PORTRAIT OF OUR MILITARY – AT 8:41 A.M. ET:  Where does our military come from?  IJ Review has a fine piece depicting how our military force is distributed among the states.  I think you'll find some surprises in this piece: 

While enlistment rates in the U.S. military vary by group, they also vary by state. Enlistment ranges from less than 3 per thousand in North Dakota to more than 7 per thousand in Florida and Maine.

North Dakota I get.  The economy is booming there, and enlistment rates are often related to the economy.  The high rate for Florida, a southern state with a high Hispanic population, is also understandable.  I don't see where Maine figures in.  Fine state, but why the highest enlistment rate?

According to the Defense Department, differences exist at the regional level as well. In 2013, 44% of all military recruits came from the South, despite it having only 36% of the country’s 18-24 year-old civilian population.

By contrast, the Northeast was the most underrepresented region of the country; only 14% of new enlistments came from this area, compared to 18% of its 18-24 year-old population.

I would have guessed the same thing about both regions.  What strikes me is how high is the percentage of 18-24 year-olds in the South, and how low in the Northeast.  Maybe too many of my fellow Northeasterners feel that having children is beneath them.  I mean, the Ivy League has its impact.

While the military says it isn’t concerned with the demographics of its recruits, is it fair to speculate as to which Americans volunteer to serve their country and why?

COMMENT:  Actually, you'd have to do a much more detailed survey to see what subgroups are represented.  You'd also have to look at economic incentives.

The South has always been overrepresented in the military.  The piece has maps that go into greater detail.  Fascinating stuff.  My own state of New York ranks poorly.  I think three New Yorkers tried to enlist last year, and all were rejected because of criminal records and Al Qaeda sympathies.

July 22,  2014