Historical Composition of the Military

¶ … Military

Our military is rightfully said to be not only one of the most powerful but also one of the most professional militaries in the world. So, who are those who have served in our nation's military force over time? With regard to race, immigrants have participated in the U.S. military for a long time. Some of the things that have historically had an effect on the racial-ethnic composition of the U.S. military include but they are not limited to changes in recruitment and enlistment policies, changes in the demographic characteristics of the American population, etc. (Wilmoth and London, 2013). During the Revolutionary War, a significant percentage of those enlisted to serve in the American forces comprised of Germans and Irish immigrants. Blacks were also allowed to participate in the said war after the ban on their participation in the military was lifted. During the Civil War, the participation of German and Irish ethnics was also significant with some regimens being predominantly German or Irish (Wilmoth and London, 2013). Due to the need for additional troops, African-Americans were also allowed to participate in the Civil War. It is estimated that approximately 180,000 Blacks participated in the Civil war as soldiers in the Union Army (Wilmoth and London, 2013). World War I as Sterba (as cited in Wilmoth and London, 2013) points out also saw the participation of Jews (particularly those from Eastern Europe) in the U.S. military. According to the author, approximately 200,000 Jews served during this period. Like it was the case during World War I, a significant number of those who served in World War II were mainly drawn from first and second generation immigrants (Wilmoth and London, 2013) - amongst them were Italians. In the words of Mangione and Morreale (as cited in Wilmoth and London, 2013), "more than 500,000 Italians served on behalf of the U.S. during World War II" (p. 69).

Contrary to popular belief, women have also had a long history of participation in the military. It is however important to note that originally, their roles were largely auxiliary. Indeed, a very small number of women actively participated in the battle field during the Mexican, Civil, as well as Revolutionary Wars. Later on, women were officially allowed to enlist (most particularly in the Marine Corps and U.S. Navy) during World War I. More than 21,000 women served in various capacities during this period with the number jumping to 350,000 during the Second World War (Dolan, 2009). Over time, women started assuming greater roles in the military - with the Gulf War seeing more women serve alongside men in integrated units. In recent times, the role of women in the military has become even greater with the number of those in active service having increased significantly.

Although no mandatory conscription exists at the moment, age has also historically been an important parameter of conscription and enrolment into the U.S. military. For instance, during the Civil War -- after the passage of the relevant act by the Confederate Congress - those who had attained the age of the majority were required to serve in the military. Other laws passed to define age limit for conscription and enrolment include the Selective Service Act (1917 and 1948) and the Enrolment Act (1863). Currently, one can join the military after acquiring the age of majority. However, with parental consent, those aged 17 can be enlisted for service. The maximum age is caped at 35. It should however be noted that there exists different age limits for enlistment in the various services.