What is the percentage of the U.S. Armed Forces volunteered just for the pay/money and what percentage?

90%~10%

Well, in the unscientific poll conducted by the cadre when i was in basic, they asked a room with about 700-800 of us in it how many signed up for the benifits, and how many signed up for love of country. It looked to me to be about 90% for the benefits, 10 percent for love of country. And they were openly saying it.

That doesn't mean they didn't love there country, it just wasn't their primary reason for joining. And it's not like any of us 10% were turning down benefits either. After September 11th, it became much less fashionable to admit you came in for the benefits primarily. It also depends on the unit I bet. Probably only 3% of combat arms guys entered just for the benefits. In service support units, that 80-20 or 90-10 split I mentioned above is probably more common.

Edit:

I keep seeing people say you don't make as much in the military. That is true in some instances, but for the most part you do alright. I know I was making more as a E-3-E5 active duty than I was as a civilian. More importantly, you get training and educational benefits not availible to many groups. So yeah, we don't pay soldiers much to get shot at, but if you add in health care, education, housing, VA loans, and bonuses, ect, you can do really well compared to civilian life. Actually, it isn't until you are mid to late career that most of your classmates who stayed civilians start to out-earn you in pay, and even then they are usually still paying off student loans. So I'm not sure arguing that the troops don't earn much so must all be doing it for pure love of country is a legitimate argument. Those are serious economic incentives to joining.

Most of the people I know that are in love their country but know they need money too! I actually know more people who say the reason they joined was b/c they wanted to get paid for jumping out of airplanes and blowing $hit up. Personally I don't think it matters if they joined for the money or not. As long as they do their job then it's not anybody's business but their own. As for my husband and a few good friends of ours...they joined after 9/11 because they love their country.

OldeSalt...lol...Your answers always crack me up! ;-)

To even try to put a percentage on this is rediculous. If you think that more people join because of the money more than for their country you are mistaken because although the military dosent pay absolutely horribly, the pay alone is not worth the risk. I dare to say that a majority of our military pesonel joined for a combination their of, I did.

Why didn't you know, you can become RICH by joining the military! You can get FREE STUFF, FREE MEDICAL FOR LIFE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, goods sold WHOLESALE at the military exchanges and commissaries where you can get food for 1/4 the cost of what they pay in the civilian community. Our clothes are free, we get free housing, free education, you can take your family and fly anywhere in the world for free. Oh the NONSENSE some civilians believe about the military. The ABOVE nonsense was told to me by a CIVILIAN WHO KNOWS...gag, choke.

Personally, I joined to GET OUT OF DELAWARE! I wanted to see the world and did..over 32 countries (stationed in 3), sailed on 5 ships, was on 6 continents (including having spent 13 months in Antarctica BECAUSE I WANTED TO), 8 oceans/seas. I picked up 8 languages where I could be understood speaking it. I can go to 5 countries and not have to stay in a hotel (Kenya, Sardinia, Mauritius, Turkey, Sicily) and keep in touch with 3 people (my wife writes to a friend she made in Sardinia back in the mid-70's) that I met from different countries (Kenya, Mauritius, Sicily). When my youngest joined the Navy, he was stationed in Japan and met 3 families we knew way before he was born.

SOME people join to get their college education money..and even fewer get upset if they have to be deployed (WAAAAA I DIDN'T JOIN THE ARMY TO FIGHT!).

OK, I'm climbing down from my soap box. NEXT PERSON?

IMO Tom Clancy said it best:

"One of the compensations for being in the military and making 1/3rd the money of an equally-qualified person in the civilian world, is the off chance of getting killed."

Anybody who thinks that people serve for the money needs to get a clue. (And wonder at their own personal values if they think that money is that important.)

This is virtually impossible to quantify in any real means and anyone who says they have an answer is giving you a really biased and ill-informed personal opinion.

About 75-25...............the college money enticed them. But now that they know they may be shipped overseas it changes the whole equation.............Now volunteers are more for the patriotic reasons.......about 90%-10% in favor of love of the country

Very low. The starting pay in the pay is low. Overall military pay is less than that of civilians.

Pay - 88%

Love of country - 78% - they all love their country, but some had more than one reason to join.

There is no way to be sure. Anybody that gives you a percentage is delusional.