A slim majority of Americans would recommend their family and friends join the military even as their confidence in the military hovers at a low point, according to the latest defense survey from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.
This year’s survey found that 51% of respondents said they would encourage friends and family who were considering joining the military to do so, compared to 33% who said they would discourage their loved ones from joining.
At the same time, 46% of respondents said they have a “great deal” of trust and confidence in the military, sitting between last year’s result of 48% with great confidence and 2021’s all-time low of 45%.
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The institute did not collect data that directly explains the slight divergence between those who would recommend military service and those who have great confidence in the military, but officials posited that one explanation could be found in the main reason people say they would encourage military service.
“You look at the number one reason on the encourage list, and it’s about patriotism, service and honor, and those are things that sort of might exist outside or those values might rise above any particular concerns around the current military or civilian leadership, which is clearly what’s driving the declining trend overall in institutional…
