Poll: Half of active-duty troops weigh leaving early over a politicized military

A survey by the veterans group Common Defense found that 53% of active-duty service members want to leave the military sooner because it is becoming more politicized, while about half of all respondents disapproved of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

A majority of active-duty service members who took part in a new survey said they want to leave the military sooner than planned because it is becoming more politicized, according to polling by the grassroots veterans' organization Common Defense Civic Engagement.

The group surveyed 731 active-duty service members, veterans and military families from Sept. 15 to Sept. 18 and released the results in late October, Military.com reported. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Fifty-three percent of active-duty respondents said politicization of the military made them want to separate from service sooner. Another 45% said policy changes or uncertainty under the Trump administration had led them to consider leaving early, and 44% cited the quality of housing or base facilities, the same share that pointed to leadership and unit culture.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon (file photo)

Roughly 79% of all respondents said politicians and society are leaving veterans and military families behind. Sixty-seven percent agreed that decisions affecting service members are being made for political gain rather than mission readiness, while 25% disagreed.

About 50% said they disapproved of Trump as commander in chief and 47% approved. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had a similar rating, with 45% approving and 50% disapproving, while 56% approved of senior uniformed commanders such as top generals and admirals.

"Right now, nearly 8-in-10 veterans and military families say they're being left behind, and active-duty troops are telling us that politicization is pushing them toward the exit. That's not a talking point; it's a readiness crisis," said Jose Vasquez, an Army veteran and executive director of Common Defense.

Poll: Half of active-duty troops weigh leaving early over a politicized military