Does an All Volunteer Army Reduce Public Support of Veterans?

In WW-II nearly 16-million Americans, some 11% of the country’s population, served in the Armed Forces. At the height of the Vietnam War nearly 30,000 men were drafted each month to sustain the 500,000 American combat and support forces fighting there.

With the elimination of an active draft and the creation of an all-volunteer Army the number of Americans with family members in the Armed Forces is just under 1%.

For that 1% the health and welfare of our active-duty service men and women and veterans is top of mind. The other 99% have less reason to care or even think about the wellbeing of active service personnel and veterans.

A high percentage of American citizens and politicians talk a good game when it comes to supporting veterans—"Thank you for your service,” is said so often, so easily, that it’s hard to believe it is any more meaningful than “Good morning.” And even when sincere, it’s nothing more than a nice thing to say. Active-duty men and women and Veterans deserve more than polite recognition.

Increases to the military budget are sold to Americans as providing better pay and conditions for active-duty personnel. But the fact is that far more money is channeled into defense industry corporate bank accounts than the pockets of any barracks residents.

Attempts to update and improve the VA have never had the financial support necessary to bring the level of changes and improvements politicians claim they would like to see. Strong public support for those improvements could create the political will to make those changes happen. 

However, with only 1% of the public directly connected with the military, are there enough Americans who genuinely care, enough Americans to support spending the money necessary to make needed improvements to the VA or will the often heard “Thank you for your service,” be the extent of America’s support for veterans?