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Re: the forces being "heavily layered with minorities"

It is my experience

(and is borne out statistically in recent widely reported news that frontline combat troops are disproportionately white southern males, rather than minorities)

that the layers of minorites are in support roles such as supply and administrative work that occurs largely far from any combat zone (nb: most such jobs are easier to qualifiy for, which explains the disproportionality). Obviously some of non-combat positions are very competitive -- but not the ones that are disproportionately minority.

As such, this truly is a low-risk way for innercity kids to get some skills that they can use after their enlistment is over.

It is also my experience that affirmative action is more apt to occur in these units, and less likely to occur in combat units and the officer corps.

Minorities tend to work for the government in disproportionate numbers - the military is no different.

This reporter is a whiner who seems clueless as to the facts of life: those without money take jobs that those with money won't do.

I recently saw a review (sorry--but I can't remember where) of statistics on who serves where in the military along with mortality rates by race from Vietnam through the Gulf War. Everything you said in your post was totally supported by those stats.

One fact that stands out in my mind is the very small percentage of minorities in special forces.

It has more Southerners and fewer Northeasterners.

I guess the marxist at the NY Times do not want to explain this one. Alot of Southerners have grown up with guns and living outdoors while people from the Northeast have not. I believe our military "recruits" Southerners because of their backround and by nature, adapt to being a front-line soldiers easier than someone who is not.

My uncle, who is a decorated WW2 vetern, says that when a replacement would come into his platoon, he'd always hope for a farmboy since they had grown up with firearms, hunting, and had outdoor living savy. Funny thing about him saying that since he was a city boy.