Yesterday, the Military Times released their annual opinion poll, which serves as a barometer for the military’s morale. This year, the report’s name says it all. “Down on the war” sends a strong message from American troops in Iraq — their spirit is down and waning further still. Think Progress has most of the report’s highlights, but the most prescient of them are that less than half of the respondents think troop escalation is the answer and even if it is the answer, nearly 75% think the military is “stretched too thin to be effective.” The Wall Street Journal reported extensively on the military’s economic shortfalls earlier this month. Although the 945 respondents, out of the 4000 active-duty officers polled because they are Military Times subscribers, are not representative of the entire force, they seem to be among the most knowledgeable and experienced. They are on average older and more likely to be officers. 66% have been deployed at least once.
