Military Officer - August 2007 - (Page 10)

fromtheeditor We’re No. 1 Recent Gallup poll results show Americans continue to have the greatest conﬁdence in the U.S. military, and they think the nation’s most important problem is Iraq. W hen searching for inspiration for this column, I often browse the national polling groups to see what’s new with regard to our national psyche. While trolling opinion polls from the past few weeks, I made some interesting catches. I’ll share with you a few ﬁndings that apply to our military profession and lend perspective to this month’s issue. Let’s begin with one of our perennial favorites — Gallup’s annual update about America’s conﬁdence in institutions. Gallup conducted the latest update June 11-14 (www.galluppoll.com). And in which institution did the American public say they have the greatest conﬁdence? Once again, at the top of the list is the military! The military has been near or at the top in each Gallup survey since 1987. In 2007, the military earned a 69-percent conﬁdence rating. The next closest institutions were small businesses with a rating of 59 percent and the police with 54 percent. Congress was the biggest loser, with a conﬁdence rating of 14 percent. Also with ratings below 20 percent were (from the bottom up) HMOs, big businesses, organized labor, and the criminal justice system. Although conﬁdence in the military still is high, it is down from previous years. In 2006, it was 73 percent. In 1991, it was 85 percent. According to the Gallup organization, conﬁdence in institutions is down across the board. “The drop in conﬁdence in most institutions coincides with a period MILITARY OFFICER AUGUST 2007 of time in which Americans have low levels of overall satisfaction with the way things are going in the [U.S.],” writes Frank Newport, Gallup Brain. So what is bringing our conﬁdence level down? What do Americans say is the most important issue facing the country? According to the June 11-14 Gallup poll, “34 percent of Americans mention Iraq as the nation’s top problem. No other single issue comes close to being mentioned this frequently,” writes Lydia Saad, Gallup Brain. And this brings us to our lead story. This month we salute America’s National Guard and Reserve forces. These institutions rate highly on our scale for service and dedication to the nation. They perform superbly on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also serve a key role in homeland security and response to natural disasters. How is the National Guard handling the pressures and dealing with the challenges of the war on terrorism? To ﬁnd the answer, read our story “No Longer in Reserve” on page 52. Renew your conﬁdence in a great American institution. — Col. Warren S. Lacy, USA-Ret. PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT 10 http://www.galluppoll.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - August 2007

Military Officer - August 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: No Longer in Reserve A Different Path Weird Science Charge? Pages of History Faces of MOAA Member Books Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Calendar MOAA Scholarship Donors Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - August 2007

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