Does the U.S. military exploit the uneducated, the poor and minorities?

Question

I keep hearing talk that the only ones that are in the military and the only ones fighting our wars are the uneducated, the poor and minorities.
Recently however, after John Kerry said to get an education or get "stuck" in Iraq, I heard a lot of information that differs from this.

Like that the percentage of high school and college graduates is higher in the military than the percentage in the U.S. population, or that there are fewer minorities percentage wise fighting in the war and in enlisted service than the percentage in the U.S. population.
How much of this (from either side) is true? I am interested in hearing opinions from both sides. If someone has stats and or web references with these stats that would be very helpful.

Answer 1

Seeing how 85% of the ground combat troops are white and that the same percentage killed in action are white I'd say know. It is a common myth began during the 1960's that minorities were the most likely to be drafted and sent to combat. It was not true then and even less so now.

Answer 2

1. John Kerry is a moron. He tried to make a joke, but didn't think of how people would interpret that joke.

2. No, the military does not exploit poor, uneducated and minorities.

I am in the US Navy. When I took the ASVAB I got a 99. My life before going in could be considered lower middle class. I got a high school diploma and attended a major university for one year. The military does not exploit anyone, in fact I would say that the military gives opportunities for those who need it.

Answer 3

NO, The US Armed Forces are some of the best and the brightest people in society. Today's military is a far cry from the previous generations. Not saying that previous generations were stupid. The fact is with all of the technology at the soldiers fingertips one has to have a brain to use and operate them. As for the poor not so much. More and more you see a military with a vary diverse economical back grounds entering the military.
As for John Kerry's remarks about the armed forces are totally untrue. He is the ignorant one for saying something like that.

Answer 4

No the military doesn't exploit. Today's military has high education standards. Every quarter the number of people allowed to enter the military with out high school graduation evaluated. It is harder to get into the military with out highschool education. As for minorities, there are a large number of foreign nationals that join the military, some do it out of thanks, some out of pride and to become a U.S. Citizen. For the most part, the military has some very technical careers that need smart people. The military is all voluntary, and is only an option for someone to get training and funds for college. Montgomery G.I. Bill is a college funding for military, Tuition Assistance which pays 100% of college tuition for classes while you're active duty. The military is constantly encouraging members to get college in. I have my Associates due to Tuition assistance, and am working on my bachelors. So to say the military exploits is wrong. To say the military gives opportunities is more the right thing to say.

Answer 5

generally i would say in every nation there is some kind of selection, but well in an army you need all kind of types educated and uneducated as well

but i hope you will agree, it is from government view unwise to send educated or studied people to a front line, ecpecially when it is known before, that there will be losses. Educated people are more in technical, strategic, logistic jobs and well education is need to fly planes or drive tanks. There is plenty high tech today.

but of course it is in several nations normal, that uneducated or disadvantaged minorities are send on hero missions

you may think how cruel, but this is not. this is rational. you certainly agree, that there exists situations around the world when it is necessary to fight with troops, so it is a job that has to be done. sure volunteers are prefered and plenty know exactly what they will await, it is not that that they do not know to die

if you wouldn´t do this selection , it would hurt your own economy badly. from government view, you are as a citizen just a number

you will agree that educated or studied people will earn more money during their lifes and pay more taxes, than uneducated people, and the possibility is high that educated people will have educated children.

so everyone has to do for the nation, what is best for all. the groups you mention in your question may appear as disadvanteged, but they are doing a job, that has to be done, therfore they are heroes

Answer 6

Your figures for minorities are way off, check your source. That being said, people are not tricked into service. Military service offers a chance to escape from your current life situation, whomever you are. Let's face it some trust fund baby is not going into the recruiter's office to sign up. On the other hand Microsoft isn't going after middle class kids with high school diplomas for new job openings.

The fact is people choose to go into the military on their own, because they see it as a way to get where they want to go in life. And if they are like me they cannot wait to get out of the military so they can hurry up and start that future.

Answer 7

ok wow, you couldn't be more wrong. first of all john kerry is a tool, thats why i hate politicians. if people in the military are poor and dumb how are there any officers? all officers need a college degree. most poeple in the military, infantry included, have college degrees or some college. they just had an article about this on yahoo news too. if your tlaking about the days of ww2, korea and vietnam, college wasn't such an easy thing to attain back then and people were generally poorer back then. now in order to fight in todays modern army, with the modern equipment, you have to have some level of intelligence.

Answer 8

"Kerry. Bleh. I think he misspoke/it was suppsoed to be a joke, but, still, tasteless.
I voted for him in '04 as the lesser of the two evils.

Re: his remarks regarding Vietnam, I found this info

"Because the draft provided deferment to college students, the burden of being sent to Vietnam fell heavily on the less well educated and less affluent. And because of the unpopularity of the war, military service was disdained by many members of the nation's elite, leading their children to lose the propensity to serve that had characterized earlier generations of America's privileged. As a result, the Americans who fought in the Vietnam War looked very different from the professional corps now fighting in Iraq and stationed around the globe...Among the many myths of Vietnam that persist today, experts say, is that it was a war fought by poor and black Americans, who died in greater proportions than whites.

Although that was true in the early stages of the American ground war, in 1965 and 1966, when there were large numbers of blacks in frontline combat units, Army and Marine Corps commanders later took steps to reassign black servicemen to other jobs to equalize deaths, according to Col. Harry G. Summers Jr. in "Vietnam War Almanac."

By the end of the war, African-Americans had suffered 12.5 percent of the total deaths in Vietnam, 1 percentage point less than their proportion in the overall population, Colonel Summers wrote."

So, he was half right on the Vietnam remarks; yes, disproportionately to those who were under-privileged, but, not really a huge disparity as far as race.


At the same site was this:

"Today's servicemen and women may not be Ivy Leaguers, but in fact they are better educated than the population at large: reading scores are a full grade higher for enlisted personnel than for their civilian counterparts of the same age."


Anyway, there's some more interesting info on the site, including the percentages of races in different services and jobs and whatnot, so I'll just post it below.

My husband is very smart, but he'll be the first to tell you he'd never survive college. Just hates school. And he married a school-teacher. Hmm. Anyway, I've known a lot of college people who are pretty darn stupid, and a lot of people who never went to college and are pretty smart, so, I tend to avoid judging people on that.

Answer 9

i joined the USN at 23 with a BS in Science. As Enlisted with the intent to go officer until I tore out my knee and ankle tripping down a ladderwell in very High Seas. i got medically discharged Honorable. But I guess I was stupid right. Wrong. I served in a high tech field. Where my degree in electrical engineeering came in very useful.

You will see more and more people like me as the tech continues to advance. Maybe to the point of Hi-tech jobs requiring a minumin 2 yr degree.

Answer 10

I have heard those stats, and I'd love to get a copy myself. I tried doing an Internet search, but didn't have the patience to wade through all the crap that it pulled up.

I know quite a few men who have been in (or are currently in) Iraq, and not one of them is a minority, poor, or uneducated. That's just the BS the loony left wants you to believe.