US Air Force airmen attend a voter information session at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in October 2026. A recent survey suggests that US active duty personnel are dissatisfied with the political situation in the military. (US Air Force/Senior Airman Brenden Beezley)

This Election Day, America’s Servicemembers Are Fed Up

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A new survey by military NGO Common Defense suggests a deep frustration with the Pentagon’s political leadership within the ranks.

As Americans head to the polls this Election Day, it is clear that the country remains deeply divided. That fact isn’t just true of the civilian population, either. Within the US armed forces—long seen as relatively divorced from the day-to-day of electoral politics—recent polling has suggested that around half of all servicemembers are ready to leave the service due to disapproval of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s leadership.

According to a survey conducted by Common Defense last month, members of the military community are pessimistic about the state of the armed forces and its leadership, both within the Pentagon and the government at large.

“The survey … found that 67 percent [of respondents] believe decisions affecting service members are being made for political gain, not mission readiness,” Common Defense wrote. “79 percent say veterans and military families are being left behind by politicians and society, and 63 percent say the country is on the wrong track.”

The survey found that President Donald Trump and Secretary Hegseth are particularly unpopular within the military community, with a majority of respondents disapproving of both leaders. Among active-duty military respondents, the survey found that 54 percent disapprove of Hegseth’s leadership. The results are even worse among military........

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