question about the military

[freepcrusher]

does anyone here think that it draws from the same demographic as the NFL? By that I mean that most of the people in the NFL are the same demographic in the military? I think that if I can make that case, I could probably write a thesis for it.

[CLARENCE 2015!]

I am not sure what you mean- racially/socioeconomic?

[Vermin Supreme]

I am not sure what you mean- racially/socioeconomic?

That what Atari Democrat is looking for.

[CLARENCE 2015!]

I think it is far to say any form of athletics beyond the high school level and the military have a lot of overlap- they are both ways for those who may not come from a higher socioecnomic background to advance themselves thru staying in school, staying clean, and putting in hard work...both are ways to pay for a college education for example

[freepcrusher]

basically what I'm saying is that I had always thought that football fans and players probably lean republican, especially if you subtract the black football players or black soldiers. Then I realized that football is the most popular where the military is too. It seems like a lot of people in the army share the same demographic of the football players except they weren't good enough to play after HS or that a lot of guys in college and pro football would be in the army if they weren't good enough to play.

It seems that both the army and football get guys who are often from rural areas, small town or small cities. Many of them seem to be from families that are at or maybe slightly below the national average in terms of income and mobility. Also many of them aren't really ivory tower types and of average cognitive ability and would have a questionable future if they weren't playing football or in the army.

[dead0man]

Your assumptions (stereotypes) are quite wrong.  Most HS grads couldn't even get in the military if they wanted to as 75% of young Americans have "issues" that prevent them from even being eligible to join.  The average person in the military is smarter than the average American.  1 in 5 HS Grads can't pass the ASVAB (the test you take to see if you are smart enough to join the military and what kind of job to put you in if you do "pass").  They read at an entire grade level higher than people of the same age bracket.  The average enlisted man comes from a better neighborhood too.  You are right that they are more rural and southern, but they certainly ain't more "white"(75% of the US population is white, while only 73% in the military is).  Blacks are slightly overrepresented in the military compared to rest of the nation, Hispanics underrepresented.

Overall, the make up of the enlisted military pretty much matches the US in general, but slightly smarter, slightly wealthier, slightly blacker, a little more rural, a little less urban, not as many poor, not as many rich, plenty of middle class.

Cites here and here.

[politicus]

Interesting. Definitely contrary to what you would think. But The Heritage Foundation is a biased source and the numbers are pretty old. Could be interesting to see some new ones. Also the 75% identifying as whites in 2004 is in the entire population - not young people, which is the relevant demographic here.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Interesting. Definitely contrary to what you would think. But The Heritage Foundation is a biased source and the numbers are pretty old. Could be interesting to see some new ones. Also the 75% identifying as whites in 2004 is in the entire population - not young people, which is the relevant demographic here.

How is the Heritage  Foundation biased when it comes to military demographics?

[patrick1]

Interesting. Definitely contrary to what you would think. But The Heritage Foundation is a biased source and the numbers are pretty old. Could be interesting to see some new ones. Also the 75% identifying as whites in 2004 is in the entire population - not young people, which is the relevant demographic here.

How is the Heritage  Foundation biased when it comes to military demographics?

It is general orthodoxy in some quarters that the military uses the poor and minorities as cannon fodder.  This myth dates back to Vietnam, when the economic angle certainly had some elements of truth but the minority one didn't and doesn't. Anything that points out that these assumptions are wrong, as demonstrated by dead0, are called biased.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It is general orthodoxy in some quarters that the military uses the poor and minorities as cannon fodder.  This myth dates back to Vietnam, when the economic angle certainly had some elements of truth but the minority one didn't and doesn't. Anything that points out that these assumptions are wrong, as demonstrated by dead0, are called biased.

Those quarters also have a view of the military that sees soldiers as cannon fodder, which certainly is not the case in the United States military.

[memphis]

People in the military are also much less like to be evangelical Christians than the general public, although this is not true for the chaplains.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_19c66ee6-82b8-59f7-b3d5-fd3cc05bc538.html

[dead0man]

People in the military are also much less like to be evangelical Christians than the general public, although this is not true for the chaplains.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_19c66ee6-82b8-59f7-b3d5-fd3cc05bc538.html

Indeed another common missconception.  I certainly run into more atheist/agnostics than I do Holy Rollers.  And the few "churchy" people I have run into have been the crazy nice, not too preachy types.  That's not to say there haven't been cases where ugly things happened in the name of the Lord, but they are few and far between and are career enders when the sh**t hits the fan (and it always does).

[patrick1]

People in the military are also much less like to be evangelical Christians than the general public, although this is not true for the chaplains.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_19c66ee6-82b8-59f7-b3d5-fd3cc05bc538.html

Indeed another common missconception.  I certainly run into more atheist/agnostics than I do Holy Rollers.  And the few "churchy" people I have run into have been the crazy nice, not too preachy types.  That's not to say there haven't been cases where ugly things happened in the name of the Lord, but they are few and far between and are career enders when the sh**t hits the fan (and it always does).

Since you were in the Chair Force maybe you can answer me this:  I've read that the USAF officer cadre, particularly those from the academy, has an inordinate amount (esp. in relation to the other branches)  of evangelicals. Any truth to that?

[politicus]

Interesting. Definitely contrary to what you would think. But The Heritage Foundation is a biased source and the numbers are pretty old. Could be interesting to see some new ones. Also the 75% identifying as whites in 2004 is in the entire population - not young people, which is the relevant demographic here.

How is the Heritage  Foundation biased when it comes to military demographics?

As a Conservative organisation they are more likely to prefer a picture of the military as representative of the median population. Not saying they manipulated the numbers, but they do have a political agenda and are generally not an objective institution. As I mentioned the article does give a wrong impression of the ethnic makeup of the military by comparing the percentage of White soldiers (75%) with the percentage of Whites in the average population (73%) even though the white share of young people - which is the relevant demographic - is of course lower. So at least 1 manipulation.

[dead0man]

People in the military are also much less like to be evangelical Christians than the general public, although this is not true for the chaplains.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_19c66ee6-82b8-59f7-b3d5-fd3cc05bc538.html

Indeed another common missconception.  I certainly run into more atheist/agnostics than I do Holy Rollers.  And the few "churchy" people I have run into have been the crazy nice, not too preachy types.  That's not to say there haven't been cases where ugly things happened in the name of the Lord, but they are few and far between and are career enders when the sh**t hits the fan (and it always does).

Since you were in the Chair Force maybe you can answer me this:  I've read that the USAF officer cadre, particularly those from the academy, has an inordinate amount (esp. in relation to the other branches)  of evangelicals. Any truth to that?

There was an "issue" at the Academy a decade or so ago, so I'm guessing they go "above and beyond" to not let that happen again.

....and after looking into, I see that I'm wrong and that there are still some "issues" at the Academy and other places.  Shame really.  Like I said, I've never run into it and in all the shops I've work(ed) in and I'm assuming if somebody started doing it they'd get laughed at.  I wish the Chair Force stereotype would return to the "bunch of drunks" one that was dying out about the time I joined back in '94 and not this "Holy Roller" one we seem to have acquired since.