Despite popular stereotypes, the best predictor of whether someone will join the armed forces is not race or economic class. According to New York Times national correspondent Dave Philipps, it’s familiarity with the military – knowing someone who has served, usually a friend or family member. The result is that since the advent of the All-Volunteer Force, new recruits have been coming largely from the same places and the same families.

Dave covers the military and veterans from a ground-level perspective, hearing and sharing the stories of everyday troops, as opposed to policymakers in Washington. He has been with the Times since 2014, and he has won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting.

In this episode, Dave discusses insights from his January 2020 article, “Who Signs Up to Fight? Makeup of U.S. Recruits Shows Glaring Disparity.” Comparing past and present demographics of the military, Dave explains why the makeup of the armed forces has changed, and where the trend is likely to go. He also talks about military efforts designed toward recruiting a more representative force, and why it’s important for the military to truly reflect the population of the entire country.

“Thank You For Your Service” is a production of the University of Chicago Public Policy Podcasts and does not necessarily represent the official positions of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government.

References:

Dave Philipps and Tim Arango, “Who Signs Up to Fight? Makeup of U.S. Recruits Shows Glaring Disparity”. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/us/military-enlistment.html

Podcast Production Credit:

Thomas Krasnican, host
Nick Paraiso, host

Aishwarya Kumar, production manager

Morgan Wade, production support
Michelle Tran, production support

Special thanks to Dave Philipps, Emma Moore, Mike Robinson, and Tom Lattanzio.