Is There a Growing Divide between Military and Civilians?

Like the knights of medieval Europe or the samurai of feudal Japan, America now has a new warrior class. And it’s a serious problem because a greater understanding of today’s military would be beneficial for civilians.

Does Dwindling Military Equal Less Support?

According to a recent Pew Research study titled “The Military-Civilian Gap,” a smaller share of Americans currently serve in the U.S. Armed Forces than at any time since the peacetime era between World Wars I and II.

America’s knee-jerk reaction to the Vietnam War gave birth to the all-volunteer force in 1973 and killed the draft. As a result, there is an ever-shrinking percentage of Americans — a self-contained warrior class — who must carry the burden of our country’s ongoing Global War on Terror.

This new class is shockingly small. There are approximately 1.34 million active-duty personnel, who represent only about 0.4% of the population. America may have the largest military budget, but the actual number of servicemembers per 100,000 Americans is about 500.

Interestingly, the idea of an all-volunteer force has the overwhelming support of most Americans and military leaders, but it has had some severe consequences. According to Dr. Mike Haynie, military veteran and Executive Director of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, “The all-volunteer force makes it much too easy for us to leverage military conflict as an instrument of public…