The cross section of the military is not much different than what one finds in the general populace. At least, that has been my experience.

Not being a vet, this is one instance where I wish I coudl see the pool results, even without castign a vote.

As an outsider, I would suspect that it goes both ways. Some people become believers after seeign action, and some people lose their faith after seeing action. Still i wish I coudl see the results of this poll, as not beign a vet, I did nto put in a vote.

Unfortunately, the higher part of the military is used as a way of getting soldiers to fight often unjust wars. If one thinks there is a god on their side they are less likely to question their orders/actions.

Whenever I encountered some religious person claiming that we should all "bow down" to religion, I remind them that the Constitution states very emphaticlly that their is a separation between state and church! In an active war zone, I would NEVER attend any form of religious indoctrination. Put me on guard duty, I didn't care. It was better then praying to some mysterious person in the sky to prevent the VC from shooting at us. I never had anything done to me because of my non-belief, because I was a draftee and never intended to make the military a career.

Whenever I encountered some religious person claiming that we should all "bow down" to religion, I remind them that the Constitution states very emphaticlly that their is a separation between state and church!

What do you mean "seen action?" I'm not sure how to answer this poll... I don't think I've "seen action," but I have been deployed to an active theater.

I spent two years deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. In Iraq, the base I was at was regularly hit with mortar fire, and I could hear explosions, but none ever came close to me. I was involved in the movement of HRs ("human remains" of the deceased) back to the US. Sometimes that meant participating in the dignified transfer at the aircraft, and sometimes that just meant planning for the transfer case's movement from my office computer.

My time in Kuwait was spectacularly mundane. I was doing the same work, and it was important, but it was dull drudgery. HRs typically didn't move through that base, and I was in the office all the time anyway. I never really felt I was in danger there, even though I was in the AOR.

When I hear "seen action," I assume it to mean that one has been in direct combat. There are a ton of people who have deployed but have had relatively uneventful experiences.

I'm going to take the poll as "seen action," although I wouldn't personally use that term to describe my service.