JMA,
Additionally, in looking at the enlistment and retention data I presented earlier, African-Americans present an interesting case study. They are over-represented in the services and, in the Army at least, they form a substantial portion of the senior NCO corps. These are your "professional soldiers" - but what are their qualities? What makes them professional soldiers? Is it their longevity in uniform? Their professional development? Are you going to argue that their over-representation is due to their greater patriotism than white, Asian, or Hispanic communities? I'm willing to bet that a number of them were not quality enlistments - they originated from states with few opportunities, but the military offered an opportunity that was otherwise not available. That is one of the functions of the military deliberately created by Congress and exploited by the military for enlistment and retention goals. And frankly, I think it's insulting to disparage the reasons why people enlist by mythologizing the hero-narrative and ignoring the real reasons why people actually decide to serve.
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