Fewer Troops Identify as Republican

Party affiliations among U.S. troops are changing. According to a survey of 1,800 active-duty soldiers conducted by the Navy Times, self-identified Republicans have dropped from 60 percent to 41 percent since 2004—while self-identified independents jumped nearly twofold to 32 percent in the same period. Also notable: From 2008 and 2009, troops who labeled themselves Republican dropped nine percentage points while independents gained 10 percentage points, showing the trend to be a recent one. Military personnel in higher positions, however, including career-oriented officers and mid-grade to senior enlisted members, continue to be far more conservative, according to the survey.