81% View U.S. Military Favorably This Veteran's Day

As the nation honors its veterans today, 81% of Americans say they have a favorable opinion of the U.S. military, the highest finding in five years of surveying by Rasmussen Reports.

Only nine percent (9%) have an unfavorable opinion of the military, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Ten percent (10%) aren't sure how they view those serving in the armed forces.

In annual surveys dating back to 2005, those having a favorable opinion of the U.S. military have ranged from 71% to 79%.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of adults say Veterans Day is one of our nation's most important holidays, up six points from last year. Just four percent (4%) believe it's one of the least important holidays, while 42% say it's somewhere in between the two.

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Men (87%) have a higher regard for those in the military than women (75%). Republicans and adults not affiliated with either major political party view the military more favorably than Democrats do.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of men say Veterans Day is one of the country's most important holidays, compared to 46% of women. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of those ages 18 to 29 share that view, more than in any other age group.

Just 18% of Americans say they have served in the military, a number that has been roughly the same for several years. Republicans are slightly more likely to have served than Democrats and unaffiliateds. Men are six times as likely to have served in the military as women.

Thirty-six percent (36%) of adults say they have had close friends or relatives who gave their lives while in military service. Sixty percent (60%) have not.

Forty-one percent (41%) of men and 32% of women have lost a close friend or relative while they were serving in the military. Americans ages 40 to 49 are the least likely to have lost a loved one in this way.

Nearly half of adults (48%) plan to do something special to celebrate Veterans Day. Thirty-two percent (32%) do not have anything special planned, but 20% are not sure.

Men are more likely to celebrate the holiday than women. Republicans are more inclined to celebrate it than Democrats and unaffiliated adults.

Sixty-six percent (66%) of all Americans think military service is more stressful than most other occupations.

Twenty-eight percent (28%) say veterans of today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan face more challenges when they return home than veterans of the Vietnam War. Another 24% believe veterans of today's conflicts face fewer challenges, while 42% say the challenges that veterans from both eras have faced are about the same. Sixty-one percent (61%) believe veterans should receive preferential treatment when applying for a home or a job.

Sixty-three percent (63%) say National Guard members whose jobs were eliminated while they were on active duty should receive special preference in hiring for other jobs.

Americans are closely divided over whether the United States should send more troops to fight the war in Afghanistan. Twenty percent (20%) of voters say all American troops should be brought home from Afghanistan immediately, while 17% more believe a firm timetable should be established to bring all troops home within a year.

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This national telephone survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted by Rasmussen Reports November 6-7, 2009. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence (see methodology).

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.