6 facts about the U.S. military
Ahead of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, here are six facts about the military.
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Military & Veterans
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What we know about veterans who work for the federal government
As of September 2024, more than 700,000 veterans worked in various federal departments and agencies.
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The changing face of Congress in 7 charts
The 119th Congress is the most racially and ethnically diverse in history, and it includes the nation’s first openly transgender legislator at the federal level.
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The changing face of America’s veteran population
Today, there are more than 18 million living veterans in the United States, representing about 6% of the country’s adult population.
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A Look Back at How Fear and False Beliefs Bolstered U.S. Public Support for War in Iraq
Twenty years ago this month, the U.S. launched a major invasion of Iraq. President George W. Bush and his administration at first drew broad public support for the use of military force. Yet the campaign soon left Americans deeply divided, and by 2019, 62% said the Iraq War was not worth fighting.
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New Congress will have a few more veterans, but their share of lawmakers is still near a record low
The new House will have 80 members who’ve served in the military, or 18.4% of members. That’s up from 75, or 17.2%, in the 117th Congress.
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Around one-in-five candidates for Congress or governor this year are veterans
21% of the roughly 1,000 candidates for U.S. Senate, House or state governor on the fall ballot claim some degree of military experience.
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Americans’ Trust in Scientists, Other Groups Declines
Trust in scientists and medical scientists has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, with 29% of U.S. adults saying they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public. This is down from 40% in November 2020 and 35% in January 2019, before COVID-19 emerged. Other prominent groups – including the military, police officers and public school principals – have also seen their ratings decline.
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Americans differ from people in other societies over some aspects of U.S. ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ power
While Americans see some aspects of U.S. power more positively than people elsewhere, they offer more negative views in other areas.
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U.S. veterans have mixed views of Afghanistan withdrawal but are highly critical of how Biden handled it
Veterans and non-veterans in the United States largely align when it comes to the decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan.
