Commander-in-Chief struggles for approval as military support declines

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Christian Examiner) -- Results from the annual Military Times survey are in and the numbers show a continued decline in President Obama's approval from the military as more than half of U.S. troops disapprove of his performance as Commander in Chief.

"The nation is failing today's troops and veterans," said Military Times newsroom correspondent Tony Lombardo in a video summary of the results.

While the survey is not scientific and represents only a voluntary response from the publication's readers, a poll of 2,300 active duty service members demonstrated that only 15 percent of participants approve of Obama's performance -- a rating that's down from 35 percent in 2009.

Comparing the degree of change Obama has overseen with that of President Truman's,

The Military Times attributes "cultural changes" as reason for the decline in Obama's approval rating.

"For Obama's supporters, the cultural changes he's overseeing are on a level with President Truman's 1948 order that desegregated the military and put it at the forefront of the national push for racial equality," the report read. "But to his critics, his moves amount to heavy-handed social engineering that erode deep-seated traditions and potentially undermine good order and discipline."

Obama's unpopularity among Military Times readers comes with sinking support for and trust in both major political parties. Nearly half of the active duty servicemembers surveyed said they believe both the Republican and Democratic parties have become less supportive of military issues.

According to CNN, other findings reported 56 percent of the troops felt their overall quality of life was good, down from 91 percent in 2009 and more than half felt underpaid. 

Over that same span of time those who would recommend a military career to others dropped from 85 percent to 73 percent, and the number of those interested in re-enlisting dropped from 72 precent to 63 percent Newsmax reported.

The Military Times readers who participated in the survey also demonstrated a "mirroring low approval" for national law makers with 44 percent claiming both the Republican and Democrat parties have become less supportive of military issues. The report stated only 12 percent believe both parties have the armed forces' best interests at heart.

The Military times has conducted it's annual survey for 10 years and the publication's authors claim it is "the only long-term independent tracking survey of its kind."