Reddit reviews Warriors and Citizens: American Views of Our Military

Warriors & Citizens?

The short answer is that the military recruits from Republican areas more easily, not that the military turns people Republican.

• Historically, Democrats were strongly anti-military during and after Vietnam. This perception has been maintained for a long time.
  
  
• The draft and student deferments during Vietnam created the perception that those who join the military are too stupid to go to college. That prejudice still exists, especially for enlisted members, even though the numbers don't really support it.
  
  
• Base Realignment and Closures focused on closing or reducing many bases in more expensive areas, which are often more liberal/Democratic. The Presidio in San Francisco, Fort Ord, CA, and Fort Devens, MA were all closed or greatly reduced in size.
  
  You end up Democrats who are perceived to be prejudiced against those who join the military (for both political and "intelligence" reasons), and have a reduced exposure in their daily lives to those who serve.
  
  Meanwhile, the BRAC efforts have greatly increased the size of military installations in Texas, the Carolinas, and Georgia. These areas tend to vote more Republican and they have more direct access to see what the benefits and disadvantages of military service actually are.
  
  James Mattis' book Warriors and Citizens from August 2016 talks about much of this, but doesn't link it to politics, that I remember.
  
  Personal anecdote:
  If anything, the military has turned me more liberal - I had a guaranteed job/paycheck, plenty of time off, decent pay, clothes to wear, a place to live, career progression, educational and training opportunities, free healthcare, a guaranteed home loan, and a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting right now. I know how all those things benefited me, and I can easily see how those things could benefit many more people, and the country as a whole if we were able to expand those programs.

The nominee in charge of our military (i.e. a tool of violence used by government to enforce policy) wants the military to be as lethal as possible. I believe that's part of the job description.

He also just wrote a book called Warriors and Citizens: American Views of our Military where he called it a political and moral failure of our society for having turned to the military too often to solve problems, and that in his role as secretary he would work to make sure our society doesn't make the same mistakes in the future.