Most Younger People Don’T Know Anyone In The Military & That’S Causing A Divide In American Culture

The Los Angeles Times reports there’s a wider divide than ever between people who have connections with the military and those who don’t. There also seems to be a growing age gap between older people who know members of the military and those under 50.

Here’s the story by the numbers:

57% of Americans ages 30-49 have an immediate family member who served.
30% of 18-29 year olds know an immediate family member who served
49% of all active duty military come from five states: California, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia.
The Times reports college ROTC programs are becoming fewer and fewer, shrinking from 420 campus ROTC programs during the Reagan era, to 275 today.

The gap between civilian students and those who serve in the military are more pronounced, according to a 20-year-old cadet who spoke to the LA Times:

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