Free Republic

Why Dems Wanted Military Ballots Not to Count in 2000 From The State. Excerpt: Another benefit of an all-volunteer military is that it saves taxpayers money; there's less turnover as troops stay in for longer periods. During the Vietnam War, the average tour of duty was less than two years, according to a Defense Department study. Today, the average tour is about seven years. But critics fret the United States is developing an all-volunteer warrior class recruited from the nation's more politically conservative areas. Between 1976 and 1996, for instance, the percentage of military officers who said they were either...