5 Things You May Not Know About Our Veterans

It’s Veterans Day! But for many of us, our overall knowledge of the military and veterans is kind of low. Here are a few things you may not know about the U.S. Military and the men and women who call themselves VETERANS . . .
1) Only 14% of Americans knew how many branches there are in the U.S. military . . .
There are SIX branches: The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and the new Space Force.
2) A LOT of us believe anyone who serves in the military is a called a “soldier” . . .                                                                                                                                     But soldiers are only in the Army. The other five branches are: Marine Corps, referred to as “Marines”, the Navy, referred to as “Sailors”, The Air Force, are referred to as “Airmen”, The Space Force, “Guardians”, and The Coast Guard, are referred to as “Coast Guardsmen”.
3) Do you have a guess on what percentage of the population has ever served in the U.S. military?
According to the VA, there are around 19 million U.S. military veterans, or about 7% of the American adult population.
4) What percentage of the U.S. military is made up of National Guard and Reservists?
The National Guard and Reserve make up approximately 33% of the overall military, or just over 800,000 individuals.
5) And finally on this Veterans Day . . . How many service members leave military service and transition to civilian life each year?
Every year, approximately 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service and return to life as civilians, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.