question about the military

[dead0man]

Your assumptions (stereotypes) are quite wrong.  Most HS grads couldn't even get in the military if they wanted to as 75% of young Americans have "issues" that prevent them from even being eligible to join.  The average person in the military is smarter than the average American.  1 in 5 HS Grads can't pass the ASVAB (the test you take to see if you are smart enough to join the military and what kind of job to put you in if you do "pass").  They read at an entire grade level higher than people of the same age bracket.  The average enlisted man comes from a better neighborhood too.  You are right that they are more rural and southern, but they certainly ain't more "white"(75% of the US population is white, while only 73% in the military is).  Blacks are slightly overrepresented in the military compared to rest of the nation, Hispanics underrepresented.

Overall, the make up of the enlisted military pretty much matches the US in general, but slightly smarter, slightly wealthier, slightly blacker, a little more rural, a little less urban, not as many poor, not as many rich, plenty of middle class.

Cites here and here.

[dead0man]

People in the military are also much less like to be evangelical Christians than the general public, although this is not true for the chaplains.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_19c66ee6-82b8-59f7-b3d5-fd3cc05bc538.html

Indeed another common missconception.  I certainly run into more atheist/agnostics than I do Holy Rollers.  And the few "churchy" people I have run into have been the crazy nice, not too preachy types.  That's not to say there haven't been cases where ugly things happened in the name of the Lord, but they are few and far between and are career enders when the sh**t hits the fan (and it always does).

[dead0man]

People in the military are also much less like to be evangelical Christians than the general public, although this is not true for the chaplains.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_19c66ee6-82b8-59f7-b3d5-fd3cc05bc538.html

Indeed another common missconception.  I certainly run into more atheist/agnostics than I do Holy Rollers.  And the few "churchy" people I have run into have been the crazy nice, not too preachy types.  That's not to say there haven't been cases where ugly things happened in the name of the Lord, but they are few and far between and are career enders when the sh**t hits the fan (and it always does).

Since you were in the Chair Force maybe you can answer me this:  I've read that the USAF officer cadre, particularly those from the academy, has an inordinate amount (esp. in relation to the other branches)  of evangelicals. Any truth to that?

There was an "issue" at the Academy a decade or so ago, so I'm guessing they go "above and beyond" to not let that happen again.

....and after looking into, I see that I'm wrong and that there are still some "issues" at the Academy and other places.  Shame really.  Like I said, I've never run into it and in all the shops I've work(ed) in and I'm assuming if somebody started doing it they'd get laughed at.  I wish the Chair Force stereotype would return to the "bunch of drunks" one that was dying out about the time I joined back in '94 and not this "Holy Roller" one we seem to have acquired since.