Military and Veterans

As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) celebrates its 70th anniversary this month, Americans overwhelmingly say being a member of NATO is beneficial for the United States.

Overall, 43% of Americans say withdrawing American troops from Syria would be the right decision, while 45% say it would not.

About half of U.S. adults say the country's mission in Afghanistan has mostly failed in achieving its goals, while about a third say it has mostly succeeded.

Large majorities in eight Western European countries trust the military, ranging from 84% in France to 66% in Spain. Similarly, eight-in-ten Americans have confidence in the military.

Half of Americans say using military force against countries that may seriously threaten the U.S. – but have not attacked it – can often or sometimes be justified.

There were around 20.4 million U.S. veterans in 2016, representing less than 10% of the total U.S. adult population. Read key findings about U.S. veterans.

The number of active-duty U.S. military troops stationed overseas has dipped below 200,000 for the first time in at least 60 years.

John Kelly is the first chief of staff in more than four decades to come from the upper ranks of the military, and unlike most of his predecessors he has no prior work experience in the White House or campaign politics.

U.S. veterans, who broadly supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election, have remained positive about the job he is doing as president.

The demographic makeup of the country's active-duty force has changed over time, and those changes tend to reflect trends in the broader society.