Fred Lucas
Fewer than one-third of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approve of President Barack Obama’s job performance, and fewer than half think he is a good commander in chief, according to a new survey.
President Barack Obama is greeted on the tarmac by Gen. Frank Gorenc, center, USAF Europe Commander and Brigadier Gen. Patrick Mordente, left, Wing Commander, Ramstein AFB, upon his arrival at Ramstein Air Base, Saturday, March 29, 2014 in Germany. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
The Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation polled 891 current and former service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans from across the country. The poll was conducted from August through December of last year though only released Sunday.
According to the results, just 32 percent of Iraq and Aghanistan veterans said they approve of Obama’s job as president.
Meanwhile, 42 percent of respondents said they believe Obama is a “good commander in chief of the military,” while 48 percent said he isn’t. As unpopular as President George W. Bush was, 65 percent believed he was a good commander in chief.
As TheBlaze previously reported, employment for all veterans is higher than the national average, but post-9/11 veterans have a higher unemployment rate than the national average. One of the reasons for this is credentialing for various fields. The Obama administration has sought to address this matter through helping service members use the skills they used in the military as credit toward licensing in civilian life — for instance an Army medic could have an advantage becoming an EMT.
The poll found that just 41 percent though the government is doing a good or excellent job of “meeting the needs of the current generation of veterans.” However, 59 percent thought their personal needs were being met.
On a high note, 89 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans said they would join the military again, so disapproval of the commander in chief doesn’t appear to be prompting anyone to desire to be less enthusiastic about serving.
That enthusiasm about re-enlisting doesn’t mean full confidence in the wars the country has fought for the last decade. A slim majority, 53 percent, said they believe the war in Afghanistan was worth fighting.
On two controversial gender-related issues, those polled seemed to have confidence in the system, with 58 percent supporting women serving in combat rolls and half believing it won’t make a difference. Meanwhile, 54 percent think the military is properly addressing the sexual assault problems.
(H/T: Real Clear Politics)
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