A new survey by military NGO Common Defense suggests a deep frustration with the Pentagon’s political leadership within the ranks.

As Americans head to the polls this Election Day, it is clear that the country remains deeply divided. That fact isn’t just true of the civilian population, either. Within the US armed forces—long seen as relatively divorced from the day-to-day of electoral politics—recent polling has suggested that around half of all servicemembers are ready to leave the service due to disapproval of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s leadership.

According to a survey conducted by Common Defense last month, members of the military community are pessimistic about the state of the armed forces and its leadership, both within the Pentagon and the government at large.

“The survey … found that 67 percent [of respondents] believe decisions affecting service members are being made for political gain, not mission readiness,” Common Defense wrote. “79 percent say veterans and military families are being left behind by politicians and society, and 63 percent say the country is on the wrong track.”

The survey found that President Donald Trump and Secretary Hegseth are particularly unpopular within the military community, with a majority of respondents disapproving of both leaders. Among active-duty military respondents, the survey found that 54 percent disapprove of Hegseth’s leadership. The results are even worse among military family members, with 64 percent disapproving of the former Fox News host’s tenure as Pentagon chief. (Because most servicemembers are male, most military spouses are female, and women are generally more politically liberal than men, which may help to explain the gap.)

According to Common Defense, 51 percent of surveyed respondents felt that morale was lower in the military this year than it had been in previous years.

Servicemembers Are Worried About the Politicization of the Military

When asked about their grievances, many servicemembers told Common Defense that they worried the politicization within the US military could impact troop readiness. According to the survey, more than half (53 percent) of active-duty respondents opined that the US Armed Forces are becoming “more politicized,” which in turn resulted in those individuals wanting to separate sooner.

The White House and the DoD have touted a surge in new recruits since Trump’s historical political comeback two years ago as proof that Hegseth’s methods are working. However, per the survey, a mere 5 percent of active duty personnel said that the political direction Hegseth has taken the military in had made them want to stay longer. That is far lower than those who are enticed by bonuses and other benefits, with 26 percent of those surveyed saying those perks were what led to their reenlistment.

It should be noted that all the branches of the military are now offering “Selective Reenlistment Bonuses (SRBs),” which are offered based on specific job, rank, and length of service. The US military has targeted servicemembers in technical, cyber, nuclear, and other specialized fields that don’t immediately seem to fit the “warrior ethos” mold that Hegseth has tried to create within the DoD. In other words, Hegseth’s current recruitment efforts may be finding ideologically friendly macho warriors, but at the cost of those with the specialized skills that are likely needed for 21st-century warfare.

It should also be noted that after multiple years of missing recruiting goals, the US Army, US Air Force, and US Navy all met the goals in fiscal year 2024 (FY24), the last full year of the Biden administration—and thus before Hegseth took charge. It is therefore somewhat disingenuous for the current DoD leadership to claim that Hegseth’s focus on a “warrior ethos” is what led to the surge in recruitment.

Politics may have played a role in the recruitment boost. But so did economic and financial factors—as did expanded efforts to lower barriers of entry, including waivers for past drug use, tattoos, and even a handful of mental health issues. The services have also begun pre-boot camp prep services for both fitness and academic studies, making it easier for interested recruits who would not otherwise meet the military’s physical or intellectual requirements to get in shape ahead of enlistment.

What Trump Actions Do Servicemembers Support and Oppose?

The survey asked active duty servicemembers their opinions on a number of Trump administration actions pertaining to the military—including both political reforms in the United States and foreign military actions in South America and the Middle East.

On the domestic front, servicemembers approved of Trump’s decision to revert the Biden-era renaming of US military bases named for Confederate leaders, with 55 percent in support and 35 percent opposed. They also supported Hegseth’s emphasis on stricter grooming standards by a narrower margin, with 50 percent in favor and 44 percent opposed. Less popular were Hegseth’s attempts to weed out transgender servicemembers (38 percent supporting, 49 percent opposed) and his renaming of the “Department of Defense” to the “Department of War” (37 percent supporting, 55 percent opposed).

With regard to military operations, most servicemembers supported “Operation Southern Spear,” the US campaign against drug smuggling in Central and South America (57 percent supporting, 38 percent opposed) and the deployment of US troops to the US-Mexico border to deter drug trafficking and illegal immigration (56 percent supporting, 40 percent opposed). A plurality opposed the war with Iran (44 percent supporting, 49 percent opposed), while an outright majority opposed assistance to Israel in Gaza (38 percent supporting, 53 percent opposed) and domestic policing missions (37 percent supporting, 55 percent opposed).

In general, 55 percent of all respondents—which included active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and military family members—said that more needs to be done regarding lengthy deployments, troop health, and personnel safety and welfare.

“For too long, politicians have used veterans as a backdrop for their speeches instead of listening to what we actually have to say,” said Naveed Shah, US Army veteran and political director at Common Defense. “Even in a sample that leans older, whiter, and more conservative than the country, two-thirds of military voters say the decisions affecting our troops are about politics, not readiness. Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth can’t keep claiming to speak for the military while ignoring what servicemembers and their families are telling them. Military voters are paying attention, and they’ll remember in November.”

Common Defense conducted its survey from September 15 to September 18 about a range of issues pertaining to military life and politics. The poll’s margin of error was 4 percent.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. He has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism, including Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author at Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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