Sunday Newscape Magazine

A question asked by a member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) got my attention.

The question was: “I think most members of Congress don’t understand what it’s like to serve in the armed services. How many members of Congress have served in the military?”

The MOAA’s answer was:

"The numbers of veterans in Congress has significantly diminished over the years. From the 70’s to today the number of veterans in Congress has dropped by 75 percent. According to a recent report published by the Congressional Research Service:

• There are 121 total legislators who have served in the military (five less than the last Congress)
• There are 96 veterans in the House and 25 in the Senate

Their collective wartime service includes World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq."

Curious about these statistics, I obtained the full report published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), titled “Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile.”

This 11 page report not only provides information on military service of members of the 111th Congress, but also presents statistical information on other characteristics, including data on party affiliation, average age, length of service, occupation, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, and foreign births.

According to the CRS, these are the data on military service of members of the 111th Congress (Some as already reported by the MOAA):

• "In the 111th Congress there are 121 Members who have served in the military, five less than in the 110th Congress.
• The House has 96 veterans (including two Delegates); the Senate 25.

These members served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo, as well as during times of peace. Some have served in the Reserves and the National Guard. Several Members are still serving as Reservists. As noted above [see full report], one Senator is a former Secretary of the Navy.

The number of veterans in the 111th Congress reflects the trend of a steady decline in the number of Members who have served in the military.

For example, there were 298 veterans (240 Representatives, 58 Senators) in the 96th Congress (1979-1981); and 398 veterans (329 Representatives, 69 Senators) in the 91st Congress (1969-1971)."

The site docstoc.com provides a complete list of members of the House of Representatives who have military service, including branch of service.

Representative John Murtha’s web site also has information on this subject.

Finally, back to the CRS report.

As mentioned, this report provides other statistics and data. Here’s a summary (Keep in mind; the report was published on December 31, 2008):

• "Currently, in the House of Representatives, there are 262 Democrats (including five Delegates and the Resident Commissioner) and 178 Republicans. The Senate has 55 Democrats; two Independents, who caucus with the Democrats; and 41 Republicans. There are two Senate vacancies and one House vacancy.
• The average age of Members of both Houses of Congress at the convening of the 111th Congress is 58.2 years; of Members of the House, 57.0 years; and of Senators, 63.1 years.
• The overwhelming majority of Members have a college education.
• The dominant professions of Members are public service/politics, business, and law. Protestants collectively constitute the majority religious affiliation of Members. Roman Catholics account for the largest single religious denomination, and numerous other affiliations are represented.
• The average length of service for Representatives at the beginning of the 111th Congress is 11.0 years (5.5 terms); for Senators 12.9 years ( 2.2 terms).
• A record number of 95 women serve in the 111th Congress: 78 in the House, 17 in the Senate.
• There are 41 African American Members of the House and none in the Senate. This number includes two Delegates. There are 31 Hispanic or Latino Members serving: 28 in the House, including the Resident Commissioner, and three in the Senate. Eleven Members (seven Representatives, two Delegates, and two Senators) are Asian or Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander. The only American Indian (Native American) serves in the House."

It’s an interesting read about our Members of Congress. Thought you might like to know.