Fast facts about how Americans and Germans see security issues amid Trump’s plan to reduce troop levels
Americans are much more likely than Germans to see U.S. bases in Germany as important for their country’s national security.
On 75th anniversary of V-E Day, about 300,000 American WWII veterans are alive
World War II service members’ numbers have dwindled from around 939,000 veterans in 2015 to about 300,000 in 2020.
Veteran households in U.S. are economically better off than those of non-veterans
U.S. military veterans and their families have consistently had higher standards of living than non-veterans over the past 40 years.
Key findings about America’s military veterans
For many veterans who served in combat, their experiences strengthened them personally but made the transition to civilian life difficult.
How veterans and non-veterans fare in the U.S. job market
Veterans of prime working age generally fare at least as well as non-veterans in the U.S. job market, though there are differences in the work they do.
The changing profile of the U.S. military: Smaller in size, more diverse, more women in leadership
Today’s active duty military is smaller and more racially and ethnically diverse than in previous generations. More women are officers.
The American Veteran Experience and the Post-9/11 Generation
What it means to be a military veteran in the United States is being shaped by a new generation of service members. About one-in-five veterans today served on active duty after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Their collective experiences – from deployment to combat to the transition back to civilian life – are markedly different from those who served in previous eras.
Majorities of U.S. veterans, public say the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were not worth fighting
About two-thirds of U.S. veterans say the war in Iraq was not worth fighting, while 58% say the same of the war in Afghanistan.
Trump Draws Stronger Support From Veterans Than From the Public on Leadership of U.S. Military
A new Pew Research Center survey of veterans finds that a majority (57%) approve of the way Trump is handling his duties as commander in chief, with about half (48%) saying his administration’s policies have made the military stronger.
Fewer than a third of countries currently have a military draft; most exclude women
The U.S. is one of 23 countries where the military draft is authorized but not currently implemented. An additional 60 have some form of an active conscription program.
