Very interesting, but what about my concern that the U.S. military seems to be composed of very young soldiers (almost all of them high school graduates, to be sure) and not augmented by the presence of men of an older age who hold bachelor and advanced degrees, such as the ones that I encountered during the early 60s?
My question may have its answer in this excerpt from your post: “Only 11 percent of enlisted recruits in 2007 came from the poorest one-fifth (quintile) of neighborhoods, while 25 percent came from the wealthiest quintile.” The wealthiest quintile would suggest—but that’s all it does, i.e., suggest—that college educated men and women are found in significant numbers in the enlisted ranks, but there’s no data showing the various age groups in the military in your post. That’s what I wanted to see.
It seems to me that it’s that component of the current U.S. military that one lacks once draftees have been done away with. The draft sweeps up that older population (especially those from the Ivy League schools) and puts them in the military, where their varied backgrounds contribute significantly, I would think, to the ability of the military to react to its missions.
It would help if you would post your numbers to back up your concerns, then we could know if there is a reason to share your concerns with you, or just ignore you.