Aren't most military recruits, economically deprived?

Question

Is patriotism their motivation or benefits?

Answer 1

Most recruiting stations are located in economically deprived areas and those with a high population of minorities.

Answer 2

Funny I thought most recruiting stations were located in most big cities whether they are economically deprived or not.  Seems like those who lack the character and strength to join the military are always the ones taking shots at us. PROUD TO SERVE.

Answer: Compared to peers no they are not. The military provides not only the educational opportunity and the follow on experience it also pays you at the same time....

Answer 3

i would think its the idea of doing somethin exciting rather than spending the next 30 years behind a desk. Im going in and my family is well off where i would never have to work. But i dont plan on wasting my life and feel the military could be the best way to avoid that

Answer 4

I think it is great that the military is there for those who are economically deprived. I don't think ALL recruits are though. Many are from the middle class. No one else is really giving opportunties to poor men and women for a career and a paid college fund. People who critcize the military on that can go f themselves.

Answer 5

So i guess i broke the mold than caldude.....I happen to be a Captain in the US Army, formerly enlisted soldier who holds a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania.  I did give up close to a 6 figure job out of patriotism and the sheer love of my job.

Answer 6

Yes in general.  

You won't find many people who can afford to attend an ivy league college to give it up in favor of military service.

However, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Answer 7

No.  Maybe during the draft since the majority of those drafted were unable to get exemptions and deferments to avoid service.  I do not believe that is the case anymore.  I served 5 years in the Corps and my family had the means to pay for my education had I chose to pursue it right after high school.  While in, I served with men and women from all over the country and from many different backgrounds but I the majority of those I worked with did not have families that were economically deprived.  A few were very well off.  Patriotism was one of my reasons.  The benefits are a plus but not the only reason to join.  The military is a great choice but it is not for everyone.  I knew I was going to join the military in 1st grade.  As I got older I felt the Marine Corps would be the only way would want to go.  

Answer 8

No. They are not economically deprived. They made a career choice, plain and simple.

Answer 9

:-P  No, that is not true. A simple google search would show you that poor kids cannot get into the service now due to either low ASVAB Scores and/or no High School Diploma or GED. The Majority of kids in the service are from blue collar or middle class families and usually from rural areas as opposed to the ongoing myth that the kids all come from poor inner city families. Heck, go search on the Combat Deaths Economic and Race Stats, almost all are from Middle Class and 71% were white kids, with hispanics also being over represented as compared to the general population numbers and blacks and asians being under-represented as compared to the general population numbers. The only branch that has even has a problem getting people has been the Army and they are also expanding by up to 80k people over the next few years so even that has to be taken with a grain of salt.

Most people join the service for a variety of reasons, usually they are out of employment concerns, patriotism, structure, direction, sense of adventure, college money, tradition, etc..more often than not though it is a mix of all those things that go into it. Very few people go into the service for college or economic reasons, look at how much money is NOT spent from the GI Bill every year due to it not being used. A lot of that myth about the poor going into the military is still a hang over from the 60's and it was not even true then.

Drillwifey, those sites are pure propaganda, how is it that 71% of all combat deaths are white kids then? Are they fudging the numbers? lol! Also, most of the poor minorities can't get in due to the reasons stated above, it is so bad with enlistments of blacks that the Army is attempting to go after African Americans more now so that they will be back up to the rates in the Military that they make up in the General Population, black enlistment has fallen below historical highs of around 20% in the Army to below 12% due to other opportunities and also due to poor schools and low graduation rates from High Schools. As for the kids with families being poor, yes, if they are an E-1 to E-4 and have a wife and kids then the amount of money they get paid is going to fall below the poverty line but that does not mean they were poor before joining, most kids get in over there heads when they get married that young and that happens but it has nothing to do with the question and should be another post. Go look up something objective and do not use those websites as a source of info, they are a joke, it would be like me using the NRA as a source of objective information for Gun Control.

Answer 10

No. Studies have shown that, compared to their peers, people in the military are from a higher socio-economic background. And they have higher academic achievements, too.

Nice try. But that old chestnut hasn't been true for decades.

Answer 11

It depends.  The military is recession proof so while the guy in the military has stable employment the other guys see highs and lows.  Those that were in the military during the Vietnam War outperformed their non military peers economically when they guys got out of the military.  The average person going into the military is middle class.  One can't get into the U.S. military if they have too high of a debt.