OK is No. 7 in military service
Oklahoma is ranked No. 35 on WalletHub’s report on “2019’s Most Patriotic States in America.” According to the report, red states are more patriotic than blue states.
“Expressions of American patriotism come in many forms – from setting off fireworks during Fourth of July and buying American-made goods to paying taxes and serving in the armed forces,” the report states. “But some states are better than others at showing their national pride.”
Oklahoma is No. 7 in the category of “military engagement rank” and No. 43 in “civic engagement.”
The military engagement ranking looked at how many enlistees per 1,000 civilian adults between 2012 and 2017 plus the number of veterans per 1,000 civilian adults. Also, it checked the number of active-duty military personnel and the percentage of the adult population in the military reserves.
Oklahoma has several military installations:
Altus Air Force Base in Altus
It trains thousands of pilots and maintenance technicians each year and houses the 97th Air Mobility Wing.
Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City
Operated by the Air Force, it is important to U.S. Navy tenants, including Strategic Communications Wing One. It is the home of the Oklahoma Air National Guard.
Vance Air Force Base in Enid
This is a training site for the 71st Flying Training Wing.
Fort Sill Army Base in Lawton
This is home to the Field Artillery Training Command and the U.S. Marine Corps Artillery Detachment.
McAlester Army Ammunition Base in McAlester
This base assists the Army with ammunition.
Container Inspection Training, U.S. Coast Guard, in Oklahoma City
This base has training to protect our borders.
Coast Guard Institute in Oklahoma City
The Coast Guard is crucial in homeland security.
Coast Guard Shore Side Support Detachment in Sallisaw
The Oklahoma Army National Guard has training in Mustang, Norman, Braggs, Lexington and Oklahoma City.
What is a good patriot?
“An individual who puts country before personal gain, country before their own comfort, and whose sense of responsibility puts country above personal honor,” said Professor Timothy Kneeland of Nazareth College. “Recall the words of Thomas Paine in The Crisis or the signers of the Declaration of Independence — they were patriots.”
Patriotism motivates people to join the U.S. military.
“Although the military does increase signing bonuses and provides other incentives in order to increase the number of recruits to the military in times of relative peace they sense of duty to their country has not changed much over the years,” Kneeland said. “Just as young men and women signed up to support their country after Pearl Harbor, so too did young people who entered the military after 9/11. Today, many young people still feel the tug of patriotism that leads them to enter the military and put their lives on the line for their country.”
How does socioeconomic status affect the willingness to serve in the military?
“We could say that there is a difference in the way that patriotism manifests itself among different classes of Americans,” Kneeland said. “Amy Lutz at Syracuse University did a great study about a decade ago and found that those from lower socio-economic classes were more likely to join the military. Whether their service was motivated by economic concerns or patriotism was not part of the study, but other studies have found a tie between criteria such as duty, honor, love of country with economic status, some of this was interview-driven but some also reflected choices in the symbolic speech (flags, military bumper stickers, etc.) I would hesitate to say that the upper class is less patriotic, but I would say they are less likely to express their love of country in the same open and plain way that people of lower socioeconomic status use.”
Is patriotism changing?
“Yes, the younger generation may be less likely to adopt the cultural practices of the past, singing the national anthem, saying the pledge of allegiance, etc.,” Kneeland said. “They have been raised to think that being too American means being too parochial and they may be embarrassed by an overenthusiastic embrace of things that are labeled America. However, they still show their love of country by community service, civic engagement, etc.”
The movement toward globalism has made some Americans question the patriotism of others.
“… I would suggest you can be both, an American who sees themselves as part of a global network of communities,” said Kneeland. “Understanding the unique heritage that is American and embracing those elements that express aspirations that are universal and trying to change those aspects of American culture they feel are antiquated or dangerous.”
Patriotism begins with education in public schools.
“In the aftermath of the 2016 election, a number of people I spoke with, including many K-12 educators, suggested that civics should be reintroduced into the curriculum,” Kneeland said “Stripped down to its essence, this would teach students their rights, but also their duties as citizens of the U.S.”
- Red states are more patriotic, with an average ranking of 23.67, compared with 28.25 for blue states (1 = Best).
- Alaska has the most veterans per 1,000 civilian adults, 127, which is 2.4 times more than in New York, the state with the fewest at 54.
- Maine has the highest share of adults who voted in the 2016 presidential election, 72.68 percent, which is 1.5 times higher than in Hawaii, the state with the lowest at 47.27 percent.
- Utah has the highest volunteer rate, 51.00 percent, which is 2.2 times higher than in Florida, the state with the lowest at 22.80 percent.
- Georgia has the highest number of military enlistees while North Dakota has the lowest average.
- Vermont has the most Peace Corps volunteers while Mississippi has the fewest.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, visit: wallethub.com/edu/most-patriotic-states/13680/
Top 20 Most Patriotic States
- New Hampshire
- Wyoming
- Vermont
- Utah
- Idaho
- Wisconsin
- Alaska
- South Carolina
- Missouri
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Montana
- Maine
- Virginia
- Colorado
- Arizona
- Washington
- Oregon
- Alabama
- Florida