Are They In the Army Now?

N AT I O N A L R E V I E W/J U LY 4, 2005 demands on minorities, the poor, and the undereducated?

We might ask how accurate is the cur- rent picture of military disarray. First, the Marines have suffered dispro- portionate fatalities in the war in Iraq. They are about 30 percent of all combat deaths, yet make up only 11 percent of cur- rent American forces. But in May the Marines slightly exceeded their recruit- ment goal. The Air Force and Navy like- wise met 100 percent of their requirements. The Army traditionally has had the hardest time meeting its targets, given the reputa- tion—warranted or not—that the other branches offer more specialized training and skills that will better enhance civilian careers without the same level of risk as ground combat.

N AT I O N A L R E V I E W/J U LY 4, 2005 demands on minorities, the poor, and the undereducated?

We might ask how accurate is the cur- rent picture of military disarray. First, the Marines have suffered dispro- portionate fatalities in the war in Iraq. They are about 30 percent of all combat deaths, yet make up only 11 percent of cur- rent American forces. But in May the Marines slightly exceeded their recruit- ment goal. The Air Force and Navy like- wise met 100 percent of their requirements. The Army traditionally has had the hardest time meeting its targets, given the reputa- tion—warranted or not—that the other branches offer more specialized training and skills that will better enhance civilian careers without the same level of risk as ground combat.

About the Author

Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University; the author of The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won; and a distinguished fellow of the Center for American Greatness.