More Than Half of Active-Duty Service Members Say Military Is Being Politicized, Making Them Want To Leave Early: Poll

While Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says he is working to eliminate “woke” ideas from the military and ensure it is more focused on readiness, a new survey finds that active-duty service members feel that the military is becoming more politicized — which is making them want to leave early. A poll veteran-led advocacy organization, Common Defense, released a poll of 731 active-duty service members, veterans, and military family members, finding that President Trump and Mr. Pete Hegseth both have a disapproval rating of 50 percent. Common Defense said that 71 percent of the sample was made up of men, and 71 percent of respondents were white. Forty-seven percent of respondents identified as Republicans, while 35 percent identified as Democrats.The survey, which was first reported by Military.com on Monday, found that 63 percent of Republicans said that military decisions are being made for political gain. Meanwhile, 53 percent of active-duty respondents said that they believe the military is becoming more politicized, which is making them want to leave sooner. The survey noted that the percentage is “double the share who cite pay and benefits” for wanting to leave earlier. The political director of Common Defense, Naveed Shah, said in a statement, “Even in a sample that leans older, whiter, and more conservative than the country, two-thirds of military voters say the decisions affecting our troops are about politics, not readiness.”“Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth can’t keep claiming to speak for the military while ignoring what service members and their families are telling them,” Mr. Shah said. The survey comes months after the Trump Administration touted the news that all five branches of the military had hit or exceeded their recruiting goals for the 2026 fiscal year. That came after several years of the Army and Navy missing their recruiting goals. Despite the uptick in recruitment, Mr. Hegseth has faced criticism over his attempts to eliminate diversity policies. In September, he declared that generals who “clung to the woke department” or “seemed to think civilian control of the military is simply a suggestion” were being removed. “We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. Simple translation of that: no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors,” Mr. Hegseth said during a speech in September. “The only focus, as you know, in your formations should be training, readiness, accountability, discipline and lethality.”The Pentagon has also said it will test for “testosterone deficiency” among men in the military to ensure they operate at their “absolute best.”Active-duty members also expressed a desire to end the war in Iran, with 48 percent of respondents saying they oppose Operation Epic Fury. Fifty-five percent of respondents say they want Congress to investigate the length of deployments and the condition of troops’ health and safety during the war. The desire for an investigation into the length of deployments, a matter that was highlighted by reports of poor conditions and multiple suicide attempts onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which was at sea for 10 months.

More Than Half of Active-Duty Service Members Say Military Is Being Politicized, Making Them Want To Leave Early: Poll

More Than Half of Active-Duty Service Members Say Military Is Being Politicized, Making Them Want To Leave Early: Poll

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