Active Duty and Reserves
1.4 million
The number of active duty men and women in the U.S. armed forces as of Jan. 31, 2003.
Here's a Department of Defense breakdown by service branch:
Active Duty and Reserves |
Total |
Number of Women |
All Services |
1.4 million |
212,000   |
Army |
487,000 |
75,000 |
Navy |
385,000 |
56,000 |
Air Force |
368,000 |
71,000 |
Marine Corps
|
174,000 |
10,000 |
In addition, more than 38,000 men and women serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, now under the
Department of Homeland Security.
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/defense.pdf>
1.2 million
The number of active duty enlisted members of the armed forces. They were led by 223,000 officers. Of the officers, 873 were generals or admirals.
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/defense.pdf>
1.3 million
Number of ready reservists and National Guard members. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/defense.pdf>
212,000
Number of women on active duty. Another 149,000 serve in the National Guard and reserves. <http://www.dior.whs.mil>
5
Percentage of people 16-to-64 years old in Hawaii who are in the armed forces, the highest such
percentage in the nation. Alaska (4 percent), Virginia (3 percent) and North Dakota and North
Carolina (2 percent each) rounded out the top five states.
<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
149,000
Number of Californians who are in the armed forces, the most of any state in the nation. Next
were Virginia (131,000) and Texas (107,000). <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
82,000
Number of Navy and Marine Corps members serving at California military installations in 2001,
the most of any one military branch in any state. Texas was home base for the most soldiers
(64,000) and Air Force members (43,000). Overall, Texas had the most men and women in
uniform (114,000), followed by California (107,000) and North Carolina (86,000).
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/defense.pdf>
69,000
Number of military personnel on active duty in Germany, the most stationed in a single country
abroad prior to the Iraqi buildup. Japan (40,000) and the Republic of Korea (38,000) follow. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/defense.pdf>
$180.6 billion
Dollar amount of contracts awarded by the military in fiscal year 2002. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/defense.pdf>
676
The number of hostile deaths, including those caused by terrorist acts, from 1980 to 2002. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/defense.pdf>
Veterans
26.4 million
Number of veterans who reside in the United States; this is a ratio of about 1-in-8 (13 percent) of U.S. civilians 18 and over.
<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
6
Percentage of civilian veterans who are women. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
37
Percentage of veterans who are age 65 or over.
<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
2.6 million
Number of African-American veterans. About 22.6 million are white; 1.1 million, of Hispanic
origin; 284,000, of Asian heritage; and 196,000, American Indian or Alaska native. (The
numbers for African-Americans, whites, Asians and American Indians or Alaska natives refer to
those reporting a single race only.) <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
Also, among the nation's veterans:
328,000
Number of veterans in Census 2000 who served during both the Vietnam era and the Desert
Storm era (August 1990 or later).
- In addition, 274,000 veterans served during both the Korean War and the Vietnamese
conflict.
- 161,000 veterans served during three different periods: World War II, the Korean War and
Vietnam conflict.
- 384,000 veterans served in World War II and the Korean War. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
7
Number of states with 1 million or more veterans. They include
California (2.6 million), Florida (1.9 million), Texas (1.8 million),
New York (1.4 million), Pennsylvania (1.3 million), Ohio (1.1 million)
and Illinois (1.0 million). <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
17
Percentage of Alaska civilians 18 and over who are veterans, highest of any state in the country.
Other states where 15 percent or more of the adult civilian population are veterans: Arizona,
Florida, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and
Wyoming. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
Not surprisingly, large concentrations of veterans reside in or near military installations.
Examples:
- More than 7-in-10 adult civilians who live at Warren Air Force Base (AFB), Wyo., and
Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, are veterans (76 percent and 75 percent, respectively).
- More than 3-in-10 adult civilians in West Point, N.Y.; Fort Meade, Md.; Fort Lewis, Wash.;
Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; and Fort Belvoir, Va; and Lemoore Station, Calif., are
veterans. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
$16.5 billion
Aggregate amount of money received during fiscal 2001 by the 2.3 million veterans receiving
compensation for service-connected disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/defense.pdf>
Note: The Census Bureau defines a "civilian veteran"
as a person 18 years old and over who, at the time of the census, had
been on active duty in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or
Coast Guard in the past (even for a short time), but was not then on active
duty, or who had served in the Merchant Marine during World War II.
Much of the military information in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2002, was
provided by the Defense Department's Washington Headquarters Services (WHS). Some of the
data have been updated to reflect new information on the WHS Web site
<http://www.dior.whs.mil>. |