I live in a town of 65,000 people just SW of Houston. We have one of the highest income levels in the state and the highest level of advanced degrees in any of the 254 counties in Texas. The people serving in the armed forces that I know from here include:
A Marine Capt. His mom is on city council and his dad retired as President of BMC Software with MANY millions of dollars.
An enlisted Marine who’s father is an OB-Gyn who just spent a fortune restoring the oldest Mansion in the area.
The son of a second OB-Gyn, who is I believe a Navy Corpsman.
A second city council member, worth a couple of million, who’s son graduated last spring from Vanderbilt, and was just Commissioned an Ensign in the Navy. His room mate was Ensign Andy Anderson son of the Attorney General of the United States.
An attorney who is an Army Reserve JAG Major who also did 9 months in the Balkins.
The Marine Capt. Son of the most liberal newspaper writer in the area and her attorney husband who is a former county Democratic Chairman. (I think he votes Republican)
The enlisted Marine brother of one of my wife's teaching team mates. His parents are well to do and the father owns his business. He is in the unit that Rick Leventhal from Fox News is with.
These people have vast resources and contacts, but their children still serve.
God Bless them all, and the Armed Forces of the United States of America.