For the past year I have heard statistics regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC as I write this column in mid-February, there have been over 27 million confirmed cases of the Coronavirus and 489,000 deaths.
Sometimes I have a hard time putting context to the significance of numbers. In 2020, the United States’ population was 326.7 million so roughly 8.5% of the population has had COVID-19. I think most people know someone who has had the virus.
But how many people know someone who is currently serving in the military?
The Department of Defense Manpower Data Center has issued statistics for 2017. There were 1.3 million people serving on active duty in the military and 773,000 people serving in the reserve forces. That accounts for less than .6% of the general population of the United States. I think that makes it easier to forget the needs of this minority of the population, especially since that .6% is divided into unique subgroups.
For the 1.3 million active-duty personnel, 35.4% were serving in the Army, 23.9% were serving in each branch of the Air Force and the Navy, 13.8% were proud Marines and 3.1% were members of the Coast Guard. Each military unit serves a different function but work collaboratively in order to protect the citizens of the United States.
For the 773,000 reservists, 55.5% of the forces belong to the Air National Guard and the Army National Guard. National Guard members are considered to be citizen soldiers and report to the governors of each state. The remaining 45.5% of the reservists report to the regular chain of command for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
According to the World Bank Data, China had 2.7 million people serving in their Armed Forces in 2017. I used to hear the United States was the biggest world power partly because of the size and technology in the armed forces who defend our freedoms. Today our forces are outsized, but no other country can match our technology and the dedication of those individuals who are called to serve in the military.
