Lawrence J Korb takes on military myths propagated by Dubya for political gain:

“Military people are not overworked and underpaid and, despite campaign rhetoric, most aren’t on food stamps. During the 1990s, an average of 40,000 military people were deployed in various “operations other than war.” This represents less than 3% of the active force and less than 2% of the total force, counting reserves. A greater percentage of the active force was stationed in the United States than during the 1980s … As for pay, most men and women in the armed services make more than 75% of their civilian counterparts. And, if the compensation levels of military people were adjusted to reflect the fair market value of their housing allowances, fewer than 1% would be eligible for food stamps.”