Who's in the Military?   Here's an interesting report from the
Heritage Foundation on who is enlisting in the military. It uses
census and other data to identify the origins of recruits in
addition to statistics the military provides. Here's the
conclusion:  Overall, the wartime recruits are more similar than
dissimilar to their civilian counterparts. The all-volunteer
force displays near proportional representation of income
backgrounds. Whites serve in approximate proportion to their
population, although representation of minority groups varies.
Recruits must meet educational standards, and the military
provides resources for furthering education to those who might
not otherwise have the opportunity to attend four-year colleges.
Although rural representation is disproportional, the military
offers the opportunity to gain new skills and enter industries
that are not available in rural areas.  With regard to income,
education, race, and regional background, the all-volunteer
force is representative of our nat