The fact that poor kids, minority kids, and kids without higher education are by far overrepresented in the US military tells me that enlisting because it's honorable is the last thing on these kid's minds.

For them, this is an avenue out of poverty. Look at the stats. When we're not in war, enlistment rises very high. In the last 6 years, enlistment has cratered. Why? one would assume that honorable service to country in a  time "of need" would draw more enlisters. Instead, the opposite is true. When the military is there to provide training, however, and not require combat from enlisters, then enlistments skyrocket.

What do we deduce from this?