Support Our Troops

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Support Our Troops

Key facts about today’s military:

  • The Army remains the largest branch of the U.S. military. In 2015, 36% of all active-duty military personnel were serving in the Army. The Navy and Air Force were comparable in size, each accounting for roughly a quarter of active-duty personnel. The Marine Corps made up 14% of the active-duty military, while the Coast Guard made up 3%.

    The Army, Navy and Air Force are substantially smaller in numbers today compared with their size in 1990. The size of the Marine Corps; active-duty force has also decreased, but not to the extent of these other branches. By comparison, the number of active-duty members of the Coast Guard has ticked up.

  • The active-duty force remains largely male-dominated, but women have made inroads in recent decades. Overall, 15% of DOD active-duty military personnel are women, up from 11% in 1990. In 2015, 17% of active-duty officers were female; up from their share of 12% in 1990. And 15% of enlisted personnel were female in 2015, up from 11% in 1990. The share of women in the ranks varies significantly by service branch. Women comprise nearly one-in-five active-duty personnel in the Air Force (19%) but only 8% of all Marines. Women make up 18% of the Navy and 14% of the Army.
To read more, click here: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/13/6-facts-about-the-u-s-military-and-its-changing-demographics/

Source of information: www.pewresearch.org