Half Of Americans Don't Want Their Kids To Be Soldiers, Survey Says

Seattle Post-Intelligencer | November 26, 2002 | By Thomas Hargrove and Guido H. Stempel III,

[WILLIALAL]

Seattle Post-Intelligencer November 26, 2002

Half Of Americans Don't Want Their Kids To Be Soldiers, Survey Says

By Thomas Hargrove and Guido H. Stempel III, Scripps Howard News Service

Most Americans don't want their children to grow up to be soldiers.

Half of those asked in a national survey of 1,001 adults conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University said "no" when asked if they would like to see their son or daughter "enter a military career." Forty-two percent said they would recommend a military career for a child; 8 percent were uncertain.

"The most privileged and educated in American society now don't regard military service as something honorable or useful. It would interrupt their career paths," said historian Allan Millett, author of "For the Common Defense" and other military histories.

The survey found that Americans appear comfortable with the nation's professional, all-volunteer 1.4 million-member military. About 79 percent favor keeping the military at its current strength or enlarging it. More than 93 percent said it is important to them to keep "the United States as the world's only remaining military superpower."

"There certainly is strong support for maintaining a strong national security posture here at home," said former Defense Secretary William Cohen after seeing the survey results. "There is such strong support because it is seen as directly related to our own survival."

But historians and military advisers complain that American support for the military is changing as the World War II generation dies. Most citizens are not interested in donning uniforms to defend the nation or even to consider a brief stint of military service as an interesting, youthful experience.

"I call all of this patriotism-lite. We have a lot of folks who are talking the talk, who say they support the military, but who are really not walking the walk," said Northwestern University sociologist Charles Moskos, a frequent adviser to the Pentagon on military recruitment.

The poll found that young people are least likely to look upon the military as an acceptable career. Slightly more than a third would like to see their child put on a uniform, compared to nearly half of older Americans.

Men, especially non-Hispanic white men, tend to accept military service as an appropriate career path for family members, while women and members of racial or ethnic minorities tend to oppose it.

[verity]

"Half Of Americans Don't Want Their Kids To Be Soldiers, Survey Says"

The other half does!

Another asinine survey!

[2banana]

I doubt that you could get half of America to agree on any career for thier children.

[Bodacious]

Considering the present "almost politically correct" military, it's no worst then my Boy Scout days. Discipline is a joke in most units and the "political asperations" of officers seeking promotion takes front stage over mission readiness and the unit's wellfare. Pilots gripe because of 4-person tents and "dust".
These sentiments about military service are from people who have been protected all their lives by others who have served, fought and died for their liberties.
GySgt B. Wallace, USMC(ret) 20years......SEMPER FI.

[section9]

Actually, soldiering as a vocation is somewhat alien to American civic tradition, so I'm not surprised. Americans tend to ignore national defense needs in peacetime, and don't tend to think of soldiering in the same way that the old Germans did.

That changes when war comes, of course.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[xsrdx]

"The most privileged and educated in American society now don't regard military service as something honorable or useful. It would interrupt their career paths,"

Yup, wouldn't want to slow down on the way to a glorious career as a personal injury lawyer or plastic surgeon.

Nothing to see here - military service isn't for everyone, fortunately.

[gnarledmaw]

"Half Of Americans Don't Want Their Kids To Be Soldiers..."

...not coincidentally this is the half that are American hating liberals that were too stoned to be entirely sure how their children got there.

[joebellis]

To the contrary, my son (a high-school senior, varsity football captain)last week announced his intention to forgo college and join the Air Force after graduation.

[btcusn]

This was apparent after 9-11, millions of flags, but no increase in volunteers. I asked a few of military age why they didn’t join the service after hearing them spout off about how we should go over there and kick a$$ and take names, but they were too busy working for their first or second BMW.
Sorry, waving a flag doesn’t make you a patriot any more than a 10 gallon hat makes you a cowboy . Put up or shut up!!
Jack

[dakine]

Tell him to go to College first...Then he can join later...

[Cacique]

"The most privileged and educated in American society now don't regard military service as something honorable or useful. It would interrupt their career paths,"

It is time to bring back the nmilitary draft and make service compulsory and fair by spreading it throughout society. We are breeding a society like the French where nobody is interested in defending the system except for the poor or uneducated who go into the military due to limited career paths. We are building a Praetorian force and that is not healthy for a democratic republic. We are going down the road of the Romans. We seem to have developed a generation of epicurian touchy feely afeminate sodomites. We are creating a generation of overprotected selfish, self centered faggots. That is to be expected when our schools dole out the nihilistic anti-american curriculum that is at the core of the indoctrination being promoted by the NEA and the education department.

Men, especially non-Hispanic white men, tend to accept military service as an appropriate career path for family members, while women and members of racial or ethnic minorities tend to oppose it.

A logical result of the leftwing multiculturalist agenda that tells minorities they have no stake in America. Those who beleive they have no stake in society are not bound to believe that they should defend it.

We have a lot of work to reverse the process that the left has let lose on this country over the last 100 years.

[Tallguy]

Your arguments in favor of a return to the military draft are persuasive, but as a practical matter there are always deferments for the children of the elite. So which is worse: an all-volunteer force or a draft-force, where the children of the elite are legally recognized? I think that the latter is pretty corrosive during wartime.

[sean327]

I'm baffled by your comment. I am GySgt with 18 yrs in the Corps and have yet to see discipline treated as a joke. Because of my MOS I have had the unique experience of serving in 1st MarDiv , 3RD FSSG, 4th MarDiv, and all three active air wings. In each and every unit I have been a part of I can tell you that discipline and the Warrior culture are very much alive. The Corps is still training to fight and win battles. We are still the biggest bang for the buck. I would go to war with all 25 of my Marines in my platoon with out a 2nd thought. The hardest thing I will ever have to do in my life will be when I hang up my uniform in the closet for the last time 2 years from now. It's hard for me to imagine what life is gonna be like when I have to leave my Marines. Old Corps, New Corps, Kick'n ass and take'n names for 227 years. Semper Fi.
GySgt S.R. Castillo USMC

[calenel]

How about a Universal Draft - no deferments, no excuses, no exceptions.

[Cacique]

If it were properly handled and loopholes removed it would be the best thing to happen.

The left has never liked the draft because when they are in power a professional army allows them a free hand to engage in many a military adventure. Republican presidents have been known to suffer from the same calamity.

A citizen army is what we should have, rather than a Praetorian guard which is what you find in most third world cesspools. Politicians would be more careful about ionvolving the country in misadventures if they knew that it was the sons of their constituents that would have to fight in a war.

The founders of this country frowned on professional armies and saw them as a danger. The concept of a militia enshrined in our constituion envisioned precisely a citizen army that included all able bodied males.

[mamalujo]

unless your child is on Ritalin, then they are exempt.

[discostu]

This is a very poorly worded and thought out article. Here's a key line: Forty-two percent said they would recommend a military career for a child; 8 percent were uncertain.

Now according that nearly half would recommend a military "career". That's a key word. If I had kids I wouldn't recommend they have a military career, over the long haul the military doesn't pay very well. That DOESN'T mean I would advice my hypothetical kids not to join the military ever, a stint in the military can be very healthy; I'd just recommend they keep their eye on the ball and look PAST the military to what they're going to do later. Even if they go hog wild a 20 year run means retiring around 38, still a lot of life left to live and good to have some ideas in place.

[discostu]

GI Bill, if he joins first Uncle Sam will pay for college (a great program, people that serve deserve a lot more than we give them). College will be there for him whenever he wants to go, there's a limited window for joining the military.