79% of Veterans and Service Members Say Politicians and Society Are Leaving Them Behind: Poll

Roughly 79% of veterans and service members believe that politicians and society are leaving veterans and military families behind.

That is according to polling by grassroots veterans’ organization Common Defense Civic Engagement, which it conducted in September and released in late October. Of the 731 active-duty service members, veterans and military families that responded to the survey, 48% strongly agreed with this sentiment and 15% disagreed.

Common Defense polled from Sept. 15 to Sept. 18 about a range of issues pertaining to military life and politics. The poll’s margin of error was +/- 4%.

Its polling comes amid the U.S.’s ongoing conflict with Iran. Intense diplomatic talks began today between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistani and Iranian leaders to prevent all-out regional war. This meeting came after President Donald Trump warned of a potential new round of major American airstrikes that could take place after Tuesday’s elections.

These issues and other foreign policy objectives affect service members and veterans alike.

“Veterans know what real leadership looks like: you take care of the people under your command and you keep politics out of the mission,” said Jose Vasquez, U.S. Army veteran and executive director of Common Defense.

“Right now, nearly 8-in-10 veterans and military families say they’re being left behind, and active-duty troops are telling us that politicization is pushing them toward the exit. That’s not a talking point; it’s a readiness crisis,” he added.

Other Findings in the Poll

Common Defense also found that 53% of active-duty service members want to separate from service sooner because they said the military is becoming more politicized.

Another 45% said policy changes or uncertainty under the current Trump administration had also made them consider separating sooner.

Also, 44% cited the quality of housing or base facilities as impetus for an early exit—the same proportion that cited leadership and unit culture as affecting their longevity in the military.

The poll also found that 67% agree that decisions affecting service members are being made for political gain, not mission readiness, compared to 25% who disagreed.

In terms of specific political figures with oversight over the military, roughly 50% of veterans and active-duty service members said they disapproved of Trump as commander-in-chief, while 47% said they approved of him.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had a similar approval rating. Roughly 45% of respondents said they approved of him, while 50% said they disapproved.

Another 56% said they approved of senior uniformed military commanders, such as top generals and admirals, while 27% said they disapproved.