by trying to stop something you see happening is, bankrupting yourself, and causing unforeseen consequences. Once you are broke and now have more conflicts in more places to fight against, the public has no will to fight. In the end, you lose as surely as the British empire is no more. Peace on this Earth is something that MUST be imposed. Americans do not have the heart, the spine or the will to impose cigarette smoke on someone, let alone peace.