Most Americans respect vets but would not recommend enlisting
By Leo Shane III
Dec 15, 10:43 AM
A woman holds a "thank you" sign while watching the annual Veterans Day Parade in New York City on Nov. 11, 2014 in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Most Americans see veterans as disciplined, loyal and responsible. They also would discourage young people from enlisting in the military.
Those are the seemingly contradictory findings of a new report from the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute released this week. Researchers found that while most Americans had generally positive views of veterans and few negative stereotypes about them, they also were reluctant to recommend that others follow their example.
“It is one thing to hold military members in high esteem in the abstract, but it is something altogether different to recommend military service as a career path,” the researchers wrote. “Having an all volunteer force means that serving is an occupational choice, one that fewer and fewer Americans appear to be willing to make.”
The 2022 survey of more than 2,400 people found that roughly 54 percent said they would discourage someone they know from enlisting in the military, although more than 61 percent said they would encourage those same individuals if they wanted to attend a service academy or enter a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2023/12/15/most-of-us-respects-vets-but-would-not-suggest-enlisting-report-says/
