Low percentage of Americans in military is "deeply problematic as a democracy," Rep. Pat Ryan says

[riversedge]

Source: CBS news



By Kaia Hubbard May 26, 2024 / 10:49 AM EDT

Washington — Rep. Pat Ryan said Sunday that he sees the small share of Americans — less than 1% — who are active-duty service members in the U.S. military as "deeply problematic as a democracy."

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Ryan, a veteran, said he and his colleagues in Congress have worked to prioritize recruiting within an annual defense bill, citing challenges among each branch of the military with recruiting numbers.

"We've been pushing and a bunch of directions to say that is not acceptable to the Department of Defense," Ryan said. "And, and we're starting to see the numbers come up."

But for the New York Democrat, he said "the most powerful thing" he's done in Congress is participate in a tradition of hand-washing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to mark Memorial Day. The bipartisan effort was started by Rep. Mike Waltz,.......

Waltz, a Florida Republican who is also a veteran, said of the tradition that it's "important for the American people" to see the lawmakers of various backgrounds "honoring our forefathers" together, despite their differences. ........................

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pat-ryan-tim-waltz-veterans-congress-memorial-day-face-the-nation-05-26-2024/

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Reps. Pat Ryan and Mike Waltz on "Face the Nation," May 26, 2024. CBS News

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Then who are the 'non-Americans' in the armed forces? What do they mean?

[LauraInLA]

11. As he says in the article,

“ he sees the small share of Americans — less than 1% — who are active-duty service members” as a problem — not enough Americans as a percentage have experience in the military. It doesn’t mean our military is filled with foreigners, but that only a small percentage choose to be involved.

[CurtEastPoint]

16. thanks. Obviously I didn't read it but just the headline.

[NanaCat]

29. Some countries allow foreigners to join their military

Around 15,000 Americans signed up for the British RAF between 1939 and 1941. The US likewise allows foreigners to sign up.

When I was at Keesler AFB for tech school, one of my roommates dated a guy from Africa. I don't remember the country anymore, but he wasn't a US citizen. Nobody in his family was, either. He could only serve in certain non-combat positions that didn't involve sensitive national security missions, stuff like admins, mechanics, or medical personnel. If he finished his enlistment with an honourable discharge, US citizenship became all but a guarantee on the other end.

[odins folly]

2. A true sign of a good economy

Young people have a ton of employment choices, no need to buy into the military to gain education and employment

[jimfields33]

3. Military can be a great career.

It was for me and millions of others. I think it should be an option at all times. Either college, tech school or military.

[odins folly]

4. I retired from the USAF

After a 20 year career, I'm just saying that it isn't as lucrative to go military when we have a good economy.

Although in today's environment, especially after Junior bush, I would not advise any young people to join.

[jimfields33]

5. That's true about the economy.

I joined under bush senior and retired under president Obama. It was great. I especially like the “first” of the month. lol.

[JT45242]

6. 1% is about 3.2-3.5 million people...in peacetime

The Soviet Union collapsed under the cost of its military and the inefficiency of its bureaucracy.

How many people does he think a peace time nation needs that relies heavily on drones and other unmanned tech. Or work multiplied by technology?

[manicdem]

17. Number isn't as large as it seems

1% of 17 to 60 year olds is about 2 million, about the actual size of the military now.

Then forces would have to be separated as I think we're still prepared for 2 wars at the same time, plus defense forces remaining in the US. Then consider only 1/4 of the forces are actually fighting the war. The rest are training, logistics, intel, admin, Coast Guard/Space Force, etc. And then only 1/3rd to half of the forces are fighting at one time because of training and rotations., etc.

Boots on the ground is a lot smaller than it seems. We have a lot of technology and it helps greatly, but a lot of the work is still done by Soldiers on the ground.

[sakabatou]

7. I mean, it's not like military service is voluntary. Oh wait...

Besides, people have gotten sick of the Bush Wars.

[slightlv]

24. I agree with you.

Bush did more to kill our military spirit than anyone else, Imo. He actively worked against them via equipment and armor. He lowered the bottom for unfavorable waivers. He sent mercenaries to fight.... With equipment our Men should have had. In addition, the wars were stupid... We weren't fighting who we should have been fighting, he just had to best his daddy. As a veteran, I've heard so many angry vets from that time. And they're not telling their kids to enlist now.

Today, its a 50-50 tossup if the military will be fighting for America or for Russia. Until our politics straighten out I know I wouldn't go in again. Economics can change things, but thats not the spirit these guys are talking about.

[Warpy]

8. He might want to consider that a large peacetime standing army

is the biggest threat to democracy. The founders knew this and tried to keep the citizen militia going after the Republutionary War. That wasn't the answer, either, so they decided a small, professional army was needed in peacetime, They would train a larger army in times of war.

The thing about large standing armies is how easily they can be taken over by dictators and wannabe populist dictators. Democracies have always been overthrowin by the far right, funded by the rich, and in concert with a large military. I defy anyone to come up with an exception.

Ryan is living in the past and thinks a large peacetime army is normal when it wasn't, it was a post WWII aberration when the Pentagon convinced Congress that the Commies would pour through the Fulda Gap at any moment. We got rid of that large standing army for a reason.

Ryan needs to rethink his position, which is the wrong one.

[Puppyjive]

9. They would not take my son

He scored really high in his testing. Found out he has a slight hearing impairment. He has hearing aids, but never wears them. Corrected to 100% and they still would not take him. Volunteers aren't perfect specimens, but damnit, they are volunteers. They military has created their own problems. I'm still stung by their rejection. I know he would have done fine. I spent nine years in the military. Their rejection was just wrong.

[James48]

12. Only a small percentage of people today qualify.

Yes, hearing is important. Having hearing loss harms military capability.

Too many young people can’t physically, mentally, or emotionally qualify to serve in our military.

I’d be I. Favor of universal service- 18 to 24 months at age 19. Six month of training, and a year of service.

Join the military, or health service, or aid to seniors, or spend a year in a food kitchen.

I’d be good with that.

[XorXor]

27. I've always liked the idea of a soft conscription for either military or civil service

Serve a few years in exchange for having college paid for and a decent completion bonus in way of cash to help them get started with their life once they finish. There has to be civil service aspect for those who would work well in the military, and to do stuff that isn't really suited for the military.

[NanaCat]

30. They do have basic physical requirements

For a reason. Many career fields require good hearing, because communications are so crucial to them, and the conditions don't always allow for hearing aids. Sometimes, the job requires going from a dead sleep to on your feet and out the door in seconds. I think you can see how hearing aids wouldn't be conducive to that sort of environment.

BTW, I barely passed the hearing tests.

[anciano]

10. The number of active duty personnel

does not necessarily correlate with overall military capability, especially in the high tech scenario of the 21st century. That is outdated thinking.

[slightlv]

25. In a way I agree, but

look at Russia. Lots of high tech but they aren't winning because they don't have the old ways of fighting anymore. An old style WWII type war combined with high tech is whats in the future. Frankly I'd like to see counter insurgency done here in the US to rout out the Magas and lock them up.

[oasis]

13. Trump's trashing of our troops

no help.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. USA has a large active military per head for a democracy

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/military-size-by-country

The large democracies with a higher active military per capita normally have their own reasons - Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine. Greece (and that's a lot smaller) isn't actively defending a border; Lithuania, Norway and Finland have a slightly higher per capita figure, but they all border Russia.

[Martin68]

15. It is only problematic if there is evidence we need a larger standing army to defend ourselves and our allies.

One reason the Vietnam War was problematic was the fact that African Americans and Americans of draft age from low income families were drafted in numbers out of proportion to the population.

[mahina]

18. I agree it's a problem that so few serve.

For the first generations in my family that did not serve, starting a baseless war in Iraq and torturing people played a part in the decision. Also the very discouraging execution of Vietnam cost us personally and grievously.

We have some work to do reclaiming the good guy banner worthy of the sacrifices we ask of them. I trust we will get there. The era of messing up other counteies must be over.

[Crowman2009]

19. Probably because a lot people witnessed what the so-called war on terror did to their relatives who came back from...

....their deployment. Not to mention that no one wants to inhale whatever the fuckin' fumes are coming out of the burn pits.

Maybe not cheerleading people into a never-ending war based on lies and defense contractor cash grabs would make people want to enlist.

[LiberalFighter]

20. 1 million? Likely about 1.29 million.

I bet he doesn't consider the National Guards can step in.

[IronLionZion]

21. The nature of warfare has evolved to use fewer humans

lots more drones these days. People don't want Bush-style large ground wars these days with lots of deaths and wounded veterans.

[republianmushroom]

22. Rep Ryan, question, are either of your two children in the military ?

[CRK7376]

23. 21 years of Army active duty and 17 years with Army Reserve and National Guard units

I was a product of the delayed entry program enlisting in March 1976 but did not report to Active Duty until October 1977. Three years in Germany then home to become a college student and use my GI Bill. somewhere along the way I became a lifer. I also figured out that a Buck Sergeant in the Reserve or Guard would be paid $100 a month for one weekend of duty. Beer money or a truck payment. I went for the truck payment. I was a descent NCO but wanted more responsibility so I joined Army ROTC to become an officer. Was commissioned 2LT in May 1983. Branched Military Intelligence and ran a SCIF. Wife and I were expecting our 1st child and she wanted me in a unit closer to home. So I joined the National Guard got my Captain's bars and my first Company Command. i was a high school history teacher with nothing to do all summer so Uncle Sam paid me most summers to work MI issues in Germany and Japan. Now I am a Major have completed two Company Commands and It's time to leave the National Guard and I joined Civil Affairs part of Army Special Operations. Spring 1998 Uncle Sam asked me to come back on Active Duty and I jumped back into the Army full time...my Army pay was 3x times better than what my school system paid me.8months after the Twin Towers came down I was in Afghanistan. after Afghanistan I go back to Ft Bragg and I have the choice to got to Korea for two years with my family or go without my family and come back after one year in Korea and to the job I wanted. Good year for me extremely tough year for my wife and 3 kids. Oldest boy was starting high school, other son was a 5th grader and our daughter was 3. Luckily my wife's parents lived near us and were able to help sometimes. I get promoted to LTC and returned to Ft Bragg and go to the Army War College for Graduate School. My last job and last promotion happens in February 2009 i get promoted to Colonel and leave Bragg for Ft. Jackson and will retired from Ft Jackson in December 2015. It was a great ride and I had the honor and privilege to serve and lead fantastic soldiers. After retiring from the Army I went back to teaching high school history in a title one school. I Did not teach ROTC, I was a History Teacher and just finished my first year of retirement from the NC School System. life is good, great time and peole in the Army and lots of fun teaching and coaching (Cross Country and Track and Field) NC kids.

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

26. More than boots on the ground ...

go to the Army War College for Graduate School. My last job and last promotion happens in February 2009

I was faculty at the Army War College from 2005-2013. Seminar 7. I wonder if we met.

While at the War College I did an informal survey of senior officers and found that a majority of the colonels and generals that I asked came from families with a history of military service. I do not know if that applies to all military but my and my wife’s family fall in that category.

In my case it was my grandfather’s generation and earlier where the tradition was strong. He is buried at Arlington, and I still have his WWII medals on my mantle.

My father applied to West Point but was rejected and never served. I never served, though after 9/11 I tried to get in. I was told by a rather frank SGM that I was too old and too fat. So, I went in as an Army civilian for 8 years.

I think Rep. Ryan's comments are likely less about the number of bodies in uniform and more about the connection or lack thereof between the nation’s military and its populous.

In WWII approximately a third of all adult males were in uniform. That meant most families had a personal stake in the war. Between that, rationing, and the vast number of people working in war related industries we were truly a nation at war.

During the Iraq and Afghan wars I realized we were not a nation at war, we were barely a government at war. At best we were a military and part of the state department at war. And only a small percentage of US families were directly affected.

And if most or even many of those in uniform come from families with a tradition of military service the percentage of US families with members in uniform becomes even smaller than the total numbers would imply.
My thought is that the smaller percentage of US families with people in uniform, the easier it is for politicians to send those troops into harms way.

Having such a small percentage of voters directly impacted means there is a danger of a social divide growing between those few that do serve and the vast majority that do not. If some random strangers are being sent into harms way it is easy for those not personally impacted to say “They volunteered. They knew what the risks were.” And to feel little to no empathy for the real costs of military action.

The military plays a vital role in the US’s international affairs, and not just during war time. If such an important element of national power is little known or understood by the vast majority of voters and politicians, I think it is a problem.

Not a problem of manpower and numbers but of connection and understanding.

I do not think mandatory service is the answer. I think better education, outreach, and communication is likely the best we can do until we fall into the next national crisis that forces us to work together.

Just my experience and opinion.

[XorXor]

28. I've seen more than a few articles about recruiters complaining how some new medical system

That makes it more likely to put up difficult to circumvent or disqualifying road blocks. Here is one example: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-military-genesis-medical-screening-recruiting/