and to be honest somewhat anti-military -

I don't think people understand that it IS one of the safety nets for some of the least educated and poor in the country. People who wouldn't be able to buy a job. They receive training and house and 3 squares a day. They have a job and a roof over their head.

Now if they could just avoid dying - usually for no good reason at all.

The divorce rate - and dissolution of families - is pretty high. The violence rate is very high (more in some branches than others).

What people don't realize is that if the defense budget is cut drastically (and they don't cut the salaries and the perks and the kickbacks) it is those poor who will suffer. It should be a gradual lessening of forces.

What I'd like to see is it replaced with a different type of program. Job training and housing while they learn it. Maybe even make products and sell it so support said program. Schools for their children. Food on the table. Turning them into productive citizens. Without the threat of going off to war.

Edit - in the interest of full disclosure - I'm an ex navy wife. My other ex was an ex-Marine (but it didn't 'take') when we met. My brother a retired Full Colonel from the Airforce. My dad & uncle Marines in WWII (and then Dad was civil service on bases - first AF then Navy). I was in AF Rotc for a couple of years in college even (but left because they wouldn't let women be fighter pilots. Yes, I used to be a hawk. And conservative. Then I grew up.)

I absolutely loved the people that I worked with and I learned a lot of valuable life lessons. For many people, the military and the structure can do a lot of good for a lot of people with little to no other options and teach them some skills and discipline that would make them productive members of our society. The only thing that I don't like about the military is the war. Too bad we couldn't turn our military into some sort of civil works corps or something like that and they could put their focus on something that would actually add to our society and make the world a better place.

We could maintain the structure and discipline that has long-term beneficial effects for some people (myself included).

My favorite NCO used to deal drugs as a teenager until he was targeted by a drive-by shooting. That incident scared the crap out of the guy and he realized that he needed to get the hell out of the ghetto. He joined the Army and ended up becoming one hell of a Sergeant. He had no prospect of going to college himself, but he managed to get some discipline and structure in his life and he passed on his life lessons to his two sons. As I'm writing this, both of his sons are going to college and both have completely different opportunity in life as a result of their father getting into the Army. The Army can provide a tremendous long-term benefit to people in our society. It's unfortunate that the fruits of the labor of the military culminates in war and killing.